How to use RFIs in Ressio

Requests for Information, or RFIs, help your team ask, answer, approve, and track project questions in one organized place.

Instead of managing important project questions through scattered emails, texts, or separate files, RFIs keep the full conversation connected to the project record. This helps everyone see what was asked, who needs to respond, what the current answer is, and whether the question has been fully resolved.

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Table of Contents

1. What is an RFI?
2. Why use RFIs?
3. RFI statuses
4. Create an RFI
   1. Submit an RFI
   2. Answer an RFI
   3. Approve an answer
   4. Request clarification
5. Vendor-created RFIs
6. Lifecycle Tracking & Notifications
7. Best practices
8. FAQs

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What is an RFI?

An RFI is a formal project question that needs a clear answer before work can move forward.

You may use an RFI when you need clarification from a team member, trade partner, designer, architect, engineer, or another project stakeholder.

Examples include:

• Asking for clarification about a selection, specification, or cost item
• Confirming which material, finish, or installation method should be used
• Requesting an answer from a vendor, trade, designer, or internal team member
• Documenting a decision that may affect scope, schedule, cost, or warranty records

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Why use RFIs?

RFIs help prevent confusion by giving your team one source of truth for project questions and answers.

With RFIs, you can:

• Create a clear question tied to a project
• Assign the right person to respond
• Set a due date
• Track whether the RFI is open, answered, closed, or cancelled
• Keep messages and file attachments connected to the RFI
• Preserve the final approved answer in the project record

This helps reduce missed details, rework, and time spent searching through emails or messages.

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RFI statuses

RFIs move through a simple lifecycle

Status	What it means
Draft	The RFI has been created but has not been submitted yet.
Open	The RFI has been submitted and is waiting for an answer.
Answered	A response has been provided and is ready for review.
Needs Clarification	The answer needs more information before it can be approved.
Closed	The answer has been approved and the RFI is complete.
Cancelled	The RFI is no longer needed, but the record is preserved.

 

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Where can I find the RFI?

You can find the RFI section inside a project. 

1. Open the project.
2. Click the RFI tab in project's navigation menu on the left hand side of your screen. 
3. Select RFIs to view the RFI list. 
4. You can also create a new RFI by clicking +New RFI in the top right hand corner. 

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Create an RFI

1. Open the project where you want to create.
2. Go to the RFIs section.
3. Select + New RFI.
4. Enter the RFI details:
   • Title: A short, clear name for the question
   • Description: The full question or clarification needed
   • Subject: Optional related project item, such as a cost item or selection
   • Due date: When the answer is needed
   • Assignee: Responsible for providing an answer
   • Approver: Confirms the answer meets requirements. Can be changed to another colleague as needed.
   • Audience: User who have read-only access for visibility; not required to act.
     
5. Hit Create RFT as a draft, or submit it when it is ready.
   
   

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Submit an RFI

When the RFI is ready to send:

1. Open the draft RFI.
2. Review the title, description, due date, assignees, approvers, and audience.
3. Select Submit.

After the RFI is submitted, the status changes from Draft to Open.

The assigned person is notified and can open the RFI to respond.

Answer an RFI

If you are assigned to answer an RFI:

1. Open the RFI.
2. Review the question, related project details, and any attachments.
3. Add your response in the message thread.
4. Attach any helpful files, photos, drawings, or documents.
5. Mark your response as the answer.

After the answer is provided, the RFI moves to Answered so the approver can review it.

Approve an answer

If you are the approver:

1. Open the answered RFI.
2. Review the promoted answer and any attached files.
3. Choose one of the available actions:
   • Approve if the answer is complete
   • Request Clarification if more information is needed
   • Cancel if the RFI is no longer needed

When all required approvers approve the answer, the RFI moves to Closed.

Request clarification

Use Request Clarification when the answer is not complete or does not fully resolve the question.

When clarification is requested:

• The RFI moves out of Answered
• The assignee is notified
• The assignee can provide an updated response
• The updated answer can be reviewed again

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Vendor-created RFIs

Vendors may also be able to create RFIs from the vendor portal when they need clarification from your team.

When a vendor creates an RFI:

• The vendor submits the question from the vendor portal
• The vendor selects an internal staff member to answer
• The builder receives the RFI and provides a response
• The vendor can approve the answer, request clarification, or cancel the RFI

Vendors only see RFIs they created or are included on.

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Lifecycle Tracking & Notifications

Ressio logs every step of an RFI's lifecycle in the activity log.

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Best practices

Use these tips to keep RFIs clear and easy to manage:

• Use a specific title.
  • Instead of Kitchen question, write Confirm kitchen island outlet location.
• Include enough context in the description.
  • Explain what decision is needed and why it matters.
• Add a due date.
  • This helps the team understand when the answer is needed to avoid delays.
• Attach supporting files when helpful.
  • Photos, plans, drawings, or screenshots can make the question easier to answer.
• Keep the answer in the RFI thread.
  • This keeps the project record complete and avoids confusion later.
• Close the RFI once the answer is approved.
  • This helps your team quickly see which questions are still active.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I save an RFI before submitting it?

Yes. You can save an RFI as a draft before submitting it.

Can I attach files to an RFI?

Yes. Files, photos, drawings, and documents can be attached in the RFI message thread.

Can an answer be sent back for more information?

Yes. If the answer is not complete, an approver can request clarification.

Can vendors create RFIs?

Yes, vendors may be able to create RFIs from the vendor portal when they need clarification from your team.

What happens when an RFI is closed?

A closed RFI stays in the project record so your team can reference the final approved answer later.

Can I cancel an RFI?

Yes. If the RFI is no longer needed, it can be cancelled. The record is preserved, but it is no longer treated as an active RFI.

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, contact our support team at support@ressiosoftware.com. We're here to help!