Manufacturing scenario: Supplier RFP
Available with: Microsoft 365 Copilot Scenario level:
KPIs impacted
Supply chain performance
Value benefit
Cost savings
Using Copilot to create a supplier RFP
1. RFP preparation
A beverage company needs to source a new supplier for sustainable packaging materials and is looking to initiate an RFP (Request for Proposal) process to evaluate potential vendors.
Business Chat2
Benefit: Summarize best practices of CPG packaging materials and generate initial RFP draft outlining the requirements, objectives, sustainability criteria, process, and evaluation criteria for vendor selection
2. Vendor selection criteria definition
Define the criteria for vendor selection, such as experience, capabilities, pricing, quality standards, and compliance requirements.
Business Chat1
Benefit: Review industry benchmarks, regulatory guidelines, and best practices to inform the development of selection criteria
3. Vendor research / shortlisting
Research and summarize information on relevant CPG packaging suppliers based on industry knowledge.
Business Chat1
Benefit: Support compilation of vendors, analyzing their profiles, capabilities, and shortlisting candidates based on the predefined selection criteria
4. RFP distribution management
Distribute the RFP document to shortlisted vendors and manage the individual correspondence.
Copilot in Outlook
Benefit: Customize email drafts and the RFP for each shortlisted vendor with specific requirements and contact information
5. Proposal evaluation
Coordinate with the evaluation team to review and analyze vendors’ responses and assess them against the predefined criteria.
Business Chat2
Benefit: Extrapolate key insights from the vendor proposals and create visuals based on relevant criteria such as lead times, minimum order quantities, pricing, key differences and certifications.
6. Vendor selection
Communicate the decision to the selected vendors and share the final contract terms and key details for mutual agreement.
Copilot in Outlook
Benefit: Generate draft contract documents, set reminders to track negotiation progress, and ensure alignment with business objectives and legal requirements
1Access Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com or the Microsoft Copilot mobile app and set toggle to “Web”.
2Access Business Chat at copilot.microsoft.com or the Microsoft Copilot mobile app and set toggle to “Web”.
3Copilot agents allow Microsoft 365 Copilot to access your organization-specific apps. In the past, this would have required an API call to get data from a system of record. The content in this example scenario is for demonstration purposes only. You should evaluate how Copilot aligns with your organization’s business processes, regulatory requirements, and responsible AI principles.
The content in this example scenario is for demonstration purposes only. You should evaluate how Copilot aligns with your organization’s business processes, regulatory requirements, and responsible AI principles.
