From Long and Complex - to Short and Speedy: Busting the Myth of Intimidating RFx.

DeepStream’s software flexibility means that our partners can use the platform to send long and complex RFx (Request for anything; Information, Product, Quote) or short and quick ones. 

The reason it’s important to emphasise this is that adopting and implementing a new technology can feel intimidating, and as a result can make people think that it should only be used for more intimidating RFx. We’re here to blow that myth out of the water by explaining why DeepStream is not intimidating, and talking about some of the use cases we’ve seen on the platform - from long and complex, to short and speedy. 

DeepStream’s ethos is prioritising usability. Whether it’s Forbes, Chartio or anyone else, there is a consensus that the usability of the platform is crucial to the success of it. This is a fact that DeepStream fully subscribes to, in fact we’ve written about why your supply chain software has to be user-friendly. The simple and most obvious reason? If it’s easy to use then people will use it, and if it’s not - people won’t. Despite this being blatantly obvious, it is surprising how many of our partners tell us about previously used procurement and supply chain software tools that are overly complex and clunky - ultimately leading them to collect dust in the corner or deviated back to using emails (and for the users to come find us!). 

Interested in busting the myth?

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How do we ensure usability

One of the things we do at DeepStream to ensure usability is ask for and collect feedback from our users. We are constantly checking in with our users, and as the recognised experts in their field, ask them for feedback on how the platform’s features can be improved or added to to make it even more useful and easy to use. By focusing on the user experience, we have been able to build a product that caters to our user’s needs rather than dictating them. As a result, our users have the freedom to create and tailor their own RFx workflows depending on their RFx strategy and the desired outcome of the RFx in question. 

Different workflows 

Our users and partners are so wide ranging and diverse (from EV vehicle manufacturers, Lithium-ion factories to solar panels and mining) there are multiplicities of workflows that exist on the platform. It is always delightful to see users use their creativity to build RFx workflows  in new ways, utilising the tools provided on the platform to achieve the best results. 

To give you some indication, in the past month requests have had deadlines from under 2hrs to 159d 22hrs. Requests have been built with multiple Stages (up to 3 or 4) with multiple Pages and document exchanges, to single Stage, single line item requests. This type of direct RFx-ing with minimum complexity provides auditable responses quickly. The Template feature means that frequent single source request workflows can be duplicated quickly and sent with minimum effort. Despite the speediness of this form of RFx-ing - the user still reaps the full benefits of the platform’s auditability and ease of information access. Further, the storage of information in one place, helps to organise and maintain consistency across requests. Ultimately any RFI can be built according to the workflows that our users need, and we’re always excited to see new use cases and different workflows that our users create. 

DeepStream’s software flexibility means that our partners can use the platform to send long and complex RFx or short and quick ones. We provide a high-level of automation so you don't have to worry about sending out requests manually! Have you tried it yet? Get in touch today to find out how we can help your organization drive greater success, with less effort, by streamlining your RFX process.

Interested in busting the myth?

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