Managing Sub-Tier Supplier Bids with Sage CRM

How We Help Suppliers Manage Complex Project Bids in Sage CRM

As Sage business partners, we often work with sub-tier suppliers who face the challenge of quoting to multiple prime bidders for the same large-scale project. It’s a common scenario in industries such as construction, government contracting, and enterprise procurement, and it can get messy without the correct CRM setup.

In this article, we explain how we help sub-tier suppliers manage complex project bids within Sage CRM.

The Challenge: Multiple Quotes, One Project

Let’s say you are a supplier quoting to several companies, for example, Company A and Company B, but both are bidding for a contract with Company Z. Each quote is separate, however they all relate to the same end project. Without a clear structure in Sage CRM, tracking these opportunities can be confusing and prone to errors.

Our job when implementing Sage CRM is to enable you to:

• Keep separate pipelines for each bidder.
• Link all activity back to the same end project.
• Maintain visibility and avoid internal conflicts.

How We Solve The Issue

We offer two tailored solutions depending on your specific business needs:

Option 1: Create a Custom “Project” Entity

This is ideal for customers who need full control and visibility. During this project, we:

Option 2: Add a Custom Field to Opportunities

For simpler setups, we recommend adding a custom field to track the project. During this project, we:

• Add a field such as ‘Project Name’ or ‘Ultimate Client’ to the opportunity.
• Use a lookup or selection list to link it to the end customer.

Through this option, you get:

• Quick reference to the project context.
• Easier implementation with minimal custom development.
• However, with this option there is less powerful reporting, and no dedicated space for documents or workflows.

Choosing the Right Setup

If you’re unsure which setup is for you, we guide you based on your specific needs.

For complex, multi-bid projects we recommend a Custom Project Entity. For customers in need of dashboards and workflows, we also recommend a Custom Project Entity. If you only need simple tracking of the project owner, we recommend a Custom Field.

If you’re unsure which is right for you, get in touch today and our dedicated CRM team can help!

The Benefits and Outcome

Through effective implementation, our sub-tier suppliers gain a range of benefits from Sage CRM. They achieve better forecasting by understanding total exposure and potential revenue, and gain clear visibility across all bids tied to a single project.

On top of this, by implementing Sage CRM, sub-tier suppliers prevent conflicts between their internal teams which are working with different bidders, as well as improve reporting, so it reflects the full picture of their involvement.

By helping sub-tier suppliers implement one of these strategies, we enable them to stay organised across multiple bids, make smarter decisions with better data, and win more projects with less confusion.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Sage CRM could work for you, do not hesitate to get in touch with your Account Manager or give us a call directly on 01332 959 008. 

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