Alberta Alberta Purchasing Purchasing Connection Connection (APC) (APC) Purchaser Vendor Manual Manual Monday, Monday, June June 11, 11, 2012 2012 Version 20121.2 Government of Alberta - Version 2.10.3
Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) The Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) replaces MERX as the official electronic tendering system for Alberta's public sector. APC provides a single point of access for purchasers to advertise purchasing opportunities and for vendors to browse and download purchasing opportunities free of charge. The Alberta public sector includes: Government of Alberta (GOA) - ministries, departments, agencies, boards, councils, committees, commissions, commercial enterprises and crown corporations. MASH Sector - municipalities, municipal organizations, school boards and publicly-funded academic, health and social service entities. APC meets Alberta's obligations for "Transparency and Fair Acquisition Processes and Procedures for Procurement" as set out in the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) between the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments. For more information, refer to The Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) section of this manual.
Contents I Table of Contents Part I Introduction 2 1 About this... User Manual 2 2 What is... APC? 2 3 Key APC... Features for Vendors 3 4 Doing Business... with Alberta Infrastructure 3 5 Doing Business... with Alberta Transportation 3 6 APC & Construction... Opportunities 4 7 Other Canadian... Procurement Sites 4 Part II Accessing APC 7 1 System... Requirements 7 2 Accessing... the Vendor Opportunity Centre 7 Part III APC Vendor Opportunity Centre 9 1 Basic Navigation... 9 2 Using... the APC Vendor Home Page 10 3 Using... the Help System 11 Part IV Your APC Profile 14 1 Creating... Your Profile 14 2 Modifying... Your Profile 15 3 Editing... Your Password 15 4 Logging... in to APC 16 Part V Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 18 1 Finding... an Opportunity 18 Brow se Opportunities... 18 Search Opportunities... 19 Performing... a Search 21 Lim ited Opportunity... List 22 2 Viewing... an Opportunity Notice 22 3 Downloading... a Goods or Services Opportunity 23 4 Downloading... a Construction Opportunity 25 Expressing Interest... in a Construction Opportunity 26 5 Updating... Interest 27 Updating Contact... Inform ation 27 Rem oving Your... Interest 29 6 Viewing... Interested Vendors List 31 I
II Alberta Purchasing Connection 7 Viewing... Closed/Awarded Opportunities 32 8 Viewing... Your APC History 34 Part VI The Vendor Directory 37 1 Accessing... the Vendor Directory 37 2 Section... 1: Creating a Profile 38 3 Section... 2: Vendor Information 40 4 Section... 3: Vendor Attributes 41 5 Changing... a Company Name 42 6 Creating... a Branch 42 Part VII Premium Membership 45 1 Purchase... Premium Membership 45 Renew Prem ium... Mem bership 48 2 Logging... in to Premium Membership 48 Set Start Tab... 49 3 Manage... Robots 50 Add a Robot... 50 Edit a Robot... 56 Delete a Robot... 58 4 Review... Your Opportunities 59 Advanced Search... 60 5 Reports... 60 Posted vs Aw... arded 60 Bid Am ount Per... Opportunity 62 Review vs Bid... by Organization 64 Part VIII APC Vendor Glossary Index 67 75
Part I Introduction
2 Alberta Purchasing Connection 1 Introduction 1.1 About this User Manual This User Manual introduces you to APC Vendor services and shows you how to complete frequently performed Vendor functions, such as viewing an opportunity and downloading a bid package. This guide contains several sections, as outlined below. 1. Introduction: overview of this manual, the APC system, and doing business with Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Transportation. 2. Accessing APC: all you need to know about system requirements, accessing APC via the Internet, logging in to APC, and creating a vendor profile. 3. APC Vendor Opportunity Centre: overview of how to navigate through the Vendor Opportunity Centre, use the Vendor home page, and access the Help system. 4. Your APC Profile: describes the steps involved in creating and modifying your APC profile, editing your password, and logging in to APC. 5. Viewing and Downloading Opportunities: explains how to perform Vendor functions such as locating, viewing and downloading opportunities. 6. The Vendor Directory: explains how to access the Vendor Directory, create a Vendor Directory profile, change a company name and create a branch. 7. Glossary: terms used throughout the. 1.2 What is APC? The Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) is the official electronic tendering system for Alberta's public sector. APC provides a single point of access for purchasers to advertise purchasing opportunities and for vendors to browse and download purchasing opportunities free of charge. The Alberta public sector includes: Government of Alberta (GOA) - ministries, departments, agencies, boards, councils, committees, commissions, commercial enterprises and crown corporations. MASH Sector - municipalities, municipal organizations, school boards and publiclyfunded academic, health and social service entities. APC meets Alberta's obligations for "Transparency and Fair Acquisition Processes and Procedures for Procurement" as set out in the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) between the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments and the Alberta/B.C. Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). For more information, refer to The Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) section of this manual or The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility
Introduction 3 (TILMA) section of this manual. 1.3 Key APC Features for Vendors The Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) will allow you, as a Vendor, to: Search APC for all current tender notices with our easy-to-use interface. Download official tender document and attachments free of charge. Receive e-mail notifications of amendments to opportunities you have downloaded. Inform purchasers about your company by registering in the Vendor Directory. 1.4 Doing Business with Alberta Infrastructure Alberta Infrastructure contributes to Alberta's economic prosperity and quality of life through necessary, effective and safe infrastructure for all Albertans. We: Ensure the funding and efficient planning, design, construction, rehabilitation, operation, maintenance, and land management of government-owned and supported infrastructure. Provide infrastructure to meet the needs of Albertans including health care, learning and community service facilities, and seniors' lodges through innovative partnerships. Manage central services to all government ministries including accommodation requirements, property acquisition and disposal, air transportation, and government vehicle fleet operations. Alberta Infrastructure's policy for contracted consulting services is intended to provide greater accessibility to the department's contracts, improve transparency and fairness in the department's consultant selection practices, and help attain better value for money spent on consulting services. Companies wishing to be considered for Alberta Infrastructure business opportunities are required to identify their Areas of Specialty and Services by adding their companies to the Vendor Directory. 1.5 Doing Business with Alberta Transportation Alberta Transportation provides and supports a safe, sustainable transportation network and environmentally safe water and wastewater infrastructure through innovative and costeffective programs and partnerships. We: Manage transportation safety programs to improve driver, vehicle, carrier, road, and rail safety. Manage the provincial highway network to improve the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of provincial highway infrastructure. Develop and preserve water management infrastructure to ensure safe and effective
4 Alberta Purchasing Connection water management on behalf of Alberta Environment. Represent Alberta's interests in transportation policy to work with stakeholders and other jurisdictions to develop and promote policies in support of efficient transportation (road, air, rail, and port). Partner with Municipalities to support municipal transportation and safe water/wastewater infrastructure. Alberta Transportation's policy for contracted consulting services is intended to provide greater accessibility to the Department's contracts, improve transparency and fairness in the Department's consultant selection practices, and help attain better value for money spent on consulting services. Companies wishing to be considered for Alberta Transportation business opportunities are required to identify their Areas of Specialty and Services by adding their companies to the Vendor Directory. 1.6 APC & Construction Opportunities COOLNet Alberta hosts construction opportunities, and provides an electronic means of distributing all associated construction documentation (e.g. plans, specifications and drawings). The COOLNet Alberta system is a result of the cooperative efforts of Alberta's local construction associations, the Alberta Construction Association, the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, and the Government of Alberta. Construction opportunities will be created in APC and exported from APC to COOLNet Alberta, which will host the complete opportunity, including plans, specifications, drawings, etc. The only documentation that APC will host for construction opportunities is the Opportunity Notice and the Award List. The Opportunity Notice is a description of the type of construction project being tendered and a clear statement of where the construction documents can be obtained. The Award List provides information on the Vendor who was awarded the contract. 1.7 Other Canadian Procurement Sites This list provides links to purchasing sites maintained by governments in Canada. This information is provided solely as a service to Alberta businesses interested in viewing opportunities available across Canada. The Alberta Purchasing Connection is not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. For more information on specific opportunities, please contact the originating government. Links to purchasing sites for other provinces, territories and the federal government: British Columbia www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca Canada www.merx.com Manitoba
Introduction 5 www.merx.com New Brunswick www.gnb.ca/3000/ Newfoundland and Labrador www.gpa.gov.nl.ca Northwest Territories: www.contractregistry.nt.ca/public Nova Scotia www.gov.ns.ca/tenders/ Nunavut: currently not implemented Ontario www.merx.com Prince Edward Island www.gov.pe.ca/tenders/ Quebec www.seao.ca Saskatchewan www.sasktenders.gov.sk.ca Yukon: www.gov.yk.ca/tenders
Part II Accessing APC
Accessing APC 2 7 Accessing APC This section outlines the necessary system requirements, and explains how to access the APC Vendor Opportunity Centre. 2.1 System Requirements In order to access APC, it is recommended that you have a direct internet connection; the use of dial-up internet access is not recommended. Ensure that you are able to connect to the APC website at http://www.purchasingconnection.ca through the Internet and that you have an Internet browser installed. The manufacturer of your computer's operating system lists minimum hardware requirements for the operating system to run correctly. You should read and follow these guidelines to ensure your access to APC performs properly. We recommend that you update your browser to the latest version supported by your operating system so that you can take advantage of new browser features. The following versions are the minimum that APC will currently support: Internet Explorer 7.0 and later Does APC use "Cookies"? Yes, a small text file -- a "cookie" -- is stored on your computer by the web server. It is essentially your identification card, and cannot be executed as code nor can it deliver computer viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. The cookie is used to remember that you are logged in. If you arrive on www. purchasingconnection.ca with your cookies turned off, you will not be able to register or log in to APC. 2.2 Accessing the Vendor Opportunity Centre To access the APC website via the Internet: 1. Start Internet Explorer or your web browser of choice. 2. Enter the APC website address: http://www.purchasingconnection.ca in the Address or Location field at the top of your browser and press Enter. 3. The APC Launch Page is displayed. 4. Under "Are you a Vendor?", click Launch to connect to the Vendor Opportunity Centre. Note: Bookmark the APC Vendor Site in your browser to ensure easy access!
Part III APC Vendor Opportunity Centre
APC Vendor Opportunity Centre 3 9 APC Vendor Opportunity Centre This section explains how to navigate through APC, use the home page, and access the Help system. 3.1 Basic Navigation Navigating in APC is simple. Below is a sample of a page that shows you all the navigational icons, buttons and links that are part of the Vendor Opportunity Centre. A link is an electronic path that quickly takes you to a particular page/function within APC. Use the menu links on the left side of the page to go or return to a specific APC page. You can exit APC at any time by closing your browser (click the "X" in the upper right corner).
10 3.2 Alberta Purchasing Connection Using the APC Vendor Home Page The Vendor home page provides you with general information about APC. It is organized into four (4) zones: What is the APC? Describes what the APC system is and what it can do for you, as well as how to find opportunities and download their bid packages. Also has answers to common questions such as How Do I Find a Purchasing Opportunity for My Business? Doing Business in APC Describes how APC can help you improve the way you do business, and also explains how APC handles construction opportunities.
APC Vendor Opportunity Centre 11 AIT or TILMA Information: Describes What's New? View APC and Government the Agreement on Internal Trade and the Partners announcements as well as Vendor Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Newsletters. Agreement. 3.3 Using the Help System The Help system can be accessed from the main menu on the left under the Need Help? heading. Getting Started Select the Getting started link to review the basic features of the site including: creating a user account, viewing opportunities, and downloading opportunities. Getting started is available in both flash and text versions. Online Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) APC's online FAQs provide answers to frequently asked questions about the Vendor Opportunity Centre. To access FAQs, click the FAQ link. User Guide A version of the APC is available online. To access the User Guide,
12 Alberta Purchasing Connection click the User Guide link. There is also a PDF version of the User Manual that you can print. Contact Us Select the Contact Us link for the APC Help Desk contact information.
Part IV Your APC Profile
14 4 Alberta Purchasing Connection Your APC Profile This section explains how to: Become a registered user of APC by creating a user profile Modify your profile Edit your password Log in to APC 4.1 Creating Your Profile Although there is no cost to use APC, you must be a registered user to download opportunities. To become a registered user, you must create a user profile. Create a user profile by following these steps: 1. Access the Vendor Opportunity Centre. For more information on how to do this, refer to Accessing APC. 2. Click the New User link on the sidebar of the Vendor home page. 3. The Self Registration page appears. 4. Enter your contact information. All required fields have an "*" beside them.
Your APC Profile 15 5. If you want your profile information added to the Vendor Directory, select the check box next to the Vendor Directory Information section. 6. Click the Submit Registration button to save your changes. A page is displayed to confirm that your changes have been saved. When you have successfully registered with APC, a confirmation of your registration is sent to you in the form of an e-mail message. 7. Click Home on the sidebar to return to Vendor home page. Does APC use "Cookies"? Yes, a small text file -- a "cookie" -- is stored on your computer by the web server. It is essentially your identification card, and cannot be executed as code nor can it deliver computer viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. The cookie is used to remember that you are logged in. If you arrive on www. purchasingconnection.ca with your cookies turned off, you will not be able to register or log in to APC. 4.2 Modifying Your Profile As a registered user of APC, it is important to keep your contact information current. Modify your contact information by following these steps: 1. Access the Vendor Opportunity Centre. For more information on how to do this, refer to Accessing APC. 2. Log in to APC. For details on how to log in, refer to Logging in to APC. 3. Click the Edit Profile link on the sidebar of the Vendor home page. 4. The Edit Profile page appears. 5. Update your contact information as required. 6. Click Save Profile Changes to save your changes. A page will be displayed to confirm that your changes have been saved. 7. Click Home on the sidebar to return to Vendor home page. 4.3 Editing Your Password To change your password at any time, follow these steps: 1. Access the Vendor Opportunity Centre. For more information on how to do this, refer to Accessing APC. 2. Log in to APC. For details on how to log in, refer to Logging in to APC. 3. Click the Edit Profile link on the sidebar of the Vendor home page. 4. Scroll to the User Account Information section at the bottom, and click the Change Password link. 5. Enter your old password in the Old Password field. 6. Enter your new password in the New Password field. 7. Confirm your new password by re-entering it in the Confirm New Password field. 8. Select the Save Profile Changes button to save your changes. The Edit Profile page is displayed to confirm that your changes have been saved.
16 Alberta Purchasing Connection 9. Click Home on the sidebar to return to Vendor home page. 4.4 Logging in to APC You must be logged in to APC in order to download opportunities (i.e. the bid package for an opportunity). If you have not previously registered with APC as a user, click the New User link on the sidebar of the Vendor home page to create a new profile. For more information on how to create a profile, refer to the Create Your Profile section of this manual. If you have forgotten your user id or password, click the "Forgot" link and follow the screen prompts to request your id or password from APC. To log in: 1. From the Vendor home page, click Existing User from the sidebar. 2. Enter your User Name and Password and click Login. Note: Passwords are case sensitive; make sure you type your password using the appropriate case. Figure: Login Page Does APC use "Cookies"? Yes, a small text file -- a "cookie" -- is stored on your computer by the web server. It is essentially your identification card, and cannot be executed as code nor can it deliver computer viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. The cookie is used to remember that you are logged in. If you arrive on www. purchasingconnection.ca with your cookies turned off, you will not be able to register or log in to APC.
Part V Viewing & Downloading Opportunities
18 5 Alberta Purchasing Connection Viewing & Downloading Opportunities Learn how to perform common APC Vendor activities by following the quick and simple, stepby-step instructions provided in this section. You can review instructions for the following: Finding an opportunity Viewing an opportunity notice Downloading an opportunity Viewing a closed opportunity or award notice 5.1 Finding an Opportunity You do not need to be logged in to the APC system to locate and view opportunities. There are three (3) ways to find an opportunity: Browse Opportunities Search Opportunities Limited Opportunity List 5.1.1 Browse Opportunities To browse through a list of opportunities organized by categories, select the Browse Opportunities link under Main Menu on the Vendor home page. The Browse Opportunities page displays a list of categories that are divided into three commodity groups (i.e. Goods, Services and Construction). To the right of each category is a summary number of all opportunity notices posted in the Last 7 Days and all Open opportunity notices that match that category. The summary numbers are hyperlinked. When clicked, the Opportunities Results page will be launched and all matching opportunity notices for that category will be displayed. If you are logged into the APC system, a third category, Since Last Login, will be displayed. Clicking this hyperlink will launch the Opportunities Results page and display all the new opportunity notices that have been published since you last logged in. To limit the number of results per page and make viewing easier, select a number (e.g. 10, 25, 50) from the list at the top of the page. Note: Because opportunities may reflect multiple GSIN categories, summing the numbers to the right of the GSIN listings under a category may result in a total greater than the summary number indicated for that category. Matching opportunity notices for each category are listed in order of Closing Date.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 19 Figure: Brow se Opportunities Page 5.1.2 Search Opportunities Another way to locate an opportunity is to search for it. The APC system has extensive search capabilities. The search engine is mainly based on keyword(s). You enter a keyword and then a list of the items containing that word is presented in the Results list. It is also possible to search for an opportunity based on its status, associated commodity, posting date, or closing date. These can be combined with the keyword search. Figure: Search Opportunities Page The following table outlines the search attributes that can be used when searching for an opportunity on the Vendor Site. Attribute Field Options Fields Being Searched
20 Alberta Purchasing Connection Keyword(s) Enter a word. A partial keyword search must contain the partial keyword followed by * (e.g. Terms*). Agreement Type AIT Exception Reason Category City Contact Title Created By First Name Last Name Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Display Name E-mail Fax Phone Postal Code Mobile Opportunity Type Organization Name Province Reference Number Region Of Delivery Region Of Opportunity Short Description Solicitation Number Solicitation Type Submission Address Title Vendors In Region Long Description Response Specifics GSIN List Category Reference ID Enter a Reference ID (partial or full). A partial number for this field does not need to contain a * (e.g. AB-2010-123). To search for an exact number, surround the Solicitation Number with quotes ("). (i.e. "AB-201012345"). Solicitation Number Enter a Solicitation Number (partial or full). A partial number for this field does not need to contain a * (e.g. 2011-1). To search for an exact number, surround the Solicitation
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 21 Number with quotes ("). (i.e. "2011-1"). Status Posting Date Closing Date Jurisdiction Example of a keyword search: To search on partial reference number, enter "2004-003*" into the Keyword(s) field. It is also possible to search by full reference number "2004-00398". To search on opportunity title, enter a title in the Keyword(s) field. To search on a partial opportunity title, enter "Road*". If you enter "R*", the list of results will be quite extensive. It is more helpful to narrow your search. Multiple Attributes In APC, it is possible to perform a search using multiple attributes. This type of search can be performed using any of the following three methods: - AND (which returns a list of items that contain both attributes; e.g. 2004-003* AND transform*) - OR (which returns a list of items that contain either one attribute or the other, but not both; e.g. 2004-003* OR transform*) - NOT (which returns a list of items that contain the first attribute but not the second; e.g. 2004-003* NOT transform*) 5.1.2.1 Performing a Search To search for an opportunity: 1. Select the Search Opportunities link under Main Menu on the Vendor home page.
22 Alberta Purchasing Connection 2. Choose one or more search attributes. For more information about search attributes, refer to Search Opportunities. 3. Click the Search button. 4. The Results list will be displayed with opportunities that matched your search attributes. The total number of results appears at the top of the list. 5. Use the Next and Previous links to move through the search results. Or, use the page number links to navigate through the results. 5.1.3 Limited Opportunity List When posting opportunities, Purchasers can limit an opportunity to a list of Vendors or keep it open to all vendors. If an opportunity has been restricted to certain vendors, and you are part of the list, you will receive an e-mail with a hyperlink to that opportunity. To view the opportunity, click the hyperlink in the e-mail or log on to the APC Vendor Site and use the Search Opportunities feature. Note: In order to search for an opportunity on the Vendor Site, you must first log in to APC. If an opportunity has been restricted and you are not on the list, you will not be able to view the opportunity details. 5.2 Viewing an Opportunity Notice Once you have located an opportunity of interest to your company, click the title of the opportunity to view more details. The Opportunity Notice will be displayed in a new window, similar to the example below.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 23 Figure: Sam ple Opportunity Notice If you are interested in responding to an opportunity, it is recommended that you download the bid package to obtain additional details regarding the opportunity and specific information on how to submit a bid. As soon as you download a Goods or Services opportunity, you are considered to have expressed interest in that opportunity. This means that you have been added to the list of Interested Vendors, and you will receive e-mails regarding amendments to the opportunity. For Construction opportunities, you need to manually express interest. Note: When an opportunity reaches its closing date, it is possible to view Bid and Award Lists on the Opportunity Notice, if they have been published. Refer to Viewing Closed/ Awarded Opportunities for more details. 5.3 Downloading a Goods or Services Opportunity After reviewing an Opportunity Notice, if you choose to pursue the opportunity you can download the bid package (you must be logged in to APC in order to do this). Refer to the Logging in to APC section of this manual for more information. Once you download the bid package for a Goods or Services opportunity, you are automatically added to the Interested Vendors list and you are considered to have expressed interest in the opportunity. You will then receive e-mails regarding amendments to the opportunity details. Note: The Interested Vendors list can be viewed on the APC Vendor site by any Vendor. To download the bid package for a Goods or Services opportunity:
24 Alberta Purchasing Connection 1. Log in to the APC Vendor Site. 2. Search or browse to locate the opportunity you are interested in. Double-click on the opportunity name to view the Opportunity Notice. 3. Click View Bid Package. The Opportunity Notice is updated to include the list of documents in the Bid Package. Figure: Opportunity Notice w ith Bid Package 4. Click on the name of a document to begin downloading that file. You can choose to OPEN the document or SAVE it to your computer. Repeat this step for each document you wish to download. A check mark will appear beside each document that is downloaded. 5. By downloading any of the documents in the bid package, you have expressed interest in the opportunity. 6. Now, you will automatically receive e-mail notifications of amendments made to this opportunity. The e-mail will contain a link to the opportunity on the Vendor site. Note: An opportunity can be amended at any time.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 5.4 25 Downloading a Construction Opportunity The process of downloading a Construction opportunity is somewhat different than the process for downloading a Goods or Services opportunity. For a Goods or Services opportunity, you can download all of the components of the bid package from APC. With a Construction opportunity, the only document you can download from APC is the Opportunity Notice. The associated documents (i.e., the remainder of the bid package) can only be obtained from CoolNet Alberta or CoolNet Edmonton. In addition, you need to manually express interest in a Construction opportunity; it is NOT automatically done when you download the bid package as it is with a Goods or Services opportunity. To download the bid package for a Construction opportunity: 1. Log in to the APC Vendor Site. 2. Search or browse to locate the opportunity you are interested in. Double-click on the opportunity name to view the Opportunity Notice. To download the Opportunity Notice, click on the APC link. You can either OPEN it or SAVE it to your computer. 3. To download documents associated with the opportunity, click one of the location links on the right side of the page (e.g., CoolNet Alberta OR CoolNet Edmonton). Follow the directions provided on the selected site. Figure: Construction Opportunity Notice 4. After you have downloaded and reviewed the bid package, you may want to express interest in the opportunity (i.e., submit a bid). Refer to the section entitled Expressing Interest in a Construction Opportunity for more information. Note: As mentioned earlier,
26 Alberta Purchasing Connection your interest in a Goods or Services opportunity is automatically expressed when you download the bid package; for a Construction opportunity, this process is done manually. 5.4.1 Expressing Interest in a Construction Opportunity The procedure for expressing interest in a Construction opportunity is different than the procedure for expressing interest in a Goods or Services opportunity. With a Goods or Services opportunity, you express interest by downloading the bid package. For a Construction opportunity, you need to manually express interest (whether or not you download the bid package) and at the same time define the Contractor Type that best describes you. To express interest in a Construction opportunity: 1. Log in to the APC Vendor Site. 2. Search or browse to locate the opportunity you are interested in. Double-click on the opportunity name to view the Opportunity Notice. 3. Click the Express Interest button. Figure: Opportunity Notice for a Construction Opportunity 4. The Opportunity Notice now displays the Interested Vendor Contact Information. Update or add your contact information, including your name, phone number, fax number, and email address. If you want your e-mail address to be publicly posted on the Interested Vendors list, select the Publicly Available checkbox. Your e-mail address will be publicly posted for this opportunity only. You also need to select the Contractor Type that best describes you from the drop-down list box at the bottom of the page.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 27 Figure: Interested Vendor Contact Inform ation for a Construction Opportunity 5. Click the Express Interest button to save the information. Note: Once you have initially expressed interest in an opportunity, you can update any of the information on this page by selecting the Update Interest button (which is only visible once you have initially expressed interest in the opportunity). 6. Each time this opportunity is amended, you will receive an e-mail outlining the changes that were made. The e-mail message may or may not be sent from APC. 5.5 Updating Interest At some point, you may want to update your contact information or remove yourself from the Interested Vendors list for an opportunity (i.e., withdraw your bid). If you remove your name from the list, you will no longer receive e-mail notifications regarding changes to that opportunity. To resubmit a bid for the opportunity, you would need to download the entire bid package again. This section explains how to change your contact information and/or remove your bid (i.e., interest in the opportunity). 5.5.1 Updating Contact Information To update your information on the Vendor Contact page: 1. Log in to the APC Vendor Site. 2. Search or browse to locate the opportunity you want to remove your bid from. Doubleclick on the opportunity name to view the Opportunity Notice.
28 Alberta Purchasing Connection 3. Click the Update Interest button on the Notice. Figure: Update Interest in an Opportunity 4. The Opportunity Notice now displays the Interested Vendor Contact Information.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 29 Figure: Updating Vendor Contact Inform ation 5. To update your contact information: enter the changes into the appropriate fields. If you want your e-mail address to be publicly posted on the Interested Vendors list, select the Publicly Available checkbox. Your e-mail address will be publicly posted for this opportunity only. 6. To save the changes, click the Update Interest button. 5.5.2 Removing Your Interest To remove your interest in an opportunity: 1. Log in to the APC Vendor Site. 2. Search or browse to locate the opportunity you want to remove your bid from. Double
30 Alberta Purchasing Connection click on the opportunity name to view the Opportunity Notice. 3. Click the Update Interest button on the Notice. Figure: Update Interest in an Opportunity 4. Click the Interest Removal Warning link at the bottom of the screen. Read through the document.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 31 Figure: Updating Vendor Contact Inform ation 5. Select the check box next to Interest Removal Warning. 6. Click the Remove Interest button. Your profile name will automatically be removed from the list of Interested Vendors and you will no longer receive any e-mail notifications for this opportunity. Note: To reinstate your interest in this opportunity, you will need to download the entire bid package again. 5.6 Viewing Interested Vendors List To view a list of Vendors who have expressed interest in an opportunity, click the View Interested Vendors button on the Opportunity Notice. The Notice is updated to include the list of Vendors who have expressed interest in this opportunity. The Vendor information that is displayed typically includes: the company name, contact name, address, telephone number,
32 Alberta Purchasing Connection and fax number. If a Vendor chose to make his/her e-mail address publicly available, that will be listed as well. Note: You do not need to be logged in to APC to view the Interested Vendors list. Figure: Opportunity Notice w ith Interested Vendors 5.7 Viewing Closed/Awarded Opportunities Closed opportunities are Opportunity Notices that have passed their closing dates but are still accessible on the APC system. They remain accessible to allow the purchasing organization to publish a Bid List and/or Award List for the opportunity. You can check back at a later date and view the opportunity to see if a Bid List and/or Award List have been posted. You do not need to be logged in to APC in order to view Bid and Award Lists. Viewing Closed Opportunities 1. Click the Search Opportunities link on the Vendor home page. See Search Opportunities for more information. 2. Choose "Closed" from the Status drop down list.
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 33 3. Select the maximum number of results you want displayed per screen from the drop down list at the bottom. 4. Click the Search button to initiate the search and view the results. Viewing a List of Vendors who have Bid on Contracts 1. Locate or search for the Opportunity Notice that is of interest to you. See Search Opportunities for more information. 2. Click the title of the Opportunity Notice. 3. The Opportunity Notice will be displayed in a new window. 4. If a bid list is available, it will appear as a link in the right column (i.e. View Bid List) of the Notice. 5. Click on the View Bid List link to view the list of Vendors who bid on the opportunity (and their bid amounts). Figure: View Bid List Link Viewing a List of Vendors who have been Awarded Contracts
34 Alberta Purchasing Connection 1. Locate or search for the Opportunity Notice that is of interest to you. 2. Click the title of the Opportunity Notice. The Opportunity Notice will be displayed in a new window. 3. If an award list is available, it will appear as a link in the right column (i.e., View Award List) of the Notice. 4. Click on the View Award List link to view the list of Vendors who were awarded the opportunity (and their bid amounts). Figure: View Aw ard List Link 5.8 Viewing Your APC History There is a report that vendors can access whenever they want to review a history of opportunities they have downloaded from APC. This is called a Vendor History report and can be accessed from a button on the Vendor Site. You need to be logged in to the system in order to generate this report (and be able to see the Vendor History button). A sample of a Vendor History report is shown below. The download date, document name, and associated opportunity number are displayed for all documents that you downloaded in
Viewing & Downloading Opportunities 35 the past. Figure: My History Page
Part VI The Vendor Directory
The Vendor Directory 6 37 The Vendor Directory The Vendor Directory is part of the APC system and is used to maintain a current list of Vendors that the Government of Alberta and the Province's MASH Sector can access when creating a purchasing opportunity. It is important to keep your Vendor Directory profile current. Try to update your information as it changes. You will be sent an e-mail reminding you to update your information once a year. This section describes how to: access the APC Vendor Directory from the Vendor Site create a profile for your company describe the history of your company classify your company's products/services according to NAICS change your company name create a branch of your company in APC 6.1 Accessing the Vendor Directory In order to add your company to the Vendor Directory, you need to first access the directory and then enter basic information regarding your company to create a profile. More descriptive information is optional. To access the Vendor Directory: 1. From the APC Vendor home page, select the Access Directory button on the side bar. 2. The Login window will appear. Enter your user name and password and press the Login button. Note: If you are a new user to the Vendor Opportunity Centre, click the New User link on the side bar and fill out the registration page. For more information on how to do this, see the Your APC Profile section. 3. The Vendor Directory Editor will appear. Notice that Section 1 is "Required". In order to submit an entry into the Vendor Directory, you must complete Section 1.
38 6.2 Alberta Purchasing Connection Section 1: Creating a Profile To create a profile in the Vendor Directory, you must first enter basic information related to your company. Basic information includes items such as your name and the company name and address. To create a profile: 1. From the Vendor Directory Editor, select the Edit Section button next to Section 1.
The Vendor Directory 39 2. The Vendor Profile page will appear. Note: When you first register with APC, if you request to have your contact information copied to the Vendor Directory, the fields in this section will already be populated. Figure: Vendor Directory Editor 3. If the fields are not populated, enter information into the Company and Contact sections. All the fields are required except Address Line 2 and the fax number. 4. The Branch Creation Key is required in order to submit a profile to the Vendor Directory, unless you are a branch of a primary company. Note: When setting up a branch under a primary company, you need to correctly enter the Branch Creation Key in order to become part of the primary company's profile. For more information, refer to Creating a Branch. 5. Press the Save and Next button to save your information to the Vendor Directory and return to the Vendor Directory Editor. The Vendor Profile section (section 1) will now read as "Submit Pending". 6. Press the Submit Info button at the bottom of the page. The profile will be created in the Vendor Directory and the Vendor Profile section will now read as "Submitted". At this point, you can edit Sections 2 and 3, if necessary.
40 Alberta Purchasing Connection Once you have entered basic information and submitted your entry, your profile will be created in the Vendor Directory. At this point, you can also add descriptive information (Sections 2 & 3) to your profile. This information can also be added at a later date. Section 2 holds contact and historical information regarding your company. Section 3 contains attributes that relate to your company's type of business (which is important when a purchasing organization is creating an opportunity since this allows them to match your company to a related opportunity). Note: You can edit your profile at any time. 6.3 Section 2: Vendor Information To enter additional company information: 1. Once information has been entered into Section 1, the status of Section 2 becomes "Optional". Press the Edit Section button next to Section 2 on the Vendor Directory Editor to enter information into this section. The Vendor Information page will appear.
The Vendor Directory 41 2. Enter company (e.g. date established, history of firm) and contact information (e.g. name, employee type, professional qualifications) for the company. All fields are optional. Note: You can enter a maximum of five contact names. 3. Press the Save and Next button to return to the Vendor Directory Editor. The Vendor Information section (section 2) will read as "Submit Pending". 4. When you are finished entering information, press the Submit Info button to send the changes to the Vendor Directory. Once the changes have been saved to the Vendor Directory, the Vendor Information section will read as "Submitted". 6.4 Section 3: Vendor Attributes To select attributes that relate to your company: 1. Once information has been entered into Section 1, the status of Section 3 becomes "Optional". Press the Edit Section button next to Section 3 on the Vendor Directory Editor. The Vendor Attributes landing page will appear. 2. The example below shows the sub-categories for Alberta Infrastructure Services. Note: To return to the Vendor Directory Editor, select the Back to Main link. Figure: Vendor Attributes Landing Page
42 Alberta Purchasing Connection 3. Click on a sub-category to view a list of related attributes. For some categories, there are several different levels. Continue to navigate through the levels until you find the appropriate attributes. 4. Select the attributes that best describe your company's business by clicking on the check box next to an attribute. There is no limit to the number of attributes you select. 5. Press the Save and Next button to return to the Vendor Directory Editor. The Vendor Attributes section (section 3) will read as "Submit Pending". 6. When you are finished entering information, press the Submit Info button to send the changes to the Vendor Directory. Once the changes have been saved to the Vendor Directory, the Vendor Attributes section will read as "Submitted". 6.5 Changing a Company Name The first time you enter information into Section 1: Vendor Profile (in the Vendor Directory), you have the ability to change the Legal Name of your company. Once you have clicked on the Save and Next button and submitted the information for Section 1, the only way you can change the company name is to contact the APC Help Desk and request a name change. Note: A name change is only possible for primary companies; branches cannot change their names. APC Help Desk Telephone: Toll Free (in Alberta) E-mail: 6.6 (780) 644-5726 310-0000 APC.Help@gov.ab.ca Creating a Branch The Branch Creation Key allows companies to list information for the multiple branches they may have in their organization. Please enter a keyword as a 'key' for your company. Each subsequent branch must use the same key when creating a new branch. If the Branch Creation Key already exists in APC for that office, obtain the key (word) from that office. The Branch Creation Key acts like a secondary password to prevent others from creating a branch of your company. To create a branch: 1. Create a new profile for the branch company. The branch will have the same name as the primary company. For details on how to create a profile, refer to Section 1: Creating a Profile. 2. Access the Vendor Directory. For more information on how to do this, refer to Accessing the Vendor Directory. 3. Select the Edit Section button next to Section 1. The Vendor Profile page will appear.
The Vendor Directory 43 4. An error message is displayed to inform you that a company already exists with the same name. Select the check box below the Legal Name of Company field to define your company as a branch. 5. Authenticate your request by entering the Company Password and clicking Set. 6. Once the Password has been correctly entered, you can modify fields in Sections 1 and 2; the fields in Section 3 have already been filled in by the primary company and are not modifiable. Note: A new profile must be created for each new branch.
Part VII Premium Membership
Premium Membership 7 45 Premium Membership APC offers a Premium Membership that brings business opportunities directly to you. Membership provides the following value-added services: A list of opportunities that you have expressed interest in and information on recent updates to these opportunities. Expressed interest was logged in the system when you downloaded associated documents to opportunities.these opportunities can be in Open, Closed, Suspended or Awarded state. Once you receive the list, you select which documents to download. The ability to set up various criteria called a Robot, which APC will use to create a list of any new opportunities for you that you may be interested in. Each night your lists are updated and then sent to your e-mail account. A maximum of 12 robots (set of criteria) can be created. Having a Premium Membership saves you time from having to monitor opportunities and any changes to them. To purchase a membership, continue below. 7.1 Purchase Premium Membership A Premium Membership package can be purchased any time. Memberships are one year and APC will inform you in advance of your expiry date, to provide time for renewal. To purchase a Premium Membership: 1. On the Vendor home page, click the APC Premium Membership button on the left hand side. 2. Click on the Purchase 1 Year Subscription on the introduction page.
46 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Prem ium Mem bership Introduction Page 3. Enter your username and password on the APC Login screen after it appears. Click the Login button. If you are not currently set up as a user of the APC system, refer to Accessing APC in this manual for information on how to become a registered user. 4. You will be redirected to the TD Online page, where you need to enter your Addess and Payment information. Once the form is completed, click the Submit Payment button.
Premium Membership 47 Figure: Prem ium Mem bership Account Inform ation Page 5. Once the payment is processed, the user will be redirected to the APC Vendor site, and the Payment Receipt will be displayed. To receive a payment receipt copy of your membership, click on the Print Friendly button.
Alberta Purchasing Connection 48 7.1.1 Renew Premium Membership You can renew your Premium Membership in the last thirty (30) days of your subscription. At that time, a Renew button appears on the Premium Membership tab. This tab can be accessed by logging into the Vendor site and selecting the Edit Profile link. 7.2 Logging in to Premium Membership It is a simple process to log in to APC's Premium Membership feature once you have purchased the package. If you have not purchased the membership package, refer to the section entitled Purchase Premium Membership. To log in to Premium Membership: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. On the Vendor home page, click the APC Premium Membership button. The Premium Membership main page opens. Select the Sign In Here link. The APC Login screen appears. Enter your username and password. Click the Login button. The main Premium Membership page opens, with four tabs: Welcome, My Opportunities, My Robots, Reports. By default, the Welcome tab is at the forefront when you first login, although you can change your default Start tab (i.e., the one that appears each time you log in). Refer to the section entitled Set Start Tab for more information.
Premium Membership 49 Figure: Prem ium Mem bership Welcom e Tab 7. From the Welcome page, you can: review a list of opportunities that you received as a result of Robots that you set up (with specific criteria), or updates to opportunities that you have already expressed interest in (from the My Opportunities tab) set up or change the criteria for Robots in the My Robots tab (you can have a maximum of 12 Robots in APC) generate reports that relate to your opportunities (from the Reports tab) 7.2.1 Set Start Tab By default, the Welcome page is at the forefront when you first log in to APC's Premium Membership. It is possible to change the page that appears each time you log in (e.g., Welcome, My Opportunities, My Robots, Reports). To change the Start tab: 1. Log in to Premium Membership. 2. From the main Premium Membership page, click on the drop-down list box in the section called Set Your Start Tab.
50 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Set Start Tab 3. From this list, choose the tab you want to appear each time you log in. 7.3 Manage Robots In APC, a Robot is a set of criteria defined by you which is used to create a list of new opportunities that may be of interest to you. Once you have set up one or more Robots, the system will download any new opportunities that match the Robots' criteria each night. The system will also download up-to-date information regarding any opportunities you have recently shown interest in. This section explains how to add, edit and delete Robots in APC. 7.3.1 Add a Robot This section describes how to add a Robot to your Premium Membership account. APC allows you to enter a maximum of 12 Robots. To add a Robot: 1. Log in to the Premium Membership feature. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Select the My Robots tab. 3. The Robots page opens. If this is your first visit to the My Robots tab, select the New Robot button to define the criteria for your Robot. If you have already set up a Robot, this page will display your list of Robots, and allow you to add additional Robots, edit an existing Robot, or delete a Robot. Note: You can have a maximum of 12 Robots set up in APC.
Premium Membership 51 Figure: My Robots Tab Note: At any time, you can click the My Robot List link at the top of the page to return to your list of Robots. 4. Click on the Add Robot link at the top of the page. 5. The following page appears. This page is the same whether this is your first Robot or your twelfth. There are three sections in this page.
52 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Add a Robot In section 1, enter a name for the Robot and the e-mail address(es) that the opportunities should be sent to. Separate multiple e-mail addresses using semicolons. If the Robot is to begin sending opportunities to the e-mail addresses immediately, ensure that the Active checkbox has been selected.
Premium Membership 53 Figure: Section 1 In section 2, define the criteria for your Robot by selecting the appropriate Edit link. There are four types of criteria: jurisdiction, keyword, organization, and GSIN. Within each type, you can select one or more criteria. In order for an opportunity to be included in your list, it needs to match the criteria you set for that Robot. Specifically, the system searches for an opportunity that includes the keywords entered, one or all of the organizations that were selected, and one or all of the GSINs that were selected. The opportunity does NOT have to include all of the keywords entered; if keywords are separated by the word "AND", then the opportunity must include both keywords in order to be included in the list. If the keywords are separated by the word "OR", then the opportunity only needs to include one keyword or the other in order to be included in the Robot list (it could also include both). Figure: Section 2 Note: The Jurisdiction plus one more of the other 3 types of criteria are necessary in order to set up a Robot in APC. To define a Jurisdiction: a. Expand the Jurisdiction dropdown list and select a Jurisdiction. It is possible to select the 'Any Jurisdiction' option to have the robot return opportunities for any and all jurisdictions. To define keywords: a. Click the Edit Keywords link in Section 2. b. The following page appears.
54 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Select Keyw ords c. Enter a keyword into the text box. When entering multiple keywords, use "AND" or "OR" to separate the words (e.g., Calgary AND Edmonton). When the word "AND" separates two keywords, an opportunity must include both keywords in order to be included in the list. When the word "OR" separates two keywords, an opportunity can include either term and be considered part of the list. It is also helpful in some cases to enter a partial keyword (such as "constr*" when searching for opportunities with the word construction in them). When using a partial keyword, enter the keyword followed by an *. d. Press the Save button. To filter the list of opportunities by organization: a. Click the Edit Organizations link in Section 2.
Premium Membership 55 Figure: Select Organizations b. Navigate through the levels until you locate the chosen organization. Select the checkbox, or the Check All button to select all the organizations or Check None to un-select. c. Press the Save button. To filter the list of opportunities by GSINs: a. Click the Edit GSINs link in Section 2.
56 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Select GSINs b. Navigate through the levels until you locate the chosen GSIN. Select the appropriate checkbox, or use the Check All button to select all the GSINs or Check None to un-select. c. Press the Save button. 6. In section 3, press the Save button to save the criteria for this Robot. 7. The final step in setting up a Robot is to generate a sample list of opportunities using the criteria in the new Robot. This ensures that the Robot returns the types of opportunities you expect it to. To generate a sample opportunity list, click the Save and Generate List button. If the system does not return the types of opportunities you were hoping it would, go back and reset your criteria. 7.3.2 Edit a Robot Once you have set up a Robot in APC, it is possible to edit that Robot's criteria at any time. Each time you edit the criteria, it is important to generate a sample list to ensure the system is returning the results you expect it to. To edit the criteria for a Robot: 1. Log in to the Premium Membership feature. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Select the My Robots tab. 3. The Robots page opens, displaying a list of your existing Robots.
Premium Membership 57 Figure: List of Robots 4. Click on the Title of the Robot to be edited. 5. The following page appears. Notice that this page is similar to the page you see when you first set up a Robot, except that the fields are filled in. You can edit such items as: changing/adding new e-mail addresses, setting the Robot as inactive if you are going on vacation (and re-setting it as active when you return), changing the various types of criteria (e.g., keywords, organizations, GSINs). To clear ALL of the criteria previously set for a filter type, click the appropriate Clear link.
58 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Edit a Robot 6. Once you have edited the Robot: click the Save and Generate List button (Review list and if the list does not include the types of opportunities you thought it would, edit the criteria again) or click the Save button 7.3.3 Delete a Robot Since APC has a limit of 12 Robots per user, it may be necessary at some point to remove one of your Robots from the system to provide you with room to add a new one. To delete a Robot: 1. Log in to Premium Membership. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Select the My Robots tab.
Premium Membership 59 3. The Robots page opens, displaying a list of your existing Robots. 4. Click the Delete link next to the Robot you want to remove from your list. It is permanently removed from the system. 7.4 Review Your Opportunities Once your Robots have been set up, the system will send you a list of new opportunities that match your criteria each night, as well as new information for opportunities you have recently expressed interest in (to ensure you have the most current information). The list is located in the My Opportunities tab. To review your personal list of opportunities: 1. Log in to the Premium Membership feature. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Click the My Opportunities tab. 3. The Opportunities page opens, displaying your personal list of opportunities. This personal list includes those opportunities that match the criteria from your Robots AND those opportunities that you expressed interest in (currently in Open state) and have recently been updated. Note: To view the list in a printer friendly format, click the Print Friendly button. Figure: My Opportunities Tab 4. To view opportunities that you expressed interest in but are now Closed, Suspended, or Awarded, click the appropriate link at the top of the page (e.g., Closed). 5. Within the list, you can review the full details of an opportunity by clicking on the Opportunity Title.
60 7.4.1 Alberta Purchasing Connection Advanced Search You can search for a specific opportunity or type of opportunity in your list by selecting the Advanced Search button on the My Opportunities tab. This search page is similar to the general search page, with the addition of an Expressed Interest checkbox. Select this checkbox to ensure your search results only include those opportunities for which you have expressed interest. Enter the search criteria as you normally would in APC and click Search. For additional information on searching for opportunities in APC, refer to the section entitled Search Opportunities. 7.5 Reports Premium Membership offers several reports that are based on the Robots you create. Each report has its own list of parameters (e.g., date range) that need to be entered before the report can be generated. A report can display information for ONE Robot at a time. The following reports are currently available: 1. Posted vs Awarded (shows the number of opportunities that have been Posted and Awarded during a specific period of time for the GSINs set in the selected Robot) 2. Bid Amount Per Opportunity (displays all of the bid amounts that an opportunity has received, based on the GSINs that were set in the selected Robot) 3. Review vs Bid by Organization (graphs the number of opportunities that were reviewed by your organization compared with the number of opportunities your organization has bid on) Figure: Reports Tab This section of the manual describes how to enter the criteria for and generate each of the Premium Membership reports. Each of the reports has a unique criteria screen, with some of the fields being the same across screens. 7.5.1 Posted vs Awarded This report displays the number of opportunities that have been Posted and Awarded during a specific period of time. It is based only on GSINs.
Premium Membership 61 To create a report of this type: 1. Log in to the Premium Membership feature. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Select the Reports tab. 3. The Data Reporter page opens. This page lists the reports available in Premium Membership. 4. Select the Posted vs Awarded link. 5. The following criteria window appears. Figure: Criteria Screen for Posted vs Aw arded Report 6. Enter the criteria that applies to the data you wish to view on the generated report. Group By drop-down list box (you can group your report either by month or year) My Robots (from your list of Robots, you can choose the Robot to base the report on) Chart Type (select the method of displaying the data - either bar graph or line graph) Date Range (you can select a date range from a list of several different date ranges) user period = set the start date and the end date present period = you can choose to create a report using data from this month, last month, last three months, or last six months month = select the month to base the report on month range = set a range using the month list boxes year = select the year in which to base the report 7. Once you have the criteria set, click the Generate Report button. 8. The report will appear in the Reports tab where you are currently working. The example below is a line graph.
62 Alberta Purchasing Connection Figure: Posted vs Aw arded Report 9. If you wish to change some of the report parameters, change them in the criteria section and then click the Generate Report button OR the Update Report button to regenerate the report. To return to the report list and create a new report, click the Select Different Report button. Note: It is possible to download the data in your generated report to a.csv file. To do this, click on the Download Data as CSV button. Enter a name for the new.csv file and select the location for the file. Click OK. The new file is placed into the selected location. 7.5.2 Bid Amount Per Opportunity This report displays all of the bid amounts that an opportunity has received from various organizations. The report parameters for this report are quite limited; you can select the opportunity that you want to base the report on as well as the type of graph for the report (i.e., bar or line). To create a report of this type: 1. Log in to the Premium Membership feature. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Select the Reports tab. 3. The Data Reporter page opens. This page lists the reports available in Premium Membership. 4. Select the Bid Amount Per Opportunity link. 5. The following criteria window appears.
Premium Membership 63 Figure: Criteria Screen for Bid Am ount Per Opportunity Report 6. Enter the criteria that applies to the data you wish to view on the generated report. Bid On Opportunities drop-down list box (select the opportunity you wish to base the report on) Chart Type (select the method of displaying the data - either bar graph or line graph) 7. Once you have the criteria set, click the Generate Report button. 8. The report will appear in the Reports tab where you are currently working. The example below is a bar graph. 9. If you wish to change some of the report parameters, change them in the criteria section and then click the Generate Report button OR the Update Report button to regenerate the report. To return to the report list and create a new report, click the Select Different Report button. Note: It is possible to download the data in your generated report to a.csv file. To do this, click on the Download Data as CSV button. Enter a name for the new.csv file and select the location for the file. Click OK. The new file is placed into the selected location.
64 7.5.3 Alberta Purchasing Connection Review vs Bid by Organization This report compares the number of opportunities that: have been downloaded by your organization your organization has expressed interest in your organization has submitted a bid for have been awarded to your organization Note: When you as a Vendor create your user profile in APC, you are requested to enter a branch key (i.e., a group that classifies you within the parent organization). This branch key is then used to obtain data for this report. If you didn't enter a branch key, then this report will only display data for the parent organization. If you entered a branch key, then this report will display the type of information that relates to your branch/group. In addition, this report can display bidding details for any individual that is listed in your Vendor Profile. To create a report of this type: 1. Log in to the Premium Membership feature. For information on how to log in to Premium Membership, refer to the section Logging in to Premium Membership. 2. Select the Reports tab. 3. The Data Reporter page opens. This page lists the reports available in Premium Membership. 4. Select the Review vs Bid by Organization link. 5. The following criteria window appears. Figure: Criteria Screen for Review vs Bid by Organization Report 6. Enter the criteria that applies to the data you wish to view on the generated report. Group By drop-down list box (you can group your report either by month or year) Chart Type (select the method of displaying the data - either bar graph or line graph) Vendor Profile (select the vendor you wish to base the report on) Date Range (you can select a date range from a list of several different date ranges)
Premium Membership 65 user period = set the start date and the end date present period = you can choose to create a report using data from this month, last month, last three months, or last six months month = select the month to base the report on month range = set a range using the month list boxes year = select the year in which to base the report 7. Once you have the criteria set, click the Generate Report button. 8. The report will appear in the Reports tab where you are currently working. The example below is a bar graph. Figure: Review vs Subm itted by OU Report 9. If you wish to change some of the report parameters, change them in the criteria section and then click the Generate Report button OR the Update Report button to regenerate the report. To return to the report list and create a new report, click the Select Different Report button. Note: It is possible to download the data in your generated report to a.csv file. To do this, click on the Download Data as CSV button. Enter a name for the new.csv file and select the location for the file. Click OK. The new file is placed into the selected location.
Part VIII APC Vendor Glossary
APC Vendor Glossary 8 67 APC Vendor Glossary The following terminology is used throughout the APC. Addendum A document that is added to an opportunity after that opportunity has been posted. An addendum is listed under Amendments on the Opportunity Notice. See Amendment. Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) The domestic trade agreement signed by the federal and provincial governments, as well as the Northwest Territories and Yukon governments, to reduce and eliminate (to the extent possible) barriers to the free movement of persons, goods, services, and investment within Canada and to establish an open, efficient, and stable domestic market. The Department deals specifically with the procurement provisions of Chapter 5 and the Annex 502.4 of the Agreement on Internal Trade. Agreement Type A field on an Opportunity Notice that indicates the agreement under which an opportunity falls. All Alberta opportunities are subject to the Agreement on Internal Trade if they are above specific limits. See Opportunity Type. Alberta Time Means Mountain Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time as provided for in the Daylight Saving Time Act of Alberta. Alberta Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) The domestic trade agreement signed by Alberta and British Columbia, to reduce and eliminate (to the extent possible) barriers to the free movement of persons, goods, services, and investment within Canada and to establish an open, efficient, and stable domestic market. Amendment An amendment is a change to an opportunity after it has been posted to the Vendor Opportunity Centre. This can be a change to the details of an opportunity (e.g., closing date) or a new document that has been added as an addendum. See Addendum. APC Alberta Purchasing Connection. APC is the Province of Alberta's official system for posting and distributing purchasing opportunities from the Alberta public sector (i.e. GOA and the MASH Sector). Attachments Attachments are documents (mostly electronic) that are attached to an Opportunity Notice to provide supporting information. These attachments are referred to as a Bid Package. Other types of attachments may be available elsewhere, as indicated in the Opportunity Notice. See Bid Package. Award List A list of the Vendors who are awarded an opportunity. This is part of the Opportunity
68 Alberta Purchasing Connection Notice and includes the name, comments, and bid amount for each Vendor who is awarded the opportunity. Bid List A list of the Vendors who bid on an opportunity and their associated bids. After an opportunity has closed, this may become part of the Opportunity Notice. The Bid List includes the name, comments and bid amount for each Vendor who bid on the opportunity. It is optional for the purchasing organization to publish a Bid List.
APC Vendor Glossary 69 Bid Package This package contains any documentation associated with an opportunity. The Bid Package may include items such as: official documentation, drawings, plans specifications, addenda, contractual documents, etc. As a Vendor, you are required to download this package in order to respond to an opportunity. Browse The process of locating and viewing opportunities in the APC Vendor Opportunity Centre. You do not need to be logged in to the APC system to browse and view Opportunity Notices. See Download, Search. Browser A browser such as Internet Explorer is required to use the APC system. Category The category indicates whether an opportunity is concerned with Goods, Services or Construction, and is displayed on the Opportunity Notice. The purchasing organization selects which category best represents the opportunity. Closing Date The date by which all bid submissions must be received. This appears on the Opportunity Notice. See Closing Time. Closing Time The time by which all bid submissions must be received. This appears on the Opportunity Notice. See Closing Date. Commodity A good or service that can be associated with an opportunity. The APC system uses GSIN codes as a way of organizing commodities. See Commodity Code, GSIN Code. Commodity Code A way of organizing commodities. At least one commodity must be attached to an opportunity in the APC system. See Commodity, GSIN Code. Construction One of the three categories that an opportunity can be classified as in the APC system. See Category, Goods, Services. COOLNet Alberta The Construction Opportunity Online Network that maintains an electronic distribution network among Canadian Construction Association (CCA) members for disseminating construction procurement opportunity information in Canada. Download As a Vendor, by downloading documents associated with an opportunity (i.e. the bid package), you are showing interest in that opportunity. You must be logged in to the APC system to download, although you can view Opportunity Notices without being
70 Alberta Purchasing Connection logged in. See Bid Package, Browse, Interested Vendors, Search.
APC Vendor Glossary 71 Goods One of the three categories that an opportunity can be classified as in the APC system. See Category, Construction, Services. GSIN Code A standard group of codes that refer to various goods and services and are attached to an opportunity created in the APC system. These codes are set by the federal government. See Commodity Code. Help System There are several Help screens in APC that contain hyperlinks for a user to select and connect to a helpful explanation regarding the current topic. Home Page The base page for the Vendor Opportunity Centre. Hyperlink A word or series of words that connects you to a new page when selected. Interested Vendors Vendors who have downloaded at least one document attached to an opportunity. You can view a list of the Interested Vendors on the Opportunity Notice. See Download. Launch Page The first page you see when you enter the Alberta Purchasing Connection website. This page allows you to access either the Purchaser Site or the Vendor Site. Link See Hyperlink. MASH Sector (MASH) In general, this term can refer to any of the following: Alberta's municipalities, municipal organizations, publicly-funded academic institutions, school boards, and health services (including regional health authorities and hospitals). NAICS North American Industry Classification System. NAICS is a unique system for classifying business establishments. Opportunity A requirement for goods or services published via the Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) for Vendors to peruse. See Opportunity Notice. Opportunity Notice This notice is published on the APC Vendor Site and includes information related to an opportunity and any associated documentation.
72 Alberta Purchasing Connection Opportunity Status The status of an Opportunity Notice. The various statuses include: Open, Suspended, Closed or Awarded. An open status indicates that the opportunity is currently open for viewing and Vendors may respond to it. A suspended status indicates that the opportunity is temporarily unavailable but it will be re-posted to the Vendor Opportunity Centre once it is finished being amended. A closed status indicates that the opportunity is no longer open and Vendors may no longer respond to it. A status of awarded indicates that the opportunity has been awarded. If the Award Notice has been published, then Vendors can view it on the Opportunity Notice (it appears as a link). Opportunity Type The solicitation method selected by the purchasing organization who created the opportunity. This field describes opportunity restrictions (if any) and is used in conjunction with the Agreement Type. It appears on the Opportunity Notice. See Agreement Type. Organization A field on the Opportunity Notice. This is the organization that created and posted the opportunity. Over-Threshold Refers to opportunities that represent a value above the threshold dollar amount for Goods or Services, as described by the AIT or TILMA. See Under-Threshold, Agreement Type. Posting Date The date that an opportunity was posted to the Vendor Opportunity Centre for Vendors to view. Since an opportunity can be posted more than once, this date may not be the original posting date. Reference Number An identification number for an opportunity that is generated by the APC system. Appears on the Opportunity Notice. Region of Delivery The region where the Goods and/or Services are to be delivered. Appears on the Opportunity Notice. Region of Opportunity The region where the opportunity is available (e.g. Alberta, or Canada-wide). Appears on the Opportunity Notice. Revised Date This date appears on the Opportunity Notice. It is the last date that the opportunity was amended (including the addition of new documents). Appears on the Opportunity Notice. Search
APC Vendor Glossary 73 In the APC system, you can search for opportunities using a variety of attributes (e.g. keyword, status, commodity, posting date, closing date). You do not need to be logged in to the APC system to search and view opportunities. See Browse, Download.
74 Alberta Purchasing Connection Services One of the three categories an opportunity can be classified as in the APC system. See Category, Construction, Goods. Solicitation Number An internal procurement code that a purchasing organization assigns to an opportunity. It can consist of only numbers, only letters, or a combination of both. This code cannot exceed 20 characters, and may include slashes (/) and dashes (-). Title This field on the Opportunity Notice contains the title of the Notice, as defined by the purchasing organization who created the opportunity. Under-Threshold Refers to opportunities that represent a value below the threshold dollar amount for Goods or Services, as described by the AIT or TILMA. See Over-Threshold, Agreement Type. Vendor Directory The directory that holds Vendor contact and business information in the APC system. This is useful information for purchasing organizations to access when they are creating new opportunities. You can add your company to the Directory by creating a profile. See Vendor Profile. Vendor Opportunity Centre Also known as the Vendor home page, this is where Vendors can view, download, and respond to opportunities. See Home Page. Vendor Profile A record in the Vendor Directory that contains contact information for a Vendor. See Vendor Directory. Zone An area of interest on the Vendor home page.
Index Index -SSystem Requirements APC 7 -AAccessing APC 7 Vendor Site 7 APC Accessing 7 Accessing Vendor Site 7 and Alberta Infrastructure 3 and Alberta Transportation 3 Downloading Opportunities 18 Key Vendor Features 3 Logging In 16 Overview 2 System Requirements 7 User Profile 14 Vendor Opportunity Centre 9 Viewing Opportunities 18 -DDownload Opportunity Notice 75 23 -OOpportunities Browse 18 Downloading 16, 18, 23 Finding 18 Limited Vendor List 22 Search 19 Viewing 18, 22 Viewing Awarded 32 Viewing Closed 32 Opportunity Notice Downloading 23 View 32 Viewing 22 -UUser Profile 14 Creating 14 Editing Password Modifying 15 15 -VVendor Limited List 22 Vendor Directory Accessing 37 Adding Vendor History 40 Assigning Vendor Attributes 41 Changing Company Name 42 Creating Branch 42 Creating Profile 38 Using 37 Vendor List Limited 22 Vendor Opportunity Centre 9 Home Page 10 Navigation 9 Using Help 11 View Opportunity Notice 22