Creating & Managing Requests & Tenders

This article is for creating Requests that you will send to selected Suppliers.

 

Creating a new Request

To create a Request, click the '+ create new' button located at the top of your home page.

 

Alternatively, you can hover over the ‘My Requests’ tab and click on the 'Create a new request' link.

You will then need to complete each required step and add any information necessary to your Request. An explanation and overview for each tab is provided below:

 

RFx name

Name your Request here. You can also add your own reference number - this may be an internal ID number that your organisation will use to identify this specific Request.

When you click 'Save and Continue' on this step, a pop-up will appear asking you what Lists to use.

For a select-supplier Request, choose a List that is either an internal or external Preferred Supplier List, or the Local Suppliers under Marketplace.

You will not be able to change the List type once you have saved this step. 

 

Selecting Suppliers

For a select-supplier Request:

1. Choose the categories of goods and services you want to use.
2. Select the specific Supplier List(s) you want to use.
3. At the third stage, select the specific Suppliers you want to invite to your Request.

There are options to filter the Suppliers by search term/text and distance.

To view a map of Suppliers, click the Map button.

To view a specific Supplier’s details, click on their business name.

Click the 'Use these suppliers' button at the bottom of the page.

Note: Once you have posted the Request, you cannot uninvite Suppliers that have been invited.

 

Details & information

Here you are required to describe what you are requesting from the Suppliers. The information you provided can be as detailed or broad as required. You also have the option to provide any background information or desired outcomes in the relevant fields.

 

Ask questions

This is where you can ask a specific question of the Suppliers. They will be required to provide a written answer to each question you ask when submitting their response. You can also click 'skip this step' if you do not want to ask any questions.

 

Add files

Here, you can upload a maximum of 50 files up to 10 Mb each. If required, you can click the 'Switch to large file upload mode' button to upload a maximum of 5 large files up to 150 Mb each.

You can use both the standard and large file upload methods on the one request to upload multiple files of various sizes.

Click 'skip this step' if you do not want to attach any files.

 

RFx budget

First, set whether a ‘total cost’ is mandatory for each Supplier’s response to this Request.

Select an estimated value and whether the value is hidden or visible to Suppliers.

You also have the option to add a budgeted value, which is automatically hidden from Suppliers.

 

Submission dates

All Requests must have a set open and close date. This is the window in which Suppliers can prepare and submit their response.

The open date is automatically set to today’s date, meaning that if you were to post the Request now, it would instantly be open. You can edit the open date to any future date, and it will open at 00:01 am on that day.

When you select the close date, you will also need to set a specific closing time. Suppliers will have up until that time to submit their responses.

Lastly, you will have to select an evaluation period from 1 day to 6 months. Once the Request has closed and you have unlocked the responses, you cannot extend the expected decision date until the original one has lapsed.

 

Save & post

At this step you will be asked to select:

1. An evaluation method (you can change this later).

2. If your name and contact details should be kept private or made visible to Suppliers.

3. A cut-off date for Supplier questions. 

You can then either save your Request as a draft (click Save as draft) or post it to Suppliers (Post it!).

 

Note:

At any point during the Request Wizard you can Preview, Copy, Delete, or Exit the Request.

'Preview' shows the version of the Request that Suppliers see.

'Copy' creates a copy of the Request you are currently working on.

'Delete' will delete the Request you are working on.

'Exit' will take you out of the Request Wizard. All saved changes will be kept as a draft. Anything unsaved will be lost.

While a Request is open, you can make changes or updates by editing it.

If the Request has already closed but you have not unlocked the Supplier responses, you can reopen it by extending the closing date. To do this, you will need to edit the Request (as explained below). Once reopened, you will be able to edit other aspects.

Note: You cannot uninvite Suppliers to a Request. If you need a Request to be hidden from Suppliers, you will need to make it inactive.

To edit an open Request, click the 'blue arrow' icon to the right of it and select the 'Edit this request' option within the pop-up box.

In the Request Wizard, click the tab you want to make changes to. Ensure you click the 'Continue/Update/Save and Continue' button at the bottom of each step you make changes to.

Once you have finished editing, go to the 'Save and Update' tab. Here, you will be given the option to notify Suppliers of any changes you have made.

Please enter a summary of these changes into the red box (this will be emailed to Suppliers), and click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom of the page.

If required, you can send a message to Suppliers without actually making any changes to your Request. To do this, go straight to the 'Save and Update' tab, type your message to Suppliers, select if you want to notify all Suppliers, and click the 'Save Changes' button.

Note: Suppliers that have declined to respond to your request won't be sent the update email.

You can ‘copy’ a Request to create an editable duplicate of the original.

Note: This will only copy the text and settings of the original Request. The Suppliers will have to be re-selected and any files will need to be re-uploaded.

To create a copy of a Request, click the 'blue arrow' icon to the right of the original, and select the 'Make a copy' option within the pop-up box.

You will need to proceed through each step and make any necessary adjustments. Then either save as a draft or post to Suppliers on the final 'Save & Post' tab.