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User Manual
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Register to Use the Web site | | [For All Users] |
You must register to use the site. Registration is free. To register:
- Go to QuantityQuotes.net and select the Suppliers or Purchasers link, as appropriate.
- Read and accept the terms of participation and complete the online registration form (see Example 1).
- Purchasers: You agree to assume responsibility for complying with all applicable local, state, and federal statutes, ordinances, regulations, and policies governing the purchase of goods or services by your organization.
- Suppliers: You agree to market only those products that meet the prevailing ENERGY STAR criteria for the respective product categories, and to package those products for delivery in accordance with commercial packaging and labeling requirements in the ENERGY STAR specification for that product(s). You also agree to deliver products by the date agreed to by you and the purchaser.
- Complete the registration form. The supplier registration form is shown at right. Begin by entering your contact information and choosing a username and password (see Example 2).
- Suppliers: Select those products for which you would like to receive requests from purchasers. Quantity Quotes will not share your contact information with others except to enable purchasers to respond to you. Set your email update preferences. If you select Receive All Updates, you will be notified each time a purchaser submits a purchase request to you or updates an ongoing conversation with you. If you select Receive Basic Updates, you will only be notified when a new purchase request has been submitted.
- Purchasers: Your registration form is identical to the supplier’s form, except that it does not include the “Send me requests for” section. Quantity Quotes will not share your contact information with others without your permission. Set your email update preferences. If you select Receive All Updates, you will be notified of each supplier’s initial and subsequent responses to your purchase request. If you select Receive Basic Updates, you will only be notified of each supplier’s initial response.
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Example 1
Example 2
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- Shortly after submitting your registration form, you will receive an email from the system administrator. Follow the instructions in the email to verify your email address. After verifying your email address:
- Purchasers: You will receive an email confirming your username and password. You can now use the site to submit purchase requests.
- Suppliers: The system administrator will review your application to verify that you are eligible to use the site. If your organization does not meet the requirements, you will receive an email explaining why you were denied. Once your application has been approved, you will receive an email confirming your username and password. You are now eligible to receive requests from purchasers.
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Submit a Purchase Request | | [For Purchasers] |
Purchasers can use ENERGY STAR Quantity Quotes to formulate and submit purchase requests to suppliers of ENERGY STAR qualified products.
To submit a purchase request:
- Click Create New Purchase Request on the home page or Purchase Requests page.
- Select a product category and click Next. You may select from among the following products:
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
- Refrigerators
- Light fixtures
- Dehumidifiers
- Room air conditioners
- Dishwashers
- Clothes washers
- Choose a name for your purchase request. The name should help you and suppliers differentiate this request from others you have submitted or may submit in the future. Since the name will be shared with suppliers, don’t include your organization’s name if you want to keep it confidential at this stage.
- Complete the general information portion of the form (see Example 3).
- Complete the product specification portion of the form (part of the CFL form is shown in Example 4). Be as specific as possible, as this will improve the accuracy and value of supplier responses.
- Select the suppliers you would like to send your purchase request to.
- Click Continue. You will have an opportunity to review and revise your purchase request before sending it.
- Review your request for accuracy. Click Edit Request to go back and modify your request or Submit Request to send it.
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Example 3
Example 4
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Quantity Quotes will share all of the information you entered on the purchase request form, as well as your city, state, and zip code, with the suppliers you selected. Your identity and other contact information will be withheld unless you chose to disclose it. Suppliers will respond to your request through the Web site, allowing you to manage all of your communications anonymously. You may contact a supplier by adding to the ongoing conversation with that supplier, as on a private message board, or by contacting the supplier directly using the information provided in Section 1 of the supplier’s response.
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Respond to a Purchase Request | | [For Suppliers] |
Suppliers can use ENERGY STAR Quantity Quotes to respond to purchase requests submitted by purchasers looking to buy ENERGY STAR qualified products. Suppliers are notified by email when a purchaser makes a request.
To respond to a purchase request:
- Log into the site and click on Purchase Requests to view a list of purchase requests you have received (see Example 5).
- Click on the name of the request you want to respond to. Click on a column heading to sort the list. Click on the same column heading again to reverse the order of the list.
- Review the contents of the request and enter your response in the spaces provided immediately below (see Example 6). Make your best offer, as the purchaser will most likely be reviewing responses from multiple suppliers.
- Click Submit.
The purchaser will be notified that you have responded. When the purchaser logs into the Web site, your response, along with those of other suppliers, will be available for the purchaser to review. At this point, the purchaser may respond to you via the Web site or contact you directly using the information provided in Section 1 of your response.
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Example 5
Example 6
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Manage Ongoing Conversations | | [For All Users] |
Purchase Requests Table
If you are a purchaser, your purchase requests table (see Example 7) contains a list of all the purchase requests you have submitted. If you are a supplier, your table (see Example 5) lists all of the requests you have received. Click on a column heading to sort the list. Click on the same column heading again to reverse the order.
Conversations
Click on the name of a request to view the conversation(s) associated with that request. Suppliers will have only one conversation about each request (directly with the requesting purchaser). Purchasers may have multiple conversations about a single request, one with each supplier who has responded. These conversations are listed on a separate page. Either party may add to an ongoing conversation at any time until one of the two parties deactivates it. The party that deactivates a conversation can later reactivate it simply by adding a reply to it.
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Example 7
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Purchase Request Status
The purchase requests table contains key information about each purchase request, including its status. A supplier may respond to a request at any time until the due date the purchaser has specified. After the due date passes, suppliers are no longer able to respond. However, a conversation that has already been initiated may continue until the purchaser completes the feedback form, signifying that the purchase has been completed.
Completing the Process
When the due date for a given purchase request passes, the system administrator will send the purchaser an email asking him/her to visit the Web site and answer a few questions about his/her experience. Reminder emails will be sent periodically until the purchaser completes the feedback form. Once the purchaser completes the feedback form, the request process is completed.
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