Stop asking suppliers for the same document twice

What this means for your practice

Create a shared request record with a purpose, owner and accepted version. The portal should reduce repeated requests rather than become another unowned folder.

What to ask before you choose

Demonstrate a request, first submission and replacement document. The sender should understand what remains outstanding while the reviewer identifies the version awaiting a decision. Agree how acceptance or changes are communicated. Departments should see an existing request before sending another one.

Make the request understandable before upload

Tell the supplier which document is needed, why it is being requested and who will review it. Where several teams need the same material, decide whether one accepted copy can serve their agreed purposes. A shared request record should show that existing work before another department sends a duplicate email.

Demonstrate the full exchange: the initial request, a file that needs a correction, a replacement and the reviewer's decision. The supplier should be able to tell which version is awaiting review and what remains outstanding. A successful upload is not automatically acceptance. Keep the reason for returning a file specific enough that the supplier can act without another round of clarification. Agree who follows up when a reviewer is away, and which people can access the documents. Review repeated requests and long waits together; they may reveal an unclear specification or an unowned review step rather than a supplier who simply has not responded.

How to check the result

Measure repeated requests and documents awaiting review.