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Explore the Amazon Business IntegrationA ready-to-run workflow that helps procurement teams run competitive price events for well-specified, commoditized categories. 6 stages, 8 pre-built fields and 4 automations, live in about 45 minutes.
Quick answer
The Reverse Auction Event template is a pre-built sourcing & RFx workflow used to run competitive price events for well-specified, commoditized categories. It runs across 6 stages, from requirement defined to award and handoff, captures 8 standard fields including event reference and event window, and applies 4 automations so routing, checks and record-keeping happen without manual chasing.
This is a working sourcing & RFx workflow rather than a document to fill in. Each auction event is raised through a structured form covering 8 fields, then moves through 6 defined stages with a named owner at every step. 4 automations handle the parts teams normally do by hand: routing, validation, reminders and record updates. Because the template is pre-configured, a category manager can adjust approval thresholds and field labels to match internal policy and start using it in roughly 45 minutes, then connect it to Zapro Supplier Portal or NetSuite.
The problem it solves. Price negotiation happens one supplier at a time, which takes weeks and leaves value on the table. The template replaces that with one record, one owner and one visible status.
Every auction event follows the same 6 stages, so anyone can see where a record is without asking. Stages, owners and exit conditions are configurable if your policy differs.
The business owner records scope, volume, budget range and evaluation criteria for the auction event in one structured intake.
Qualified suppliers are pulled from the Zapro vendor master and shortlisted against category, spend and risk history.
The auction event is issued to all shortlisted suppliers at once, with a common deadline and a shared clarification thread.
Supplier responses land in one comparison view instead of scattered email attachments and spreadsheet versions.
Commercial and technical scores are captured per evaluator, weighted, and locked once the scoring window closes.
The award decision is approved, the outcome is communicated to every bidder, and the winner moves into contracting.
These 8 fields are pre-configured on the intake form. Mandatory rules, picklists and validation are already applied, so an auction event cannot progress with gaps in it.
Zapro applies this to every auction event as it enters the workflow, so nobody has to remember to do it.
Configured once during setup, then enforced consistently on every record without further effort.
It triggers the moment the condition is met, so nothing waits on someone noticing it first.
This runs as a built-in rule, which removes the follow-up chasing that usually surrounds it.
| Aspect | Manual process | With the Zapro template |
|---|---|---|
| Auction event handling | Price negotiation happens one supplier at a time, which takes weeks and leaves value on the table | One workflow that helps you run competitive price events for well-specified, commoditized categories |
| Approvals | Forwarded emails with no record of who approved what | Rules-based routing with a time-stamped approval trail |
| Data quality | Re-keyed between spreadsheets and the ERP | Captured once, validated at entry, synced to the ERP |
| Audit readiness | Evidence reassembled from mailboxes at audit time | Complete trail generated as the work happens |
| Cycle time | Depends on who is chasing this week | Predictable, with reminders and escalation built in |
The workflow syncs with the systems your team already uses, which keeps master data and transaction records aligned without re-keying.
The Zapro product page behind this template and everything it connects to.
How Zapro supports category strategy and competitive sourcing.
A practical walkthrough of the strategic sourcing lifecycle.
It is a pre-built sourcing & RFx workflow in Zapro that lets procurement teams run competitive price events for well-specified, commoditized categories. Each auction event is captured on an 8-field form, moves through 6 stages with a named owner at each step, and is supported by 4 automations covering routing, validation and record updates.
Most teams have it running in about 45 minutes. The stages, fields and automations are already configured, so setup is mainly adjusting approval thresholds, field labels and owner assignments to match your own policy.
Primarily category managers, working with sourcing leads and technical evaluators. It is most commonly used by procurement teams in manufacturing, though the workflow itself is not sector-specific.
Suppliers respond through a secure portal link, so they do not need a paid seat, and every response still lands in the same comparison view.
Yes. Criteria, weightings and evaluator groups are all configurable, and scores lock once the evaluation window closes so the award remains defensible.
Zapro ships with this template plus the rest of the procurement and vendor management suite. Start with the auction event process and expand into sourcing, contracts, invoices and spend when you are ready.
