How to pick a UOM for a line item

A unit of measure (UOM) is added to a line item and commonly paired with a quantity to define and price the goods or services being sourced. However, you can also use UOMs on line items to request additional data about the goods or services, collect insights about the supplier, or ask questions related to the sourcing process.

The following outlines some of the different types of UOMs and how and when to use them on an event. It also provides some practical examples to help you understand their possible usage.

*Each

Each is used for pricing and is the default UOM for each line item. This asks for a price for each good or service and then multiplies it by the quantity. This option works best for sourcing events where items are typically sold or purchased individually.

For example, if you're ordering laptops, you can request the price per laptop (e.g., each).

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will be able to enter a unit price for the item.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you can review unit and total prices for the line.

Attachment

An attachment line item allows you to request suppliers respond with file attachment. This is best for questions where you need detailed documentation, visual aids, or content that isn't easily conveyed in text fields.

Attachment examples

Some examples might include:

• Technical or product documentation Attach the technical specifications sheet for the product.

• Certifications and compliance Attach a copy of your ISO 9001 certification or equivalent quality management certification.

• Case study or reference Provide a case study highlighting a similar project you've completed, including outcomes and client feedback.

• Visual or design assets Attach sample designs or mockups of the packaging solution.

• Quality and testing reports Upload results of recent quality assurance tests conducted on the proposed product.

• Risk and contingency plans Attach your business continuity plan, including disaster recovery protocols.

• Training and support materials Upload your standard operating procedures for customer support and maintenance.

• Proof of insurance or bonding Upload a copy of your current liability insurance certificate.

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will be able to respond with files up to 100MB.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll be able to open and review their attachment.

Compliance

A compliance line item allows you to ask about compliance with controlled responses. This type ensures clarity and provides a quick, standardized way to evaluate compliance with your requirements.

Compliance examples

Some examples might include:

• Regulatory compliance Does your company comply with all applicable industry regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or OSHA standards?

• Quality standards Does your manufacturing process fully comply with ISO 9001 quality management standards?

• Adherence to specifications Is your product compliant with our outlined specifications?

• Sustainability goals Are the materials used in your product fully compliant with our sustainability requirements, such as recycled content or ethical sourcing?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will respond if they are Fully compliant, Partially compliant, or Non-compliant.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll be able to see if they answered Fully compliant, Partially compliant, or Non-compliant.

Date range

A date range line item allows you to collect time period data. This provides suppliers with a calendar to select valid dates or date ranges.

Date range examples

Some examples might include:

• Availability When will you be available to train our team?

• Timelines What is the anticipated date range for the first phase delivery?

• Maintenance or support periods When is regular maintenance services provided?

• Compliance coverage When is your ISO 9001 valid?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will respond by selecting a starting and ending date from a calendar to create the date range.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll be able to see the date range they selected.

Multiple choice

A multiple choice line item allows you to collect structured, predefined responses. They ensure consistency during the evaluation process, allowing for direct comparison across supplier responses. You can choose if suppliers can select one or multiple responses. This UOM is only available for request for proposal and request for information line items.

Multiple choice examples

Some examples might include:

• Qualifications Does your organization hold any of the following qualifications?

• Compliance Does your company comply with the following data security standards?

• Capabilities and offerings Are the following services included with purchase?

• Operational practices How do you handle product defects?

• Experience & track record What percentage of your contracts in the past year were with clients in our industry?

• Sustainability or social responsibility initiatives What sustainability practices does your company implement? (Select all that apply)

• Preferred terms or conditions What is your preferred contract length?

• Customer support and service options What types of customer support do you offer? (Select all that apply)

• Collaboration preferences How often do you recommend status meetings during project execution?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will respond by selecting one or multiple options (depending on how you set up the line item).

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll be able to see the options they selected.

No response

A no response line item is an information-only line item that doesn't require a supplier response. Suppliers cannot add a response to this type of line item, but they can select to decline them.

No response examples

Some examples might include:

• Contextual information This refers to shipping requirements outlined in the Shipping section.

• Mandatory conditions All suppliers must be ISO 9001 certified to qualify.

• Reference points Refer to the attached specification sheet for material standards.

• Pricing or response alignment No response required—pricing is to be based on the volume provided.

• Dependencies or assumptions This item assumes a 3% annual increase in material costs.

• Guidance or instructions Additional file attachments can be added at the end of the event.

What suppliers will see

Suppliers cannot add a response to this type of line item, but they can select to decline them.

What you will see

You won't see a response. Suppliers do not respond to this type of line item.

Number

You can use a number (non-monetary value) response when you need to gather quantitative data that provides actionable insights for comparison, analysis, or decision-making. This allows you to evaluate quantitatively and reduce ambiguity in capabilities and offerings.

Number examples

Some examples might include:

• Capacity and volume How many units can you produce per month?

• Time metrics How many days do you need to fulfill a customer order?

• Experience or tenure How many years have you been supplying this service?

• Service metrics How many service calls can you team handler per day?

• Infrastructure or resources How many distribution centers do you operate?

• Volume or usage How many units of this product have you sold in the past year?

• Employee or staffing data How many employees are trained in this area?

• Product specifications What is the weight of the item in kilograms?

• Warranty or lifespan How many years is a warranty valid?

• Risk metrics What is your average defect rate per 10,000 units?

• Historical performance How many similar contracts have you fulfilled in the last year?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers can enter a numerical value with up to 8 decimal places.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll see the number value they entered.

Percent

A percentage response is used when specific metrics or proportional data is required and allows you to compare responses quantitatively when evaluating on a relative basis.

Percent examples

Some examples might include:

• Discounts or markups What percentage discount can you offer to repeat customers?

• Compliance or coverage What percentage of your raw materials are sustainably sourced?

• Service levels What is your on-time delivery rate as a percentage?

• Resource allocation What percentage of your production capacity can be allocated to our order?

• Revenue or cost-sharing What percentage of project savings will you share?

• Performance metrics What percentage of issues are resolved on the first call?

• Risk or contingency What percent of your operations depend on a single supplier?

• Customization or flexibility What percentage of your product line can be customized?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers can respond with a percent value with up to 2 decimal places.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll see the percent value they entered.

Pricing

Having a variety of pricing-based UOMs provides flexibility and precision for different sourcing scenarios. While each works well for simple line items, the following UOMs can provide more precision and standardization, simplifying creating your event and making it easier to compare responses. The same as each, suppliers will enter a price for the good or service unit and then it will be multiplied by the quantity.

Activities

Use activities-based UOMs to price deliverables or outputs defined by their nature of function.

• Analysis: Price reports, assessments, or studies. What is the cost per data analysis report?

• Audit: Price compliance or performance reviews. What is the price per audit of financial records?

• Campaign: Price marketing or public relations efforts. Provide the cost for each social media campaign

• Contract: Price legal or procurement services. What is the cost per contract drafted or reviewed?

• Event: Price for conferences or hosted gatherings. Provide the cost for full-day meeting services.

• Integration: Price for systems and technology services. What is the price per software integration project?

• Project: Price larger initiatives encompassing multiple deliverables. What is the total cost for the project as defined in the scope of work?

• Training: Price educational programs or workshops. Provide the cost for 2 day SQL training.

• Webinar: Price for virtual, live, or recorded training or events. Provide the cost for 1 hour webinar.

Day and time-based

Use day and time-based UOMs to pricing by time increments. These are good for services, staffing, or rentals.

• Day, Hour, Minute, etc.: Price time-bound services or rentals. Rate for daily equipment rental or Hourly rate for IT support services

• FTE (full-time equivalent): Price labor or staffing resources. What is the monthly cost per FTE assigned to this project?

• Week, Month, Year: For contracts or recurring services. Annual cost for software subscription licenses.

Deliverables

Use deliverable-based UOMs to price deliverables, projects, or services where a specific unit cost doesn’t apply to a single item but to a defined outcome or effort.

• Program: Price an ongoing series of activities or deliverables. What is the total cost for the employee wellness program as outlined in the scope?

• Production: Price manufacturing or production-level deliverables. What is the cost per production run of the specified product?

• Set: Price goods or services sold or delivered in defined groups. Provide the price per set of 10 safety helmets.

• SME (subject matter expert): Price for expertise-based services. What is the rate for an SME for process audits.

Goods

A goods line item allows you to request pricing for items in various measurements. These are available for item type line items.

• Area: Items measured by surface or flat areas. (e.g., square foot, square meter, or hectare)

• Container or package: Items measured based on bundles or packages. (e.g., box, pack, reel, or jar)

• Length: Items measured by linear dimensions. (e.g., inch, meter, or yard)

• Quantity: Count of items or predefined groups of items. (e.g., each, dozen, or gross)

• Volume: Items measured by volume, such as liquids or bulk materials. (e.g., gallon, liter, or cubic yard)

• Weight: Items measured by weight. (e.g., pound, kilogram, or metric ton)

Lump sum

A lump sum line item allows you to ask for a simple total value. This allows you to bypass the need for itemized pricing. Provide the total cost for the marketing campaign.

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will be able to enter a unit price for the line based on the UOM you selected.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you can review unit and total prices for the line.

Text

If you need a more detailed response to a line item, you can request a text response. This could be helpful if you want detailed information about their offerings, you want to encourage suppliers to explain how their solution could solve your need, or you want more insight into how the supplier will communicate with you.

Text examples

Some examples might include:

• Supplier capabilities What are your key capabilities relevant to this project?

• Approach How will you ensure on-time delivery?

• Innovation What innovative solutions or added value can you offer?

• Project compliance How does your proposal meet the outlined specifications?

• Warranty and supplier What support services do you provide?

• Sustainability and ethics How do you ensure sustainability and ethical sourcing?

• Risk management What risks do you foresee and how will you address them?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will be able to enter a text response with up to 4,000 characters.

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll be able to see the text response they entered.

Yes/No

With Yes/No line items, you can ask questions that need a yes or no response. This allows for concise, consistent answers across events that you and your team can easily evaluate.

Yes/no examples

Some examples might include:

• Qualifications Are you ISO 9001 certified?

• Compliance checks Do you adhere to our sustainability standards?

• Clarification of offerings Is the product available in the required quantity?

• Establishing non-negotiables Can you deliver within the required time frame?

What suppliers will see

Suppliers will see a toggle field to select their response (Yes or No).

What you will see

When a supplier responds, you'll be able to see if they selected Yes or No.