Only subscribers on the Sourcing Plus plan can access this feature

Historic Supplier Responses in oboloo provide a comprehensive way to track and compare supplier submissions across multiple rounds of a sourcing activity.

When a sourcing activity is reopened, suppliers have the opportunity to revise and resubmit their proposals. oboloo automatically saves all past responses, allowing you to track how supplier proposals have changed over time.

Historic responses are stored for key elements such as:


✔ Pricing updates – Tracking changes in unit costs, discounts, and total bids.
✔ Questionnaire responses – Reviewing how suppliers clarify and refine their answers.
✔ Supplier sections – Analyzing updates to project plans, delivery commitments, or SLAs.

📌 Exception: Supporting documents are not retained in historic responses. If a supplier removes a document during resubmission, the system does not track its removal. Only the latest version of documents is stored.

This guide explains how to access, review, and analyze historic supplier responses in oboloo, helping you make informed, data-driven procurement decisions.

How Historic Responses Work in oboloo

When a sourcing activity is reopened, oboloo stores both new and historic supplier responses. Each response is date and time-stamped, making it easy to track proposal changes.

  1. Reopening a Sourcing Activity

    • Suppliers are invited to submit revised proposals after the initial round.

    • New opening and closing dates are set.

    • Feedback or clarifications can be provided to guide supplier revisions.

  2. New Supplier Responses

    • Suppliers submit updated proposals within the newly set timeframe.

    • These submissions are stored alongside previous responses for easy comparison.

  3. Tracking Changes

    • Pricing – Adjustments in costs, discounts, or revised total bids.

    • Questionnaire Responses – Additional details or refinements based on your feedback.

    • Supplier Sections – Updates to project plans, service level agreements (SLAs), or other commitments.

    • Supporting Documents – Only the most recent versions are retained. oboloo does not store removed documents.

Step-by-Step Guide: Reviewing Historic Supplier Responses

Step 1: Accessing the Sourcing Activity

  1. Navigate to the Sourcing module from the left-hand menu.

  2. Select the sourcing activity where suppliers have submitted responses over multiple rounds.

  3. Click on the sourcing activity record to access its details.

Step 2: Viewing Supplier Responses

  1. Inside the sourcing activity, go to the relevant response tabs:

    • Pricing – View financial details submitted by suppliers.

    • Questionnaires – Analyze questionnaire answers and any clarifications made.

    • Supplier Sections – Review updates to project plans, SLAs, and delivery timelines.

  2. Each submission is date and time-stamped, helping you identify which responses were submitted in each round.

  3. Use the filters above the tables to compare different versions of supplier responses.

📌 Example: A supplier may have submitted an initial pricing proposal, then revised it in a later round after receiving feedback. The timestamp helps track when these changes occurred.

Step 3: Analyzing Changes in Supplier Responses

oboloo allows you to compare supplier responses across multiple rounds to evaluate how proposals have evolved.

  1. Pricing Comparison

    • Review adjustments in unit pricing, discounts, or total bid amounts.

    • Compare side-by-side how supplier costs have changed between rounds.

  2. Questionnaire Responses

    • Evaluate how suppliers have clarified previous answers or added missing details.

    • Track improvements in their explanations based on your feedback.

  3. Supplier Sections

    • Review how suppliers have updated their project plans, SLAs, or delivery strategies.

    • Identify improvements in proposal quality and supplier understanding of your requirements.

📌 Key Insight: Analyzing how suppliers respond to feedback helps you identify flexibility, responsiveness, and commitment to your project.

Step 4: Managing Supporting Documents

📌 Unlike other supplier responses, supporting documents are handled differently:

  • Suppliers can upload or remove documents during each submission round.

  • If a supplier removes a document, oboloo does not track its removal.

  • Only the latest set of documents is stored for evaluation.

📌 Example: If a supplier submits a contract template in the first round but replaces it in a later round, only the most recent version will be available for review.
Best Practice: If you need to retain past versions of documents, download and save key files after each round.

Benefits of Historic Supplier Responses

1. Comprehensive Record of Supplier Submissions

  • Provides a detailed record of how supplier proposals have evolved.

  • Tracks whether suppliers have addressed feedback, pricing updates, or compliance improvements.

2. Informed Decision-Making

  • Allows you to compare previous and current responses side by side.

  • Helps identify which suppliers have improved their proposals based on clarification requests.

  • Ensures data-driven decisions when selecting suppliers.

3. Accountability and Transparency

  • Maintains an audit trail of supplier interactions throughout the sourcing process.

  • Ensures decisions are made based on clear, factual data.

4. Flexible Supplier Engagement

  • If you reopen a sourcing activity for shortlisted suppliers, historic responses help track their proposal progress.

  • This feature helps refine evaluations and focus on the most promising suppliers.

Historic supplier responses in oboloo offer a powerful tool for tracking and comparing supplier submissions across multiple rounds. By saving responses related to pricing, questionnaires, and supplier sections, oboloo enables procurement teams to analyze how proposals have evolved and make well-informed sourcing decisions.

While supporting documents are not retained across rounds, all core elements of a supplier’s response remain accessible and structured for easy comparison. This feature ensures transparency, accountability, and confidence in the supplier selection process.

Additional Resources

📌 Related User Guides:

📌 Need Further Help?
If you need further assistance, please contact your internal platform administrator for support. Otherwise please reach out to oboloo's support team. If you are unable to view the above area in the oboloo platform, please check your user permissions and access rights.