1. Introduction
This guide aims to provide a comprehensive instructions for both Requesters and Procurement users of the i2B Sourcing Request module. It explains the complete sourcing request lifecycle, from creating and submitting a request through to procurement review, approval, decline, cancellation, and ongoing communication. The guide also covers key dashboard features including searching, filtering, request tracking, status management, notifications, and the use of collaborative chat functionality between stakeholders. In addition to day-to-day operational tasks, this document describes the different permissions and behaviours associated with user roles.
Requesters will learn how to create and manage sourcing requests, monitor progress, and engage with Procurement through the integrated chat facility, while Procurement users will learn how to review requests across the organisation, communicate with request owners, and make approval decisions. The guide also explains view-only access, unread message notifications, status indicators, and best practices to ensure an efficient and transparent sourcing process.
2. Requester Workflow
The sourcing process begins with the creation of a new sourcing request. Click on “Create Request”
Users should complete the request information across the four-step wizard, providing a clear description of the requirement, selecting the appropriate business unit, identifying the required completion date, and selecting the relevant criticality level.
As the user progresses through the wizard, the system automatically saves information as a draft, allowing work to be paused and resumed later without losing progress. Draft requests remain editable until they are formally submitted.
Once the initial request has been created, users can continue to the Requirements and Suppliers stages.
During these steps, additional information such as category details, requirement descriptions, estimated spend, suggested suppliers, and supporting documentation can be entered.
The system is designed to guide users through the required information while maintaining a simple and intuitive experience. Before submission, users are presented with a Review screen where all entered information can be verified for accuracy.
After reviewing the request, the user can submit it for Procurement review.
Submitted requests enter the NEW status and become visible within the Procurement work queue. Throughout the lifecycle of the request, users can monitor progress from the dashboard and engage with Procurement through the integrated chat facility. Requests may move through several statuses during their lifecycle:
- DRAFT – Request is being prepared and has not yet been submitted.
- NEW – Request has been submitted and is awaiting Procurement review.
- APPROVED – Procurement has accepted the request and it has progressed through the approval process.
- DECLINED – Procurement has reviewed and rejected the request, typically requiring further clarification or amendment.
- CANCELLED – The request has been withdrawn and is no longer active.
3. Dashboard Features
The Dashboard provides users with a single location to view, manage, and track all sourcing requests. Requests are presented in an easy-to-read board layout organised by criticality, allowing users to quickly identify urgent and high-priority activities.
Each request card displays key information including the request title, request number, status, due date, requester, business unit, comment count, and unread message indicators. This allows both Requesters and Procurement users to gain an immediate overview of sourcing activity without having to open individual requests.
To help users quickly locate specific requests, the dashboard includes a range of filtering and search capabilities. Users can search by keywords, request title, requester name, or request number, as well as filter requests using date ranges and quick-filter buttons such as This Month and Overdue.
Additional status filters allow users to focus on requests in specific stages of the process, including Draft, New, Approved, Declined, and Cancelled. Procurement users can also use requester-based filtering to review activity for individual users or view requests across the organisation.
The dashboard also includes collaboration and workflow indicators designed to improve visibility and responsiveness. Each request displays the number of associated chat messages and highlights unread messages that require attention. Users can click directly into a request or open related conversations from the dashboard. Criticality columns support drag-and-drop interaction for workflow management, enabling Procurement users to quickly update request priorities. Together, these features create a dynamic and efficient workspace for monitoring sourcing activity, responding to user queries, and ensuring requests continue to progress through the approval process.
4. Chat & Collaboration
Requesters and Procurement users can communicate directly within the context of a sourcing request. The chat panel can be opened from the request details page, providing a dedicated conversation area that remains permanently associated with the request. This creates a complete audit trail of communications, allows important decisions and discussions to be recorded centrally, and eliminates the need for separate email chains. All messages are visible to both the Requester and Procurement teams, ensuring that questions, clarifications, and updates are captured against the sourcing request for future reference.
The platform also includes real-time collaboration features to improve visibility and responsiveness. Users can continue to send and receive chat messages even when viewing a request in read-only mode, ensuring communication remains available throughout the request lifecycle. New messages generate unread indicators and notifications, helping users quickly identify requests that require attention. Message counts and unread message badges are displayed throughout the system, and notifications can be used to navigate directly back to a request and automatically open the related conversation. This ensures that important discussions remain visible and that users can respond to questions and updates without delay.
5. Notifications
Unread chat notifications help users stay informed about conversations that require their attention. When a new message is received on a sourcing request, the system highlights the request using visual indicators such as unread message badges and notification alerts. These indicators are visible from the dashboard and allow users to quickly identify which requests contain new activity without having to open every request individually. Clicking a notification or opening the associated request provides direct access to the conversation, enabling users to review messages, respond promptly, and maintain effective communication throughout the sourcing process.
6. Statuses
Each sourcing request progresses through a series of statuses that provide visibility of its current position within the sourcing and approval process. A request is initially created as a Draft, allowing the Requester to save work and return at a later date before submission. Once submitted, the request moves to New, indicating that it is awaiting Procurement review. Following review, Procurement users can either Approve the request, allowing it to progress through the sourcing process, or Decline the request if additional information is required or the request cannot be progressed. Requesters may also Cancel a request when it is no longer required. Statuses are clearly displayed throughout the platform using colour-coded indicators, filters, and dashboard views to help users quickly understand the state of each request and prioritise their workload accordingly.
In addition to status tracking, every request is assigned a Criticality level to indicate its business priority and urgency. Criticality levels are categorised as Critical, Moderate, or Non-Critical, and requests are displayed within corresponding dashboard columns to support workload management and prioritisation. Critical requests typically represent urgent business requirements that require immediate attention, while Moderate requests represent important but less time-sensitive activities. Non-Critical requests are routine sourcing activities that can be addressed as part of normal procurement operations. The combination of Status and Criticality enables both Requesters and Procurement users to quickly assess the progress and priority of sourcing activities at a glance, ensuring that the most important requests receive appropriate attention.
7. Procurement Users – Approve or Decline requests
Procurement users are responsible for reviewing submitted sourcing requests and determining whether the request can progress through the sourcing process. When a Requester submits a request, its status changes to New and it becomes available for Procurement review. Procurement users can access requests through the dashboard, apply filters to identify requests awaiting action, and review all details including the business requirement, estimated spend, criticality, supplier suggestions, attachments, and any supporting information provided by the Requester.
During the review process, Procurement users can use the integrated chat facility to request clarification, ask questions, or provide updates without leaving the sourcing request record. All communication is retained as part of the request history to ensure a complete audit trail of the sourcing process.
After reviewing the request, Procurement users can either Approve or Decline the sourcing request. Selecting Approve confirms that the request has been accepted and updates the status to Approved, allowing the sourcing activity to progress. Selecting Decline updates the status to Declined, indicating that the request cannot proceed in its current form and may require further information, correction, or business justification. Approval and Decline actions are only available to authorised Procurement users and are visible when reviewing requests that are in the New status.
Once a decision has been made, the updated status becomes visible throughout the platform and can be tracked by the Requester through the dashboard. Procurement users are encouraged to provide supporting comments through the chat facility when declining a request to ensure that Requesters clearly understand any required next steps.
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