Vendor Procurement Coordinator

Overview

This skill orchestrates the complete vendor procurement lifecycle from initial RFQ creation through vendor response tracking to final client-facing estimate generation. It integrates with existing vendor-rfq-creator and vendor-estimate-creator skills while adding email automation, response tracking, and procurement status management capabilities.

Primary language: Japanese (default), English supported Output format: Markdown, JSON, Email templates

When to Use

• Managing multiple vendor solicitations for a single project
• Tracking vendor quote responses and deadlines
• Converting received vendor quotes into client-facing estimates
• Automating RFQ distribution to vendor email lists
• Coordinating the end-to-end procurement pipeline
• Comparing vendor responses and creating evaluation summaries
• Generating procurement status reports for stakeholders

Prerequisites

• Python 3.9+
• Standard library + pyyaml for configuration
• Email credentials (SMTP) for sending RFQs (optional, manual mode available)
• Access to vendor-rfq-creator and vendor-estimate-creator skills (recommended)

Workflow

Step 1: Initialize Procurement Project

Create a new procurement tracking project with metadata.

python3 scripts/init_procurement.py \
  --project-name "ERP System Replacement" \
  --client "Acme Corporation" \
  --output-dir ./procurement/erp-2024

This creates the procurement project structure:

procurement/erp-2024/
├── procurement.yaml       # Project configuration and status
├── rfq/                   # RFQ documents (from vendor-rfq-creator)
├── quotes/                # Received vendor quotes
├── estimates/             # Client-facing estimates (from vendor-estimate-creator)
└── communications/        # Email templates and tracking

Step 2: Create RFQ Document

Use vendor-rfq-creator skill to generate the RFQ document. Save the output to the rfq/ directory.

Reference: See references/procurement_workflow_guide.md for RFQ best practices.

Step 3: Register Vendors

Register vendors to receive the RFQ and track responses.

python3 scripts/manage_vendors.py add \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --vendor-name "Tech Solutions Inc." \
  --contact-email "sales@techsolutions.example.com" \
  --contact-name "John Smith"

Bulk import from CSV:

python3 scripts/manage_vendors.py import \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --csv-file vendors.csv

Step 4: Send RFQ to Vendors

Generate and optionally send RFQ emails to registered vendors.

python3 scripts/send_rfq.py \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --rfq-file rfq/rfq_document.md \
  --deadline 2024-03-15 \
  --mode preview

Modes:

• preview: Generate email content for manual sending
• send: Send via SMTP (requires email configuration)

Email template customization available via assets/email_templates/.

Step 5: Track Vendor Responses

Log received vendor quotes and update tracking status.

python3 scripts/track_responses.py log \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --vendor-name "Tech Solutions Inc." \
  --quote-file "quotes/tech_solutions_quote.pdf" \
  --amount 15000000 \
  --currency JPY \
  --delivery-date 2024-06-30

View tracking dashboard:

python3 scripts/track_responses.py status \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024

Step 6: Compare and Evaluate Quotes

Generate a vendor comparison report.

python3 scripts/compare_quotes.py \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --output quotes/comparison_report.md

Reference: See references/vendor_evaluation_criteria.md for evaluation framework.

Step 7: Create Client-Facing Estimate

Convert the selected vendor quote(s) into a client-facing estimate using vendor-estimate-creator skill.

Apply markup and consolidation:

python3 scripts/create_client_estimate.py \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --vendor-quote "quotes/tech_solutions_quote.pdf" \
  --markup-percent 15 \
  --output estimates/client_estimate.md

Step 8: Generate Procurement Report

Create final procurement summary for stakeholders.

python3 scripts/generate_report.py \
  --project-dir ./procurement/erp-2024 \
  --output procurement_summary.md

Output Format

Procurement Status (YAML)

project:
  name: "ERP System Replacement"
  client: "Acme Corporation"
  created: "2024-02-01"
  status: "quotes_received"  # initialized | rfq_sent | quotes_received | evaluation | completed

rfq:
  document: "rfq/rfq_document.md"
  sent_date: "2024-02-05"
  deadline: "2024-03-15"

vendors:
  - name: "Tech Solutions Inc."
    email: "sales@techsolutions.example.com"
    status: "quote_received"  # pending | contacted | quote_received | declined | selected
    quote:
      file: "quotes/tech_solutions_quote.pdf"
      amount: 15000000
      currency: "JPY"
      received_date: "2024-03-01"
  - name: "Digital Systems Corp."
    email: "info@digitalsystems.example.com"
    status: "contacted"
    quote: null

timeline:
  - date: "2024-02-01"
    event: "Project initialized"
  - date: "2024-02-05"
    event: "RFQ sent to 3 vendors"
  - date: "2024-03-01"
    event: "Quote received from Tech Solutions Inc."

Vendor Comparison Report (Markdown)

# Vendor Comparison Report

## Project: ERP System Replacement
Generated: 2024-03-20

## Summary

| Vendor | Quote Amount | Delivery | Score |
|--------|-------------|----------|-------|
| Tech Solutions Inc. | ¥15,000,000 | 2024-06-30 | 85/100 |
| Digital Systems Corp. | ¥18,500,000 | 2024-07-15 | 78/100 |

## Detailed Evaluation

### Tech Solutions Inc.
- **Price**: 30/30 (Most competitive)
- **Technical Capability**: 25/25 (Strong track record)
- **Delivery Timeline**: 15/20 (Within deadline)
- **Support & Maintenance**: 15/25 (Standard SLA)

[Additional details...]

Resources

scripts/

• init_procurement.py -- Initialize procurement project structure
• manage_vendors.py -- Add, edit, remove, import vendor contacts
• send_rfq.py -- Generate and send RFQ emails
• track_responses.py -- Log and track vendor quote responses
• compare_quotes.py -- Generate vendor comparison report
• create_client_estimate.py -- Convert vendor quote to client estimate
• generate_report.py -- Create procurement summary report

references/

• procurement_workflow_guide.md -- Complete procurement process guide with best practices
• vendor_evaluation_criteria.md -- Evaluation framework and scoring methodology

assets/

• email_templates/rfq_email_ja.md -- Japanese RFQ email template
• email_templates/rfq_email_en.md -- English RFQ email template
• email_templates/reminder_email.md -- Quote deadline reminder template

Integration with Related Skills

vendor-rfq-creator

Use before Step 2 to generate comprehensive RFQ documents:

• Transform vague requirements into structured RFQs
• Apply 150+ item checklist for completeness
• Generate professional Japanese/English RFQs

vendor-estimate-creator

Use in Step 7 to create client-facing estimates:

• Apply WBS methodology to vendor quotes
• Add markup and consolidation
• Include ROI analysis for client justification

Key Principles

1. Track Everything: Maintain complete audit trail of all vendor communications
2. Fair Process: Send identical RFQs to all vendors with same deadlines
3. Transparent Evaluation: Use consistent, documented evaluation criteria
4. Timely Follow-up: Monitor deadlines and send reminders proactively
5. Professional Communication: Use standardized email templates for consistency

Common Pitfalls

1. Missing vendor response deadlines without follow-up
2. Sending different RFQ versions to different vendors
3. Not documenting verbal communications
4. Skipping formal evaluation when vendor preference exists
5. Incomplete quote comparison (missing non-price factors)
6. Not tracking quote validity periods

Quick Reference

Procurement Status Workflow

initialized → rfq_sent → quotes_received → evaluation → completed
                ↓              ↓
            (reminders)    (follow-ups)

Vendor Status Workflow

pending → contacted → quote_received → selected
              ↓             ↓            ↓
          declined      withdrawn    contracted

10-Step Procurement Checklist

1. Initialize procurement project
2. Create RFQ document (vendor-rfq-creator)
3. Register all candidate vendors
4. Send RFQ with clear deadline
5. Track responses and send reminders
6. Log all received quotes
7. Create vendor comparison report
8. Evaluate and select vendor(s)
9. Create client-facing estimate (vendor-estimate-creator)
10. Generate final procurement report

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Version History

• v1.0 (2025-01-08): Initial release
  • 7 workflow steps with automation scripts
  • Vendor tracking and status management
  • Email template system
  • Integration with vendor-rfq-creator and vendor-estimate-creator
  • Comparison report generation