This article walks you through creating and publishing a sourcing event in the Strategic Sourcing module with the event creation wizard, step by step. A sourcing event (shown as an "RFx" in the interface) is the request you publish to invited suppliers. The wizard has 7 steps: Core Setup, Questions & Scoring, Documents, Pricing, Terms & Conditions, Suppliers, and Final Review. Everything auto-saves as a Draft, so you can leave and come back at any time.
How do I start a new sourcing event?
To start a new sourcing event, open RFx Builder in the sidebar (or select Create New RFx on the Home page).
On the Create New RFx page, choose a creation method: From Scratch (blank event), Duplicate Existing (copy another sourcing event), Use Template (start from a saved event template), or AI Generator (describe your need and let AI pre-fill the event).
Select Continue to Setup. The wizard opens on step 1 with a new draft sourcing event created for you.
Use Next Step and Previous to move between steps. The header shows "Step X of 7" and the last save time. There is no separate save button to worry about, and Save Draft is always available.
Step 1: Core Setup
In the Core Setup step you define the basic information and timeline of the sourcing event. Required fields are marked in the left sidebar checklist. You must provide: the RFx type (RFQ, RFP, RFI, or RFA; locked after publishing), an RFx Title and Description, a submission Deadline Date, and at least one Contact Person (name and email) that suppliers can reach with questions. Optional settings: Category, Estimated Value and Currency, a Question Deadline (how long suppliers may ask questions), the Expected Number of Rounds, Access Settings (require an NDA and select the NDA PDF document), and the qualitative evaluation toggle, which inserts an extra Evaluation step for weighted scorecard criteria.
Step 2: Questions & Scoring
In the Questions & Scoring step you build the questionnaire suppliers must answer. Add sections with Add Section, then type questions directly or press "/" for quick commands. Question types are Short Text, Long Text, Single Choice, Multiple Choice, and File Upload. On the Scoring tab you can enable scoring per question (Auto or Manual), set section weights, and define knockout questions. The questionnaire is optional, but the wizard warns you if the sourcing event has no questions. See "Build a questionnaire with scoring" for full details.
Step 3: Documents
In the Documents step you define the document requirements suppliers must upload, such as certificates or financial statements. Select Add Document and set the name, category, submission stage, whether the document is Mandatory, and file rules (max size in MB and accepted formats). Quick Add inserts common Legal, Compliance, or Technical document sets. This step is optional. See "Define document requirements" for full details.
Step 4: Pricing
In the Pricing step you define what suppliers must price: lots, line items, and pricing columns. Create a lot, add line items (item number, name, quantity, unit), and add pricing columns such as Unit Price. You can apply saved pricing templates with Apply Template. This step is optional. An RFI, for example, may have no pricing at all. See "Set up lots, line items, and pricing columns" for full details.
Step 5: Terms & Conditions
In the Terms & Conditions step you set the commercial terms: Payment Method (for example Net 30 Days), Currency, Incoterm, Delivery Location, and the Warranty Required, Insurance Required, and Performance Bond Required checkboxes, plus free-text Custom Terms. Changes auto-save. See "Set terms and conditions, NDA, and payment terms" for full details.
Step 6: Suppliers
In the Suppliers step you build the invitation list. At least one supplier is required to publish. Select supplier companies on the Discover suppliers tab and manage them on the Selected tab. Each invited company needs at least one contact with an email address; the primary contact is used for login authentication. Preview Invitation shows how the invitation email will look. See "Invite suppliers to a sourcing event" for full details.
Step 7: Final Review and publishing
In the Final Review step you confirm the sourcing event is complete and publish it.
Review the RFx Summary. When every required field is complete you see "All required fields are complete. You're ready to publish!". Use Preview supplier view to see the event exactly as suppliers will.
Choose the Late Submissions policy: Do Not Allow, Allow Late Submissions, or Allow with Penalty.
Mark each step as done (Mark as done per step, or Mark all steps as done) until the sidebar shows Ready to publish.
Select Publish RFx. A publish modal shows a Pre-flight Checklist (required fields completed, number of suppliers that will be invited, timeline confirmed, questionnaire changes saved).
Choose Publish Now to go live immediately, or Schedule for Later and pick a publish date and time.
Confirm. The sourcing event status changes to Live (or Scheduled), and you land in the event workspace.
What happens after I publish?
After you publish the sourcing event, every contact of every invited supplier company receives an invitation email with the subject "You have been invited to respond to" followed by your event title, containing a personal single-use invitation link. The invitation link is valid for 30 days. Suppliers open the link, verify with a one-time password sent to their email, and see the event details, questionnaire, document requirements, pricing grid, and Q&A. The event header warns that once published, some fields cannot be edited: the RFx type is locked, and published questionnaire content and pricing structure become round-locked, though you can still extend the deadline, send reminders, and add content for later rounds.