This article explains exactly which parts of a sourcing event in the Strategic Sourcing module you can still change after publishing it to suppliers, how deadline extensions work, what the three late submission policies mean, and when you need a new round instead of an edit.
What can you edit after publishing?
After a sourcing event is published, the following settings remain editable while the event is live:
Submission deadline and questions deadline (extending the submission deadline is covered below).
Title, description, category, and estimated value, via Edit Key Information on the event header.
Late submission policy (Do Not Allow, Allow Late Submissions, Allow With Penalty).
Contact settings and the NDA requirement.
Announcements: create, edit, or delete them at any time from the Q&A page.
Questionnaire additions: new questions and sections are staged as drafts and go live for suppliers when you advance to the next round.
Document requirement additions, which are likewise staged for the next round.
Editing a live event always shows the warning "Modifying a Live RFx" and requires you to tick the acknowledgement "I understand I am modifying a live RFx" before saving.
What can you not edit after publishing?
The following parts of a published sourcing event are locked:
The event type (RFI, RFQ, RFP, RFA): the type selector shows Locked with the note "RFx type cannot be changed after publishing".
Questions and sections already published in the current or a previous round: the questionnaire grid marks them "Question locked (from this or a previous round)".
The published pricing structure: existing lots, line items, and pricing columns cannot be restructured; lots show "Lot locked". New lots and line items can only be added for the next round.
Submitted supplier responses: a submission is immutable; only a new round gives suppliers a fresh response.
Access settings: the Access Settings panel is hidden once the event is live.
What happens when I extend a deadline?
To extend the submission deadline, you have two paths. The quickest is the Extend Deadline quick action on the event's Overview page: it shows the current deadline, lets you pick a new one, and confirms with "Deadline extended successfully". Alternatively, open Edit Key Information and change the deadline in Timeline Configuration. Only the second path offers the checkbox Notify Suppliers Of These Changes: when you tick it and the new deadline is later than the old one, every supplier contact automatically receives an email with the subject "<event title> - Submission deadline extended" stating the new date and time, plus an in-app Deadline Extended notification. If you tick the checkbox for other changes (not a deadline extension), suppliers instead receive an "RFx has been updated" email with the optional message you type in "Describe what changed...". Suppliers always see the new deadline in the event header immediately, whether or not you notify them.
How do the late submission policies work?
The late submission policy decides what happens when a supplier tries to submit after the submission deadline. The table below lists the three policies exactly as they appear in Submission Settings.
Policy | Behavior |
Do Not Allow | Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted. |
Allow Late Submissions | Suppliers can submit after the deadline. |
Allow With Penalty | Late submissions are accepted but may be scored lower. |
The policy is set in the Core Setup step when building the event and can be changed while the event is live. If the deadline has already passed, the Overview page shows the alert "Submission deadline has passed" and suggests extending the deadline or closing submissions.
When do I need a new round instead of an edit?
A new round is required whenever the change affects what suppliers must price or answer. Because the published pricing structure and published questionnaire content are locked, the following changes go through Prepare Next Round and Advance Round rather than an edit: adding lots or line items, adding pricing columns, adding questionnaire questions or sections, adding document requirements, and asking suppliers to re-bid after negotiations or pricing analysis. When you advance the round, the staged additions are published, and the confirmation dialog lists exactly what goes out, for example "3 new questions will be published to suppliers". See the article "Run multi-round sourcing events" for the full flow. For small clarifications that do not change the structure (a correction to the description, a new attachment explained in a message), an announcement or the "Notify suppliers of these changes" option is usually enough.