What happens if a supplier exceeds the weekly rate limit?
They are excluded from the BAFO round, and their slot is not backfilled by the next supplier.
How rate limit checking works
Each negotiation template has a Supplier Weekly Rate Limit setting that caps how many BAFO invitations a single supplier can receive in a rolling 7-day window.
flowchart LR
A[Rank all suppliers] --> B[Take top N]
B --> C[Check each against weekly limit]
C --> D[Send invitations]The system first shortlists the top N suppliers, then checks each one's rate limit. Excluded suppliers are not replaced by lower-ranked suppliers.
Excluded slots are not backfilled
If a supplier exceeds the rate limit, their slot is not filled by the next supplier.
| Template Setting | Supplier #1 | Supplier #2 | Supplier #3 | Invitations Sent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 3 suppliers | ✓ | ⚠️ Rate limited | ✓ | #1 and #3 only |
The system does not pull in supplier #4 to replace #2.
Why this design?
This prevents supplier fatigue while ensuring only the most competitive suppliers receive invitations. If all top-ranked suppliers exceed rate limits, no automatic invitations are sent and the sourcing IC is notified to handle the RFQ manually.