Invitation to Bid

One of the first things to do starting a project is issue invitations to bid. This function is a way of determining which suppliers or subcontractors are interested in pursuing a chance to work on the project. The invitation is generic, informing selected parties of the project and giving them the opportunity to express their interest. This stage of the project can be done without the job having to be completely set up. All you need is a project code and your project contacts.

• Invitation to Bid
  • Creating the Invitation
    • Adding Bidders to the Invitation
  • Filtering With CSI Codes
    • Standby Bidders
  • Broadcasting to Pre-qualification Applicants
  • Updating Bidders
    • Deleting Multiple Bidders
  • Broadcasting Invitation to Bid via Email
  • ITB Broadcast History
  • Bidder Response Log

Creating the Invitation

Depending on the information entered when creating the project, much of the information required for the Invitation to Bid screen will be automatically created.

Standard Treeview path: CMiC Field > Bid Management > Invitation To Bid

All fields on this screen default from the Project Setup screen, but can be changed here.

For example, the description you entered on the project screen may have been your own corporate information on the project, but for issuing a bid, you want the actual project synopsis.

Adding Bidders to the Invitation

Once the project information is correct, you can add your bidders to the invitation. To do this, click on the Plus icon () in the right bottom corner of the screen. An entry line then appears.

In the Partner field click the search icon to gain access to the list of values. This will bring up a window where you can select multiple bidders at a time. Additional selection options by market sector or other partner classifications are available through the [Filter] button, as shown in the screenshot below.

Standard Treeview path: CMiC Field > Bid Management > Invitation To Bid – Adding Bidders to the Invitation

You can review partners’ previous subcontract information, such as internal rating entered at the time of subcontract entry, high contract amounts, and number of contracts.

Additional bidder selection options activated by [Filter] button

The [Filter] button allows additional bidder selection options. For example, users can filter by location (including zip code and radius), classifiers, prequalification parameters, CSI codes, or market sectors.

NOTE: The Radius (miles) is a search/filter field that is used with the Zip Code field. The partners are filtered within the given radius, against the zip code. If no radius is entered, a default of 100 miles is used.

The "Group By" dropdown box is only available in view mode and allows the bidders information to toggle between being grouped by market sector, CSI Codes or having no grouping. This function is also available in the Bidders Log.

Some additional features of the Invitation to Bid screen are listed below:

• ITB broadcasts can be sent with attachments such as instructions to bidders, bid forms, scope sheets, etc.

• When the ‘Allow Multiple Bid Contacts per Partner’ checkbox is checked in PM Systems Options (standard Treeview path: CMiC Field > File Management > Project System Options), for a selected business partner in the ITB Bidders List, multiple bid contacts can be entered for a business partner and ITB broadcasts issued for them. Additionally, each bid contact for that partner is automatically added to the bidder list when the business partner record is selected as a bidder.

  Also, bear in mind that when it comes to the ITB, the potential bidders at this stage are usually not yet partners on the project, so the screen was designed to look at the system-level for the bid flag on the contact.

• When the LOV for partners is invoked, the list does not initially show any partner records. The default view is in filter mode. The partner records are only shown after the filter selections are made and the user clicks the [Go] button.

• As Applicants for Vendor Pre-qualification can also be selected as bidders in the Invitation to Bid and Bid Package screens, the ‘Applicant List’ radio button has been added as a filter parameter when selecting bidders in the Invitation to Bid and the Bid Package screens.

• Bidders can change their intent to bid, or not to bid, as many times as possible but ITB Responses are not accepted after the project Bid Date and the following message will be sent:

Additional columns have been added to view mode of the Bidders tab of Invitation to Bid:

These columns are: Prequalification Status, Approval Status, Bid Contact Phone, Bid Contact Email, and an Edit icon to make changes to the contact record. The contact screen that is displayed is dependent on whether the contact is project-only or system contact. If it is both a project and system contact, then the project contact screen will open.

Filtering With CSI Codes

When adding bidders to the ITB and the Bid Package screens, invoking the partner LOV does not initially show any partner records. The default view is in filter mode. The partner records are only shown after the filter selections are made and the user clicks the [Go] button.

If the selection is made based on Construction Standards Institute (CSI) codes, the user first selects the CSI codes then clicks [Go]. A list of all the business partners will be shown per CSI code.

NOTE: CSI codes are defined on the CSI Code Maintenance screen (standard Treeview path: CMiC Field > File Maintenance > Local Tables > CSI Code Maintenance). This screen is also used to assign one or more CSI codes to a CSI group code.

The user will then select the business partners that bid invitations will be sent to, and then press the [Accept] button.

This action will pull in the corresponding bid contacts for each business partner into the Bidders screen.

If the Group By field is set to “CSI Codes”, the screen will display the bidders per CSI code.

In addition, the Edit icon () beside each record allows the user to display the CSI codes that the business partner has been assigned in the system.

The codes that are checked are the ones that the business partner is currently filtered by. The user can select or deselect codes and update the Bidders screen using the [Update] button in the yellow pop-up screen (scrolling may be necessary in some browsers).

Standby Bidders

If all the CSI codes that were previously against a bidder are unchecked in the CSI Codes pop-up of that bidder, as in the screenshots below, then the CSI code becomes a standby code for possible re-assignment if later required.

For example:

1. Click the Edit icon to the left of the bidder, which launches a pop-up displaying the CSI codes assigned to the bidder, but not in use, and the ones in use (checked ones):

2. Uncheck the checked CSI codes and press the [Update] button and the grouping will show the bidder under standby:

Broadcasting to Pre-qualification Applicants

Applicants for vendor pre-qualification can also be selected as bidders in the Invitation to Bid and Bid Package screens.

As a result, the system also allows users to send ITB broadcasts to pre-qualification applicant contacts.

NOTE: Editing the applicant contact is not permitted in the ITB and Bid Package screens.

In addition, a Contacts tab is now a part of the Pre-qualification Applicant screen to allow addition of contacts for an applicant:

Updating Bidders

At any time after the initial setup of the invitation, you may want to add a new bidder or a new distribution list. This can be done by opening the invitation and using the Plus icon () in the Bidders section. The parties that have already been selected will be shown. You can mark a selected party as ‘Declined’ to bid or to ‘Send’ original and re-prints of invitations to bid.

‘Select All’ checkboxes for ‘Accept’, Decline’, and ‘Send’ are available on the Invitation to Bid (ITB) screen. These checkboxes are only visible and available in ‘Edit’ mode. They allow the selection of all records especially in the case where there is a large number of bidders to whom the ITB must be sent.

Deleting Multiple Bidders

The ‘Delete’ checkbox in the Bidders section of the ITB screen allows the deletion of multiple selected lines.

Field security can be applied to this checkbox (standard Treeview path: CMiC Field > Security > Role Maintenance – Programs/Invitation To Bid). The default setting is “Unrestricted”. When field security is set to "Unrestricted", the checkbox can be seen in Edit mode.

If multiple lines are selected for deletion, then they are deleted on saving. If ALL lines are selected for deletion, a confirmation message will appear:

Broadcasting Invitation to Bid via Email

Invitations to Bid (ITB) can be set up to be automatically emailed out to all bidders. Bidders will be able to indicate whether they will be bidding by pressing a button (or link) on the email itself, in response. The database will automatically update the bidder’s bidding status based on this automated response.

The email can be sent out immediately or it can be scheduled through Workflow. The script wkf_launch_ITB_scheduler.sql, which launches the workflow, must be run manually by any customer that is going to utilize this function. This script should only be run after consultations with CMiC personnel. It schedules the system to check every hour after a pre-defined Broadcast Date/Time – which is set in the Invitation to Bid or Bid Package screens.

[Broadcast ITB] – Button

When the user clicks the button, the resulting pop-up has three options for the ITB Broadcast:

• [Send Now]: The email is sent right away to all bidders who have ‘Y’ in the Send field, and the ‘Accept’ and ‘Decline’ boxes are un-checked.

• [Schedule]: The email is scheduled via Workflow to run every hour and check the Send/Decline/Accept boxes, send emails where necessary and update bidder records.

• [Cancel]: Cancel the action.

When the ITB Broadcast is launched from the Bidders Log, there is no [Schedule] option. The reason for this is that if multiple Bidder Log records are selected, they are from various bid packages which may have different Broadcast Dates, and this would be impossible to schedule.

Rules for sending ITB Emails

• Business Partner Code and Contact code (with valid email address assigned) must be entered in the Bidders Log, Invitation to Bid (ITB), Bid Package screens.

• ‘Send’ checkbox must be checked in ITB with 'Accept' and 'Decline' un-checked when broadcasting from this screen.

• 'Accept' and 'Decline' must be un-checked in the Bid Package – Bidders tab or Bidders Log when broadcasting from these screens.

• ITB Broadcast sender email address must be entered in Project Maintenance, otherwise an error message regarding this will be displayed.

• When scheduling the ITB, the Broadcast Date must be entered, otherwise, an error message will be displayed and the request will be shown in the database log as PENDING and will not go through.

Using Templates for sending ITB Emails

ITB Templates are maintained under File Maintenance > Local Tables > ITB Broadcast Message Templates.

When the template is selected, the text is pulled into the Broadcast Message field where the user can make changes.

Users can customize templates according to the broadcast they are sending out – ITB, bid package, or addendum.

If “No Template” is selected and no text is entered in the Broadcast Message field, the standard CMiC broadcast text will be sent.

If “No Template” is selected and free-form text is entered in the Broadcast Message field, this is the text that will be broadcast.

ITB Broadcast History

The ITB Broadcast History screen shows detailed information about all the ITB broadcasts, including where they were initiated from: the Invitation to Bid (ITB), Bid Package, or Bidders Log screens. It shows all the recipients and provide the ability to cancel scheduled broadcasts.

To activate the screen, set it at the required security role in the Assign Programs menu option in CMiC Field security.

When security is assigned, the [Broadcast History] button becomes available in the Invitation to Bid, Bid Package, and Bidders Log screens.

For example:

Example of pop-up window launched from [Broadcast History] button on the Invitation To Bid screen

In the case of bid packages, the [Broadcast History] button shows those history records related to a particular bid package, whereas for the Invitation to Bid and the Bidders Log, the entire history is shown.

Position the cursor on a line in the top section to show the history details of that record in the bottom section.

Field security can be applied to the Cancel Broadcast action icon in the ITB Broadcast History pop-up window. The possible values are “Unrestricted” and “Hidden”.

Bidder Response Log

This screen acts as a bidder activity log, showing when responses are received from each contact and what the response is (Accepted or Declined).

The security for this screen is set under the Assign Menu Items security option:

It shows responses to invitation to bids sent from the ITB, Bid Package, or Addendum screens.

Bidder Response Log; standard Treeview path: CMiC Field > Bid Management > Bidder Response Log