1 · Request and sourcing

Who acts: the buyer, a homeowner or someone buying for a company. Starts with: a need, "what do I have to buy for this job?" Ends with: every line assigned to a supplier, or sent out for quotes, and the request issued.

Writing the request

A request is a list of lines, each with a quantity and unit, plus where it goes and when it is needed. It can start from:

• Typing a list, one item per line in any language: "MCB 32A × 24".
• Searching the catalogue and adding products directly.
• A bill of quantities (BOQ): a spreadsheet, PDF or photo of a list, read line by line. See RFQs and BOQs.
• A saved list or a past order, for repeat purchases.

Each line is matched to a master product in the shared catalogue. A matched line knows its specifications and which suppliers offer it. A line that is unclear ("cable, the usual one") is flagged so the buyer can pick the right product.

Sourcing: who supplies what

For every matched line, LCPP looks at the live offers from contracted suppliers and proposes a plan. The buyer chooses what matters most:

Strategy	Picks
Balanced	A sensible mix of price, number of suppliers and delivery time
Lowest price	The cheapest offer for each line, even if that means more suppliers
Fewest suppliers	Fewer deliveries to receive, at a slightly higher total
Fastest	The shortest lead times

The buyer can override any line and pick another supplier's offer. For each supplier in the plan, they choose delivery or pickup and how to pay.

Lines that no supplier lists can't be sourced from offers. They go out as a request for quotes instead, and the winning quote becomes its own purchase order.

Issuing

When the plan looks right the buyer issues the request.

• For a homeowner, it creates the purchase orders straight away, one per supplier.
• For a company, it first checks the company's approval rules. If any rule applies, the request waits for approval; otherwise the purchase orders are created.

Statuses you will see

Draft → Sourcing → Awaiting approval (companies, when needed) → Ordered

How it ends

Outcome	What happens next
Issued	Purchase orders go to suppliers: step 3
Needs approval	Waits for an approver: step 2
Some lines out for quotes	Those lines continue as an RFQ; the rest are ordered now
Cancelled	Nothing was ordered; the request is kept for reference