Every trading company that deals with multiple vendors knows the pain of RFQ (Request for Quotation) work. You send the same enquiry to five or six suppliers, then wait. Some reply on email, some reply on WhatsApp, some send a PDF, and somebody has to sit and copy all this into one sheet just to compare prices. If your team is handling 100 or more RFQs a month, this small task turns into a real time drain.
This case study is about one such client, a spare parts trading company based in Dubai. We are not naming the company here, but we can share the problem they had and what we built to fix it, because this workflow is common across a lot of trading and distribution businesses in the region.
About the Client
The client is a mid-size trading company based in Dubai, supplying industrial and automotive spare parts to businesses across the UAE and the wider GCC region. They work with a good number of vendors, both local UAE suppliers and overseas manufacturers, sourcing parts almost every day based on customer orders and stock needs.
Their procurement team is small, around four to five people, handling day to day sourcing along with vendor follow up and purchase order creation. Like many growing trading businesses, they were already using Zoho Books for accounts and Zoho Inventory for stock. But the RFQ process itself was still running completely outside these tools.
Business Challenges
The client had actually tried to solve this before. Their broader operations were running on Odoo, and they attempted to extend Odoo Studio to handle RFQs as well, since it was already in the building. On paper, one system for everything made sense.
In practice, it did not work out that way for a team their size. The Odoo interface had a lot going on for what should have been a simple send-quote-and-compare task. Any real customisation to fit their process needed a Python developer, and the client did not have one in-house. Small change requests through Odoo support also took time to come back. On top of that, connecting Odoo cleanly with their existing Zoho Books setup meant manual work rather than a proper sync, since the two systems were not built to talk to each other.
Because of this, most of the actual day to day RFQ work quietly drifted back to email and WhatsApp anyway, since that was faster than working through the Odoo customisation. The client ended up paying for a heavier system while still running the real process by hand alongside it.
Whenever stock ran low, or a customer asked for a part not currently in stock, someone from the purchase team had to check inventory, decide which vendors to contact, then send individual emails or WhatsApp messages asking for price and delivery time.
A few problems kept repeating every month.
Vendor replies came in different formats and different places, some in email, some as a WhatsApp photo of a handwritten quote, some as a PDF attachment. There was no single place to see all quotes for one RFQ together.
Nobody had a clear way to track which vendor had replied and which one had not. Often the team found out a vendor missed the deadline only when the part was needed urgently.
Comparing prices meant opening several emails and typing numbers into a spreadsheet by hand. This took time and also caused small entry mistakes once in a while.
Once a vendor was selected, creating the purchase order was again a separate manual step in Zoho Books, with no direct link back to the RFQ that started the process.
There was no record of vendor performance over time, so choosing between two vendors with similar pricing came down to memory rather than actual history.
None of these problems were huge on their own. But across many RFQs every month, they added up to a lot of lost hours, and a process that depended heavily on one or two experienced staff members knowing who to call.
Odoo vs Zoho Creator for This Kind of Workflow
Odoo is a solid platform, and for a business running many departments through one system, it earns its place. The trouble here was narrower: RFQ handling is one focused workflow, run by a small team, and Odoo Studio was not built to be light for that one job specifically.
Here is a plain comparison of how the two options worked out for this client’s actual situation.
| What mattered here | Odoo (with Studio customisation) | Zoho Creator (focused RFQ app) |
|---|---|---|
| Fit for a small procurement team | Built more for larger, multi-department setups | Sized correctly for a four to five person team |
| Making changes to the workflow | Needed Python development skills | Drag-and-drop building, manageable without a developer |
| Daily screen for the purchase team | Many modules and menus not related to RFQ work | Screens built only around the RFQ process |
| Connecting with Zoho Books and Inventory | Required manual workarounds | Runs natively on the same Zoho platform |
| Turnaround on small requests | Slower, went through general Odoo support | Faster, since the app is lighter and purpose-built |
This is not a case of one platform being better in general. It is a case of matching the size of the tool to the size of the actual problem. For this client, the problem was one workflow, not their whole operation, so a focused low-code app fit better than adding more customisation to a full ERP.
Requirements
The client came to us with a fairly clear idea of what they needed, even if they were not sure exactly how to build it.
They wanted a system that could:
- create an RFQ quickly, pulling product details from their existing Zoho Inventory data instead of typing everything again
- send the RFQ to selected vendors automatically, with a clear deadline
- let them see all vendor responses together on one screen, side by side
- convert the winning quote directly into a purchase order without re-entering data
- keep a basic record of vendor response time and reliability for future reference
- work well with Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, since they did not want to move accounting or stock data anywhere else
They were also clear that they did not want a big, heavy ERP system. Their team is small and does not have technical staff, so anything that needed a developer on standby for small changes was not going to work for them long term.
Our Analysis
When we looked at their process closely, the real issue was not that they lacked tools. They already had Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, both capable systems for what they do. The gap was that RFQ handling sat completely outside these tools, in email inboxes and personal WhatsApp chats.
This is a pattern we see often with trading and distribution businesses. Accounting and inventory are usually set up properly because there is one clear, established tool for that job. But the RFQ and vendor quote stage, which happens before any of that, often gets left to whatever feels fastest at the time, which is usually email or chat.
The client already had a full ERP in Odoo, so this was not really a question of ERP versus no ERP. It was a question of whether the RFQ workflow needed to live inside Odoo at all, or whether it made more sense as a smaller, focused app connected to the tools they were already using for accounting and stock. Given the team size and the lack of an in-house developer, adding more Odoo Studio customisation would have meant more of the same complexity that was not working for them. A custom Zoho Creator application made more sense here, since it could be built around their exact RFQ steps and still talk directly to Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, without needing developer support for every small change.
Solution We Built
We designed a custom RFQ management application inside Zoho Creator, connected to both Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, replacing the Odoo based attempt with something built specifically around how this team actually works. The idea was simple: give the purchase team one place to create an RFQ, send it out, collect replies, compare them, and generate the purchase order, without leaving the system or re-typing anything.
When stock for an item runs low, or a customer requests a part not currently in stock, the purchase team creates an RFQ directly from the item record. Product details, unit, and reference numbers are pulled automatically from Zoho Inventory, so there is no manual retyping of basic item information.
The team then picks vendors from a list already connected to Zoho Books vendor records, sets a response deadline, and sends the RFQ. Vendors get a notification with a direct link to submit their quote, so they are not asked to reply over email or WhatsApp for this step.
As responses come in, they appear on one comparison screen, with price, lead time, and any notes from each vendor lined up together. The purchase team can see everything without opening separate messages.
Once a vendor is selected, the purchase order is generated straight from that RFQ record and pushed into Zoho Books, carrying over the correct vendor, pricing, and item details automatically.
Features Implemented
RFQ Creation from Inventory Purchase staff start an RFQ directly from an item record in Zoho Inventory. Item details and quantities carry over automatically, so there is no manual data entry for basic product information.
Vendor Selection and Notification Vendors are picked from existing Zoho Books vendor records. Once selected, each vendor receives an automatic notification with a direct link to submit their quote, so there is no need to draft individual emails.
Deadline Tracking and Reminders Every RFQ carries a response deadline. The system sends automatic reminders to vendors who have not responded, and flags overdue RFQs for the purchase team, so nobody has to remember to follow up by hand.
Side by Side Quote Comparison All vendor responses for one RFQ appear together in a single comparison view, showing price, delivery time, and any remarks. This replaces the old habit of copying numbers into a spreadsheet manually.
One Click Purchase Order Generation Once a quote is chosen, the purchase team converts it into a purchase order with one action. Vendor, item, and pricing details flow directly into Zoho Books, with nothing to re-enter.
Vendor Response History Each vendor record keeps a simple history of past RFQs, response time, and quotes given. Over time, this gives the purchase team an actual record to refer to, instead of relying on memory when choosing between vendors.
Integrations
The RFQ application was connected with a few existing systems rather than working as a standalone tool.
Zoho Inventory supplies item and stock information directly into the RFQ form, and can flag items nearing reorder level, which the team can turn into an RFQ with one action.
Zoho Books supplies vendor records and receives the final purchase order once a quote is accepted, keeping vendor and financial data in one place.
Vendor notifications currently go out by email, with the option to add WhatsApp based alerts later, since a good number of the client’s vendors respond faster on WhatsApp than email for quick queries.
How the Automation Works
The automation in this system follows the natural flow of a real RFQ, without needing the purchase team to trigger separate steps by hand.
When an RFQ is created and vendors are selected, the system sends out notifications with the submission link and starts tracking the deadline in the background. As each vendor submits a quote through their link, it appears on the comparison screen for that RFQ right away, with no manual entry needed from the purchase team.
If a vendor has not responded close to the deadline, a reminder goes out on its own, and if the deadline passes with no response, that vendor’s status is marked accordingly on the record, so the team has an accurate picture without checking manually.
Once a purchase order is generated from an accepted quote, the system updates the RFQ status and logs it against the vendor’s history record, closing the loop without a separate manual update.
Security Considerations
Since vendors from outside the company are involved, access was designed carefully. Vendors only get a submission link tied to that specific RFQ. They do not get login access to the internal system or visibility into other vendors’ quotes.
Internal access follows role-based permission inside Zoho Creator, so only the purchase team can create RFQs, view full vendor comparisons, and generate purchase orders. Vendor and pricing data stays within the connected Zoho environment rather than being exported to spreadsheets or shared documents, which also cuts down the chance of outdated copies floating around in email threads.
Business Benefits
The main benefit for the client was getting the RFQ process into one connected system instead of having it scattered across email, WhatsApp, and spreadsheets.
The purchase team now spends less time on repetitive tasks like retyping item details or copying quotes into a comparison sheet. Vendor follow up happens automatically instead of depending on someone remembering to chase a reply. Purchase orders go out faster once a quote is accepted, since there is no separate data entry step in Zoho Books. And because vendor response history is now recorded, the team has an actual reference point when deciding between two similar vendors, rather than relying on whoever handled that vendor last time.
Estimated Outcomes
We are not sharing exact client figures here, since the system is still settling into daily use and results depend on how consistently the team follows the new process. Based on similar RFQ and procurement automation projects for trading and distribution businesses, teams in this kind of setup typically see a noticeable drop in time spent per RFQ, mainly from removing manual data entry and manual follow up. Vendor response tracking usually improves too, simply because reminders go out automatically instead of relying on someone noticing a missed deadline.
These are general patterns, not guaranteed numbers. The actual result for any business depends on RFQ volume, vendor count, and how quickly the team adopts the new process.
Future Enhancements
A few additions are being discussed for later phases. A basic Zoho Analytics dashboard would give the client a clearer view of vendor performance and spending trends over time. Direct WhatsApp integration for vendor notifications is also being considered, since it matches how vendors already prefer to communicate. There is also interest in adding a simple approval step for higher value purchase orders, so a manager can review before the order goes out, without slowing down smaller day to day purchases.
Conclusion
This project was less about adding new software and more about connecting a step that had been left out of the client’s existing Zoho setup. They already had good tools for accounting and inventory. The RFQ stage just was not talking to either of them. Building a focused Zoho Creator application around their actual process, instead of pushing them toward a bigger ERP system, let a small team keep running procurement themselves without adding technical overhead.
For any trading or distribution business handling regular RFQs and vendor quotes, this kind of setup, a Zoho Creator app tied to Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, is usually enough to fix the same set of problems, without the extra weight of a full ERP rollout.
FAQ
What is RFQ management?
RFQ stands for Request for Quotation. It is the process of asking vendors for their price, lead time, and terms on an item you want to buy, then comparing their replies before placing an order.
Is Zoho Creator good for RFQ and procurement management?
For small to mid-size teams where procurement is the main pain point, Zoho Creator works well. It is low-code, does not need a developer on staff, and connects directly with Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory. Larger businesses running many departments together may still be better off with a full ERP.
Does a business need a full ERP instead of Zoho Creator for this?
It depends on the size of the problem. If procurement is the main bottleneck and the rest of the business runs fine on existing tools, a focused Zoho Creator app usually gets the job done faster and with less overhead than a full ERP rollout.
Is Zoho Creator better than Odoo for RFQ management?
Neither is better in every situation. Odoo suits larger operations that need many departments working in one system. Zoho Creator suits a smaller, procurement-focused team that wants a lighter app without needing a developer for every change. It comes down to matching the tool to the actual size of the workflow.
Can a Zoho Creator RFQ app connect with Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory?
Yes. Item data, vendor records, and purchase orders can flow between Zoho Creator, Zoho Books, and Zoho Inventory, so the team does not need to enter the same information twice.
How long does it take to set up a system like this?
It depends on how many steps are involved and how much the process needs to match the client’s exact workflow. Since Zoho Creator is low-code, a focused RFQ app is usually much quicker to build and roll out than a full ERP implementation.
