Transform your approach to supplier discovery with this essential course on the Request for Information (RFI) process. Designed for procurement professionals, analysts, and team leads, this course provides a step-by-step guide to executing a structured RFI that delivers clear, comparable market intelligence. You will learn to move beyond generic templates by customizing questions to target your specific project needs, ensuring you gather high-value data from the start. Through hands-on activities, you will master the art of building a powerful comparison matrix to objectively analyze supplier responses and identify the most promising partners. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to run an efficient, data-driven RFI process that streamlines your sourcing cycle, eliminates guesswork, and builds the foundation for strategic supplier selection.
Gain next-level skills with Coursera Plus for $199 (regularly $399). Save now.
RFIs: Streamline Supplier Selection
This course is part of multiple programs.
Instructor: LearningMate
Included with
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Learner will execute a structured RFI process to gather, compare, and assess supplier capabilities for strategic sourcing decisions.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
January 2026
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 3 modules in this course
This module lays the foundation for an effective sourcing process by teaching you how to create a powerful Request for Information (RFI). You will learn why a generic RFI fails and how to customize a standard template with targeted questions that elicit valuable, comparable data from suppliers. This module moves you from a passive information collector to a strategic investigator, ensuring your RFI process starts with precision and purpose.
What's included
2 videos1 reading2 assignments
An RFI is only effective if it's managed professionally. This module covers the operational side of the RFI process. You will learn best practices for distributing the RFI to a curated supplier list, setting clear expectations and deadlines, and systematically tracking responses to ensure a smooth and organized data collection process.
What's included
2 videos1 reading1 assignment
Collecting data is easy, turning it into insight is the real skill. This module focuses on teaching you how to systematically analyze supplier responses to make a data-driven shortlisting decision. You will learn to construct and use a comparison matrix to objectively evaluate supplier capabilities, moving beyond subjective impressions to create a clear, defensible recommendation for the next phase of your sourcing project.
What's included
2 videos1 reading2 assignments
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor
Offered by
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
More questions
Financial aid available,
¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.