IBM TRIRIGA Version Procurement Management User Guide. Copyright IBM Corp i

Transcription

1 IBM TRIRIGA Version 10.3 Procurement Management User Guide Copyright IBM Corp i

2 Note Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in Notices on page 192. This edition applies to version 10, release 3, modification 0 of IBM TRIRIGA and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions. Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2011, All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Copyright IBM Corp i

3 Contents Conventions... 1 Intended Audience... 1 Prerequisites... 1 Support... 1 Bidding Process... 3 Request for Proposal (RFP)... 3 Request for Quote (RFQ)... 3 Home Portals... 4 Project Manager Portal... 4 Inventory Manager Portal... 4 Contract/Purchasing Manager Portal... 5 Proposals... 6 Accessing the Proposals Menu... 7 Bid Document... 8 Bid Response from Vendors Bid Clarification Request for Proposal (RFP) RFP Response from Vendor Request for Quote (RFQ) Document RFQ Response from Vendors Contracts Accessing the Contracts Menu Standard Contract Standard Contract Change Order Prime Contract Blanket Purchase Order Service Agreement Inventory Setup Accessing the Inventory Setup Menu Products Services Product Catalog Request Catalog Requisitions & Purchase Orders Copyright IBM Corporation 2011, 2012.

4 Accessing the Requisitions & Purchase Orders Menu Credit (Procurement) Card Purchase Requisition Purchase Order Receiving Returns Invoice Manager Payables Accessing the Payables Menu Contract Invoice Task Invoice Utility Invoice Purchase Order Invoice Payment Release

5 About This Guide This guide describes the procedures for operating, modifying, and maintaining the Procurement Management application. The guide contains descriptions of the various tabs and their functions. Conventions This document uses the following conventions to ensure that it is as easy to read and understand as possible: Note A note provides important information that you should know in addition to the standard details. Often, notes are used to make you aware of the results of actions. Tip A tip adds insightful information that may help you use the system better. Attention An attention notice indicates the possibility of damage to a program, device, system, or data. Intended Audience This guide is for procurement professionals, project managers, inventory managers, contract managers, purchasing managers, and system personnel responsible for setting up, tracking, and maintaining precise procurement details including proposals, contracts, inventory setup, requisitions, purchase orders, and payables. Prerequisites This guide assumes the reader has a basic understanding of the IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform and the fundamental concepts required to operate the Web-based IBM TRIRIGA system. Support IBM Software Support provides assistance with product defects, answering FAQs, and performing rediscovery. View the IBM Software Support site at Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

6 1. Procurement Management Organizations need real-time access to their suppliers, so they can send purchase orders or receive invoices, accept a specially negotiated catalog, collaborate over a complex product configuration, or negotiate a contract agreement. Buyers and suppliers require an integrated, flexible procurement management solution to connect, manage content, and collaborate effectively. If the interactions between buyers and suppliers are better managed, organizations can have greater control and visibility, improve product and service quality and delivery, and drive additional savings through more effective and streamlined processes. The IBM TRIRIGA Procurement Management module provides a set of products and services to optimize the interaction with the supplier and the performance throughout the entire Procurement lifecycle. It offers a centralized and complete electronic process for procurement that enables full electronic vendor participation. You can use the procurement management function to create, log, and track contracts, purchase orders, and other commitments. You can log and track applications for payment, change orders, shipping notifications, invoices, and receipts against those commitments. The Procurement Management module contains solution for bidding and other procurement methods, such as Request For Proposal and Request For Quote. The person requesting the goods or services can electronically create, send, analyze, and award bids. Vendors or Manufacturers can respond to the bid by completing the form and send their response online. Contracts, and purchase orders can be dynamically generated from the original bid, eliminating redundant data entry, costly errors, and ensuring the accuracy of committed records. The Procurement process is usually initiated when a requirement is identified and a request is submitted to the Purchasing Department. The assigned purchasing officer or other authorized business representative selects the best procurement method. If Blanket Purchase Orders or Service Agreements already exist with a vendor or service provider, and Products or Services have been negotiated already, then the Purchasing Agent can issue a Purchase Order against the existing contract. If no contracts exist for the requested material or service, then a request for quote is sent to the manufacturers or vendors. Otherwise, the purchasing department or the requestor can initiate a bidding process. Procurement Process Flow Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

7 Bidding Process The Bidding process is used to select a vendor for subcontracting a project or for purchasing products and services that are required for a project. Bid records contain the specifications of the project or details of the products and services to be purchased. Once created, Bid records are sent to a group of vendors for response. Once the vendors responses have been received and logged, a Bid is awarded to the successful vendor, and the system creates a Standard Contract record from the Bid details and response information already entered in the system. Request for Proposal (RFP) The RFP process is used to request pricing and delivery on additional products or materials from a vendor who has already been awarded a Standard Contract for a project. After associating the RFP record with a Standard Contract, you can create a cost form or import the contract line items. Once RFP has been issued and the response received back from the vendor, the Project Manager can analyze the response and later create a Purchase Order or Contract change order. Request for Quote (RFQ) An RFQ is used to select a vendor for purchasing products or services for a project. When the RFQ is issued, vendor responses are logged in the RFQ record. When all responses have been received and analyzed, the RFQ is awarded to the successful vendor and the system automatically creates a Purchase Order record for the required products or services. This purchase activity is considered a onetime commitment against the project. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

8 2. Procurement Portals Home Portals The IBM TRIRIGA Home page is your entrance into the IBM TRIRIGA application. From your Home page, you can review your Home portal or use the menu system to navigate to process portals available to your role. Use your menu bar to navigate to other available portals. When you sign into the IBM TRIRIGA application, you are taken to your Home portal. The setting of the Home page, as well as the Project Home page, is set in your My Profile record, in the Default Portal section. Based on your role in the company and your security and license access, your Home portal or process portals may be different. However, it will contain a combination of the components and section types described in this discussion. In turn, each IBM TRIRIGA portal consists of Portal Sections. Each portal section performs a specific function or displays data pertinent to your business role. The portal sections you have in your portal have been configured by your Application Administrator for your role in the system. Project Manager Portal Here is an example of Home portal for a Project Manager. Welcome Bar Including Welcome, Max Project (a Project Manager role), Sign Out, Sitemap, Support, and Help links. Company Logo Including the IBM TRIRIGA company logo, Company Project Toggle, and Project Selector. Menu Bar Including the Home, My Reports, Requests, Projects, Tasks, Contracts, and Procurement first-level menu items. Page Title Bar Including the Home page title, Personalize link and My Bookmarks link. Portal and Portal Sections A Project Manager home portal, including the following portal sections: (1) Reminders Projects, (2) Performance Metrics Projects, (3) Related Links Projects, (4) My Active Projects, (5) Project Schedule Variance, (6) Current Budget to Forecast, and (7) Project Locations. Inventory Manager Portal Here is an example of the Home portal for an Inventory Manager. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

9 Welcome Bar Including Welcome, Iven Tory (an Inventory Manager role), Sign Out, Sitemap, Support, and Help links. Company Logo Including the IBM TRIRIGA company logo, Company Project Toggle, and Project Selector. Menu Bar Including the Home, My Reports, Requests, Tasks, Maintenance, Inventory, Contracts, Procurement, and Portfolio first-level menu items. Page Title Bar Including the Home page title, Personalize link and My Bookmarks link. Portal and Portal Sections An Inventory Manager home portal, including the following portal sections: (1) Reminders Inventory, (2) Related Links Inventory, (3) Quick Find (Inventory), (4) Inventory On Hold Pending Issue, (5) Purchase Requisitions, and (6) Purchase Orders. Contract/Purchasing Manager Portal Here is an example of the Home portal for a Contract/Purchasing Manager. Welcome Bar Including Welcome, Connie Track (a Contract/Purchasing Manager role), Sign Out, Sitemap, Support, and Help links. Company Logo Including the IBM TRIRIGA company logo, Company Project Toggle, and Project Selector. Menu Bar Including the Home, My Reports, Requests, Contracts, and Procurement first-level menu items. Page Title Bar Including the Home page title, Personalize link and My Bookmarks link. Portal and Portal Sections A Contract/Purchasing Manager home portal, including the following portal sections: (1) Reminders Contracts Contract Manager, (2) Performance Metrics Contracts, (3) Related Links Contracts Contract Manager, (4) Contract Current Commitment and Invoiced to Date, (5) My Active Proposals, (6) My Contracts, (7) My Purchase Orders, and (8) Pending Purchase Requisitions. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

10 3. Proposals and Contracts Proposals With the Purchasing module, you can initiate the purchasing process of goods and also the sub contract process services. Usually, organizations outsource subcontracts some of its function in order to focus on their core capabilities. Bidding is a procurement method by which an organization can select the appropriate vendor: For purchasing the required goods or To complete sub-contracted work within the estimated budget and time. The bidding process is initiated when the Project Manager creates a bid describing the specifications and estimated cost of the project. The bid that is created is sent to a number of proposed vendors for their response. These vendors can analyze the bid and calculate the cost at which they can complete the project. Every vendor responds to the bid with the details of the products and services that are needed and also the overall cost required to complete the project. The Project Manager can then examine the responses and select a vendor company that meets the requirements of the project within the approximate budget allotted by the organization. In IBM TRIRIGA, the Procurement > Proposals page is designed so that the user can create and manage bids effectively. The entire bidding process is done using this module. This module has three business objects: Bid Documents, RFP, and RFQ Document. Bid Proposal Process Flow Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

11 RFQ Proposal Process Flow RFP Proposal Process Flow Accessing the Proposals Menu Using the Procurement > Proposals menu, you can create and manage bids effectively. You can initiate the bidding process by creating a new Bid Document record entering all the specifications regarding purchasing goods or about the services that have to be sub contracted. Use the following procedure to access the Procurement > Proposals menu. To Access the Proposals Menu Step 1 Sign in with the proper Project Manager or Contract/Purchasing Manager role. Step 2 From the menu bar, click Procurement > Proposals. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

12 To Access the Proposals Menu Step 3 Click the menu item you want. Bid Document The first step in the bidding process is to create a Bid Document record. A Bid Document record is used to add all the details and specifications required by the vendors to send their response. Creating a Bid Document Use the following procedure to create a Bid Document record. To Create a Bid Document Step 1 From the menu bar, click Procurement > Proposals > Bids. Step 2 Click Add to add a Bid Document record. Step 3 Specify the details regarding the Bid Document record. Step 4 Click Create Draft. General Tab The General tab gives basic details about the bid such as the ID number, name, status, default currency that will be used, contact person details, etc. General Section ID Revision A unique number identifying the record. This number is automatically generated and displayed when you create a record. The number of times the current record is revised. To revise or modify the record, click the Revise action on the action bar. Status The status of the record being created. Draft The record can be modified. The Draft status is displayed when you click the Create Draft action on the action bar. Review In Progress - The record has been sent for approval bus has not been approved by all members in the distribution list. The Review In Progress status is displayed when you click the Issue action on the action Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

13 General Section bar. Issued The status of the record is changed to Issued when all members in the distribution list have approved the record. Revision In Progress The record is being modified or edited for further changes. The Revision In Progress status is displayed when you click the Revise action on the action bar. Routing In Progress The record was sent to the vendors for their response. The Routing In Progress status is displayed when you click the Complete action on the action bar. Completed The status of the record is changed to Completed status when all vendors who received the bid document have responded. Retired The record is removed temporarily from the active management list. The Retire status is displayed when you click the Retire action on the action bar. History - When the record is revised, a copy of the record is saved in the History state. Note When you select the History option in the Related Reports drop-down status list in the results page, all records that were revised at different stages are retrieved and displayed. The record that was saved in the History status is displayed as a line item in the Revisions section. Name Date Description Currency A unique name to identify the record that you are creating. The date when the record was created. By default, the current date. A brief description about the bidding item or service. The currency type used for all the cost related fields. All the options defined for the Currency in the Tools > Lists page are displayed. By default, the currency set in your user profile is displayed. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

14 Details Section Conversion Group Currency Exchange Date The conversion group used for all the cost related fields in the record. All the options defined for the Conversion Group in the Tools > Lists page are displayed. The date and time when the currency was traded. You can use the calendar icon to select the date entry. Contact Section The Contact section displays the personal details of the contact person in the organization. Contact Lookup The person assigned as the contact for the vendors or subcontractors. Use the search icon to select the person you want. In the search list, you can see a list of the Employee records in the People page. You can use the Related Reports drop-down list to select records of other business objects in the People page, such as external contact, consultant, and so on. First Name Last Name Contact Organization The given name of the contact person. The surname of the contact person. The name of the organization to which the contact person belongs. Use the search icon to search and select the organization you want. You can see a list of available records retrieved from the associated business object in the Organization hierarchy. Revisions Section The Revisions section saves a copy of the record as line item before it was revised. The information that is displayed includes the ID, name, date and status of the record before it was revised. The record is saved in the History status. Form Actions The following table lists the common actions available and a description of each. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

15 Action Name Create Draft Save Save & Close X Copy Issue Complete Description Click the Create Draft action to save all initial data entered in the new record. Click the Save action to save the changes made. Click the Save & Close action to save the changes and close the active window. Click the X action to terminate the changes made and also to close the active window. Note If you click the Cancel action without saving the record, all the data you have entered in the record is lost. Click the Copy action to create a copy of the selected record in the Draft status. The copy is displayed in the appropriate page and you can modify the details as required. Click the Issue action to route the record to the members in the distribution list for approval. Note If there are no reviewers on the distribution list, and you click the Issue action, the status of the record is changed to Issued. Click the Complete action to send the record to the list of selected vendors for response. You can only click the Complete action after the record is approved by all members in the distribution list. The vendors identified as External Contact in the People page can access the application and gain further insight into the bid specifications and requirements. The Bid Document sent appears as an action item in the vendors Home portal. If the vendor clicks the hyperlinked Action Item, the Bid Response record appears in a new window and they can enter their cost estimate. For further details on the Bid Response record, see the Bid Response from Vendors section. Delete More Click the Delete action to delete the record permanently from the active management list. If you click the More action, several more actions are displayed. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

16 Note For more information on the common and additional form actions available, refer to the IBM TRIRIGA 10 Getting Started User Guide. Special Instructions Tab In the Special Instructions tab, you can enter any additional information about the bidding item or service. The details that are provided can be used by the vendor while preparing the response. Special Instructions Section In the Special Instructions section, you can provide a description of the bid or project. Such details about the bid may be helpful to the organizations that are involved in the bidding process. Cost Form Tab In the Cost From tab, you can add the products or services that are required for the project, and the estimated cost for them. Cost Form Section In the Cost Form section, you can add the required products and services as line items. Click the Add action on action bar of the Cost Form tab to add a line item. The Bid Line Item record appears in a new window, and you can specify a name for the line item, quantity required, and estimated rate. After you specified all details, click the Add action in the action bar. A line item is added to the Cost Form section. If you click the linked record icon hyperlinked text, you can view the details of the record in a new window. or the To delete a line item from this section, select the check box next to the line item and click the Remove action in the Cost Form section bar. Vendors Tab You can use the Vendors tab to add contact persons of all the vendor companies that participate in the bidding process. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

17 Vendors Section Using this section, you can add details about the contact persons in the vendor companies for which the Bid Document would be sent for their response. Click the Add Person action to add details about the contact person in every vendor company that is participating in the bidding process. In the search list, the list of External Contact records is displayed. Select the vendors you want to add and click OK. The selected records are added to the Vendors section as line items. Notifications Tab The Notifications tab contains basic information relating to the approval process, such as the list of individuals who should approve the record, the current individual reviewing the record, date when the record was sent for approval, status, and comments added by the reviewers. Manual Approvers (In Addition to Approval Requirements Section) In the Manual Approvers section, you can see a list of individuals who must approve the record, the role assigned to each person who is approving the record, and review type. To add an approver, click the Add Person action in the Approval Routing Rules section bar. When you click the Add Person action, the available records retrieved from the People page are displayed. You can select the persons you want to add to the distribution list and click OK. You can also set advanced approval options by clicking any of the displayed hyperlinked text of the line item. Note Refer to the IBM TRIRIGA 10 Application Administration User Guide for information about setting up advanced options for approval process. Approval Reviews Section In the Approval Reviews section, you can see the review details regarding the record, such as the approval status of the record, the name of the approver, review status of the record, date when the record was sent for review, date when the review was completed, comments added by the reviewer, and type of review used. The information in the Approval Reviews section gets auto-populated when you add a person to the distribution list. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

18 Status Change Notifications Section You can use the Status Change Notification section to send notifications to selected individuals when the record changes to a specific status. For example, if a subcontractor wants to inform the Project Manager about the completion of a project, they can send a notification when the record is completed. The notification is displayed in the Home portal of the Project Manager. To add a notification for a specific status, click the Add Status action in the section bar. Select the status to which you want the notification to be sent and click OK. Click the hyperlinked text of the On Status field to add the notification details. When you click the hyperlinked text, a Notification Details window is displayed and you can add the person to whom the notification should be sent. Enter all the necessary details in the Notification Details window and click the Save & Close action. Note To remove a line item from this section, click the hyperlinked text of the On Status field and click the Delete action in the Notification Details record action bar. Responses Section The Response section displays the list of Response Log records as hyperlinked line items. Click the hyperlinked text of the line item to view the record. When you click the Complete action, the record is sent to selected individuals from whom a response is required if the record is approved. The record appears as an Action Item in the Home portal. When you click the hyperlinked action item, the current record is displayed in a new window. To enter the comments regarding the record, click the Respond action in the action bar. The Response Log window appears, wherein you can enter any comments in the Comments section. The response is added as a line item in this section of the Notifications tab. Notes & Documents Tab In the Notes & Documents tab, you can add information as comments or documents related to the record. Comments Section The Comments section displays the details regarding the comments associated with the record, as hyperlinked line items. If you click the hyperlinked line item, you can view the Comment record details in a new window. To create a Comment record, click the Add action. In the Comment page, specify the comment details, such as the comment type, the date when the Comment record is being created, and so on, Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

19 Comments Section and click the Create action. The Comment record is displayed as a line item in this section. The Remove action enables you to delete selected comments from the list. Documents Section The Documents section displays the details of the documents associated with the record. The documents are displayed as hyperlinked line items, and if you click a line item, you can view the Document record information in a new window. Use the Find action in the Documents section to select and associate documents with the record. You can associate drawings, specifications, or any other document in the Document Manager. To upload a document, click the Upload action to upload documents to open the Object Attachment Upload screen, click the Browse button and select the file path for the document. The path and filename are display in the Local File field. Specify the name, number, description, and comments and click the Upload action. The document is added as a record to the Document Manager and as a line item in the Documents tab. To delete a record from the line item list, click the Remove action. After you create the record, two more tabs are displayed: the Report tab and the Analysis tab. Reports Tab The Reports tab displays data regarding a record in a form. The data can be displayed in multiple forms. If a form does not immediately display when you click the Reports tab, either the form does not exist for the specified record, or multiple forms are available. In this case, you must select the required form in which to display the data. After the form displays the data, you can export the form to a word document. You can edit this document and send it to individuals who do not use the application. The benefit of viewing the document online is that you can ensure the correctness of the displayed data before exporting or printing it. Analysis Tab The Analysis tab is used by the Project Manager to view and analyze the various responses sent by the vendors. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

20 General Section The General section gives generic details about the Bid Document record for which the responses have been sent. The information that is displayed includes the ID number, name, and status of the Bid Document record. You can also view a brief description of the bidding item or service in the Description field. All the fields in the General section of the Analysis tab are read-only. Bid Responses Section The Bid Responses section contains the list of responses sent by the vendors as line items. You can click the hyperlinked text of the line item to view the record. The fields that are displayed provide information about the ID number of the vendor, name of the vendor organization, and total amount quoted by the vendor. The Project Manager can analyze the various responses from this section and once the successful vendor is selected, click the Award action inside the corresponding Bid Response record for the selected vendor. Note A Standard Contract record is automatically created once the bid is awarded. For further details on the Standard Contract business object, refer to the Standard Contract section. The bid response uses the currency that is used for the bid document. To delete a line item from this section, select the check box beside the line item and click the Remove action in the Bid Responses section bar. Bid Response from Vendors The Bid Document, which contains the scope and specifications of the bid, is sent to the list of associated vendors for their response. The vendors who are identified as External Contact in the People page can access the application and gain further insight into the bid specifications and requirements. The Bid Document that is sent appears as an action item in the vendors Home portal. On clicking the hyperlinked action item, the Bid Response record appears wherein the vendors can enter their response. General Tab The General tab gives basic details about the record such as the ID number, name, status, default currency that will be used, details of the contact person in the organization and vendor company. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

21 General Section The General section gives generic details about the Bid Document record for which the responses have been sent. The information that is displayed includes the ID number, name, date, and current status of the Bid Document record. You can also view a brief description about the bidding item or service in the Description field. All the fields in this section are read-only and cannot be modified by the vendor. Details Section Linked Bid Sent To Response Date The associated Bid Document record. The vendor to which the Bid Document record was sent. The date when the response of the vendor was sent. Conversion Group Use the list icon to select the conversion group that will be used for all the cost related fields in the record. The system displays all the options defined for the Conversion Group in the Tools > Lists page. Currency Exchange Date Currency The date and time when the currency was traded. The currency that is used for the Bid Document record. Vendor Contact Section The Vendor Contact section displays the details about the contact person in the vendor company to whom the Bid Document record is sent. The information that is displayed includes the name of the person, and other details such as the work phone number and address. Vendor Organization Section The Vendor Organization section displays the details about the vendor company to which the Bid Document record is sent. The information that is displayed includes the address of the vendor, zip/postal code, city, state/province and country. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

22 Bid Contact Section The Bid Contact section displays the details of the contact person in the organization, which has prepared the bid. All fields are read-only and cannot be modified by the vendor. Contact Lookup First Name Last Name Organization Address Zip/Postal Code City State/Province Country The name of the contact person in the organization. The given name of the contact person. The surname of the contact person. The organization to which the contact person belongs. The address details of the contact person. The zip/postal code where the contact person is located. The city where the contact person is located. The state/province where the contact person is located. The country where the contact person is located. Bid Vendors Section The Bid Vendors section displays the details about the list of vendor companies to which the Bid Document record is sent. The information that is displayed includes the name of the person, their role in the vendor company, and other details such as the work phone number, address and primary organization. Cost Form Tab The vendors can access the Cost Form tab to view the products and services specified by the bidding organization. Using this tab, vendors can enter the cost of the products and services that are added. Cost Form Section When you click the Complete action in the Bid Document record, the bid line items in the Bid Document record are added as bid response line items in the Bid Response record. Bid line items use the same currency as the bid document. Vendors can view the line items to quote their price. To add line items related to the Bid Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

23 Cost Form Section specifications, click the Add action in the Cost Form tab action bar. The Bid Response Line Item record is displayed in a new window. Enter the response amount in the Response Total field, and click the Create action in the action bar. A line item is added to the Cost Form section. If you click the linked record icon new window. or the hyperlinked text, you can view all the record details in a To remove a line item, select the check box beside the line item and click the Remove action. Other Tabs All the other tabs of the Bid Response record such as Special Instructions tab, Notes & Documents tab, and Reports tab are read-only and cannot be modified by the vendors. Form Actions Action Name Issue Description Click the Issue action to send the Bid Response record to the organization, which has prepared the bid. When you click the Issue action, the Bid Response record is sent to the organization that has prepared the bid. The Analysis tab appears in the Bid Document record where the responses sent by the vendors are added as line items. The Analysis tab appears in the Bid Document record after at least one vendor company sends the Bid Response record with the cost estimate. The Project Manager can analyze the responses sent by the vendors by clicking the Analysis tab. The Project Manager of the bidding organization can analyze the responses from all the vendors and can award the bid to a particular vendor based on the cost estimate provided. Bid Clarification If the Project Manager or the vendor needs any clarification during the bidding process before awarding the bid, they can create a Bid Clarification record and send it for clarification or response. Using the Bid Clarification business object, the Project Manager and vendor can clarify the queries about the bid. If the vendor has any questions about the project, the vendor can issue a bid clarification. The Project Manager can reply with the information or clarification requested. In the same way, if the Project Manager has any questions about a bid response, they can issue a bid clarification to which the vendor can reply. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

24 Creating Bid Clarification Use the following procedure to create a Bid Clarification record. To Create a Bid Clarification Step 1 From the menu bar, click Procurement > Proposals > Bid Clarifications. The page displays a list of Bid Clarification records. Step 2 Click Add to add a Bid Clarification record. Step 3 Specify the details regarding the Bid Clarification record. General Tab The General tab gives basic details about the record such as the ID number, name, status, default currency that will be used, contact person, and details about the clarification that is requested. General Section ID Revision Status A unique number identifying the record. This number is automatically generated and displayed by the system after you create a record. The number of times the record is revised. You can revise or modify the record by clicking the Revise action on the action bar. The status of the record. Note For more information about the different statuses, refer to the General section in Creating a Bid Document. Date Use the calendar icon to select the date when the record was created. Name A unique name to identify the record being created. Details Section In the Detail section, you can specify whether a response is required for the entered queries and also the date when the response is required. Response Required Select this check box to specify that a response is required from the person selected in the To section of the record. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

25 Details Section Required By Use the calendar icon to select the date when the response is expected. To Section In the To section, you must select the person to whom you want to send the clarification. To Look Up Use the search icon to search the person to whom the record is sent for clarification. When you click the search icon, the Project Contact list with the employee and vendor list associated to the selected project is displayed. Select the individual from whom you want clarifications and click OK. First Name Last Name Organization Address City State/Province Country Zip/Postal Code The given name of the selected person. The surname of the selected person. The organization to which the selected individual belongs. The address details of the organization of the selected person. The city where the organization is located. The state or province where the organization is located. The country where the organization is located. The zip code or postal code of the location of the organization. Bid Section In the Bid section, you can associate the Bid record for which you need clarification. Use the Find action to search and select the appropriate bid from the list of Bid records that are displayed. Number Status Name The ID number of the selected Bid record. The status of the selected Bid record. The name of the selected Bid record. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

26 Question/Request Section You can type all the queries that you have related to the bid in the Question/Request section. After the record is approved by the members in the distribution list, the record is sent to the person selected in the To section. The selected person respond to the questions added in the Question/Request section. Recorded By Section The Recorded By section displays the first and last name of the user who created the record, or the name of the user who has submitted the record to the distribution group. Name The name of the person creating the Bid Clarification record. Note The details about the Form Actions, Notifications tab, Notes & Documents tab, and Reports tab have already been explained in the previous sections. Request for Proposal (RFP) A RFP is used when a Project Manager role wants to purchase products or services from an external vendor with whom a Standard Contract agreement already exists. In the RFP record, the Project Manager can add the products that are needed and the estimated cost for the purchase. The RFP record is sent to the vendor who responds with the cost estimate. For example, if the Project Manager wants to setup cubicles after an office building has been constructed they can send a RFP record to the vendor requesting the cost of the cubicles. The vendor to whom the RFP was sent responds with the total cost involved, and the Project Manager analyzes the response. If selected, a purchase order is created to obtain the products and services from the selected vendor. Creating Request for Proposal (RFP) Use the following procedure to create a RFP record. To Create a Request for Proposal (RFP) Step 1 From the menu bar, click Procurement > Proposals > Requests For Proposals. Step 2 Click Add to add a RFP record. Step 3 Specify the details regarding the RFP record. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

27 To Create a Request for Proposal (RFP) Step 4 Click the Create Draft action. General Tab The General tab gives basic details about the RFP, such as the ID number, name, status, default currency, associated contract, and vendor company details. Note The details about the General Section have already been explained in the previous sections. Details Section Conversion Group Use the list icon to select the conversion group that will be used for all the cost related fields in the record. The system displays all options defined for the Conversion Group in the Tools > Lists page. Currency Exchange Date The date and time when the currency was traded. Use the calendar icon to select the date entry. Import Std Contract Section Std Contract Lookup You can associate details of a standard contract with the RFP record that is being created. Use the search icon to search and select a Standard Contract record. In the search list a list of Standard Contract records that are retrieved from Contracts page is displayed. ID Status Name Date The number identifying the selected Standard Contract record. The status of the associated Standard Contract record. The name of the selected Standard Contract record. The date when the selected Standard Contract record was created. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

28 Vendor Company Section Vendor Company Lookup You can associate the details of the contact person in the vendor company to whom the RFP record is sent. Use the search icon to search and select a vendor to whom you want to send the RFP record. In the search list, the system displays a list of External Contact records as defined in the People page. Note If a Standard Contract record is already associated in the Import Std Contract section, the fields of the Vendor Company section are auto-populated. First Name Last Name Organization Work Phone Work Fax Address Zip/Postal City State/Province Country The given name of the contact person in the vendor company. The surname of the contact person in the vendor company. The name of the vendor company. The work telephone number of the vendor company. The work facsimile number of the vendor company. The address of the vendor company. The address details of the vendor company. The zip code of where the selected vendor company is located. The city where the selected vendor company is located. The state or province where the selected vendor company is located. The country where the selected vendor company is located. Bill To Section The Bill To section contains information about the organization sending the RFP record. Bill To Lookup Use the search icon to select the contact person in the organization. In the search list, a list of Employee records as defined in the People page is displayed. First Name The given name of the contact person in the organization. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

29 Bill To Section Last Name Organization Work Phone Work Fax Address Zip/Postal City State/Province Country The surname of the contact person in the organization. The name of the organization to which the contact person belongs. The work telephone number of the organization. The work facsimile number of the organization. The address of the organization. The address details of the organization. The zip code of where the organization is located. The city where the organization is located. The state where the organization is located. The country where the organization is located. Cost Form Section The Cost Form section contains the details of the products required and cost estimate for the same. These details are displayed as line items. To add a line item, click the Add action in the section bar, specify the details such as the name, estimated amount, and click the Create action. A line item is added to the Cost Form section. If you click the Linked Record icon hyperlinked text, you can view all the record details in a new window. or the Click the Import Line Item action to add existing RFP Line Item records to this section. Cost line items use the same currency that is specified for the RFP. To delete a line item from this section, select the check box beside the line item and click the Remove action in the Cost Form section bar. Response Tab The vendor response details are displayed as line items in the Response tab. The Project Manager can analyze the response by clicking the hyperlinked line item. If they need to purchase products or Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

30 services from the vendor, the Project Manager can create a purchase order and associate the corresponding RFP record details manually. The RFP record is sent only to the vendor with whom a contract already exists. Note The RFQ Document record is sent to a list of associated vendors for their response. Also, the Project Manager can award the RFQ to a particular vendor from the list of responses and a purchase order is created automatically by the application. To award the RFQ to a vendor, select the vendor you want and click the Award action. RFP Response Section The RFP Response section contains the response sent by the vendor with whom a contract already exists. You can click the hyperlinked text of the line item to view the record. The fields that are displayed provide information about the ID number of the vendor, name of the vendor organization, and total amount quoted by the vendor. Note The details about the Notifications tab, Notes & Documents tab, and Reports tab have already been explained in the previous sections. RFP Response from Vendor The RFP record, which contains the list of products or services required, is sent to the contact person in the selected vendor company for their response. The RFP record that is sent appears as an action item in the Home portal of the vendor. When you click the hyperlinked action item, the RFP Response record appears and the contact person in the vendor company can provide the cost estimate. General Tab General Section The General section gives generic details about the RFP record for which the responses have been sent. The information that is displayed includes the ID number, name, date, and, current status of the RFP record. You can also view a brief description about the RFP in the Description field. All fields in this section are read-only and cannot be modified by the vendor. Details Section Conversion Group Use the list icon to select the conversion group that will be used for all the cost related fields in the record. All options defined for the Conversion Group in the Tools > Lists page are displayed. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

31 Details Section Currency Exchange Date The date and time when the currency was traded. Use the calendar icon to select the date entry. Units Section Currency RFP responses are in the currency that is specified for the RFP. Contact Section The Contact section displays the details of the contact person in the organization, which has prepared the RFP record. All fields in this section are read-only and cannot be modified by the vendor. Contact Lookup First Name Last Name Organization The name of the contact person in the organization. The given name of the contact person. The surname of the contact person. The organization to which the contact person belongs. Vendor Section The Vendor section displays the details about the contact person in the vendor company to whom the RFP record is sent. The information that is displayed includes the name of the person, their role in the vendor company, organization to which they belong, and other details such as the work phone number and address. Cost Form Tab The RFP Response line items are created from an RFP record. The contact person in the vendor company, to whom the RFP record is sent, can access the Cost Form tab, view the products or services specified by the organization, and enter the cost for which they can offer those products or services. Cost Form Section The products and services that are required are added as line item to the Cost For section by the Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,

32 Cost Form Section organization. The contact person in the vendor company can specify the amount at which they can provide the product or service. To add a cost, click the Add action in the Cost Form tab action bar, specify the response amount in the Response Total field, and click the Create action in the action bar. A new line item is added to the Cost Form section. If you click the Linked Record icon or the hyperlinked text, you can view all record details in a new window. Costs are in the currency that is specified for the RFP. Note The amount entered in the Response Total field in the RFP Response Line Item record is auto-populated in the Proposed Amount field in the RFP Line Item record of the associated RFP record that was sent by the organization. Note All the other tabs of the RFP Response record such as the Special Instructions tab, Notes & Documents tab, and Reports tab are read only and cannot be modified by the vendors. Form Actions Action Name Issue Description Click the Issue action to send the RFP Response record to the organization, which has prepared the RFP. When you click the Issue action, the RFP Response record is sent to the organization, which has prepared the RFP record. The RFP Response record that is sent will be added as a line item in the Response tab of the RFP record. The Project Manager role can analyze the response sent by the contact person by clicking the hyperlinked text of the line item. Request for Quote (RFQ) Document An RFQ Document is used by the Project Manager to purchase products or services from any external vendor. In the purchase cycle using RFQ, the bid is used to select a vendor to subcontract a project whereas the RFQ is used to select a vendor for purchasing products that might be required for the project once it has already been subcontracted. The first step in the purchase cycle is to create an RFQ Document record. The Project Manager can create an RFQ Document stating the materials that they need to purchase and also their estimated budget. When the RFQ is awarded to a vendor, the Purchase Order is created. The RFQ Document contains the data required by the vendors in order to make a response. Copyright IBM Corporation 2011,