The Supplier Assist tool allows you to share a project Bill of Materials (BOM) or Shop cart with a supported supplier for quote review before placing an order.

Instead of proceeding directly to checkout, Supplier Assist enables you to collaborate with your supplier's Account Manager to review pricing, quantities, delivery requirements, and other order details before finalising your purchase.

Supplier Assist is particularly useful for:

• Large or complex orders
• Orders requiring supplier review or approval
• Projects where delivery costs or lead times need confirmation
• Collaborating directly with a supplier Account Manager

What Can You Do with Supplier Assist?

Using Supplier Assist, you can:

• Share a project BOM or Shop cart with a supplier
• Collaborate with an assigned Account Manager
• Exchange messages and updates during the review process
• Receive a reviewed and approved quote before placing an order
• Allow the supplier to place the order on your behalf (optional)

Where is the tool available? 

Supplier Assist is currently available for organisations located in Australia.

Support for additional Shop regions, including the United Kingdom and the United States, is planned for future releases. If you are located in one of these regions and are interested in early access, please contact OpenSolar Support.

Where Can I Find Supplier Assist?

Supplier Assist can be accessed from two locations depending on what you want to submit for review.

• Project BOM Review: To share a BOM for a specific project, go to Project → Shop; Supplier Assist will be available within the project's Shop tab.
• Cart or Multi-Project Review: To share a Shop cart or multiple project BOMs combined into a single order, access Supplier Assist from the cart page before proceeding to checkout.

Before You Start

Supplier Assist requires either:

• A Project BOM (your designed system within a project)
• A Shop Cart where it can be created by:
  • Adding products directly from Shop, or
  • Adding a project BOM from a project's Shop page, or
  • Adding multiple project BOMs through Multi-Project Ordering

How to Submit a Quote for Review

Step 1: Open Supplier Assist

Once your BOM or cart is ready:

1. Open the Supplier Assist tool.
2. Select the supplier you want to collaborate with. If you already have an assigned Account Manager with that supplier, their name will appear alongside the supplier name.

3. Click Share.

Step 2: Review Your Quote

You will be redirected to the Quote Review page. Here you'll find:

• A table containing the BOM or Cart list for you to review all products included in your request.
  • You can also remove or add additional products specifically for this request. 
• A Details panel for you to complete any information required by the supplier, such as:
  • Delivery address
  • Requested delivery/collection (pickup) date
  • Delivery/Collection details (Instruction)
  • Attachments or supporting documents
• Cost Summary for you to review the quote breakdown before submitting.

Step 3: Submit for Review

Once all required information has been completed:

1. Click Share for Review.
2. The quote status will change from Draft to Under Review.
3. Your Account Manager will receive an email notification.

The supplier can then begin reviewing your request.

Managing a Submitted Quote

After submission, you can continue to access the quote from Shop → Quotes

This page contains all quote requests submitted for supplier review. You can:

• View quote status
• Review quote details
• Monitor updates
• Continue collaborating with the supplier

Sending Messages

If you need to provide additional information after submission:

1. Open the quote.
2. Select Chat & Activity.
3. Send a message directly to the supplier's Account Manager.

This helps keep all communication related to the quote in one place.

Making Changes After Submission

You can still make changes to a submitted quote. For example:

• Modify the product list: Remove, add or update quantities
• Start a chat or add additional information
• Modify delivery/collection information

If changes are made, the supplier may need to review the quote again before approval.

Cancelling a Quote

You can cancel a quote request at any time unless it has been ordered. To cancel:

1. Open the quote.
2. Click Cancel Quote in the bottom-left corner of the page.

After the Quote Is Approved

Once the supplier approves your quote, you have two options:

• Place the order yourself by proceeding through the normal checkout flow and submitting the order, or
• Allow your Account Manager to place the order. If the option is enabled during the quote process, the supplier Account Manager can place the order on your behalf.

Tracking Orders

After an order has been created, it will appear in Shop → Manage Orders. Alternatively, if the quote originated from a project BOM, the order will also be linked to the project's Shop tab. This allows you to track the order directly from the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit a quote without placing an order?

• Yes. Supplier Assist is specifically designed for quote review before an order is placed.

Can I share multiple projects in one quote?

• Yes. If multiple project BOMs have been added to a cart, the entire cart can be submitted through Supplier Assist.

Can I edit a quote after submitting it?

• Yes. You can continue updating the quote and communicating with the supplier while it is under review or even after it has been approved.
• However, any changes made to an approved quote will automatically revert it to an Under Review status. Your Account Manager will need to review and approve the updated quote again before it can proceed to ordering.

Can I cancel a quote request?

• Yes. Open the quote and select Cancel Quote.

How do I know when my quote has been reviewed?

• You will receive updates through the quote record, and the supplier Account Manager may also contact you through the Chat & Activity section.

Can the supplier place the order for me?

• Yes, if you choose to allow this during the quote process. Otherwise, you will need to complete checkout yourself.

Where can I see all of my quote requests?

• Navigate to Shop → Quotes. This page displays all quotes you have submitted and their current status.