Manage Tab: Creating a Line Item Bid Event

Creating an Event with a Bid Line Item Section

The user creates new events, searches existing events, and invites new suppliers to register under the Manage tab.

Select Manage>New to create an event. Use the search bar to find the correlating template to the event, or select 'Go' to see all active templates.

The user completes the event header. Note the red asterisk indicates that the field is required. After all event header information is complete, select the 'Update' button.

1. Event ID/Name: Identifiers for the event. Event ID and Name both need to be unique.
2. Due By Date/Time: Indicates the deadline for supplier responses
3. Sealed Event: Determines if the awarding user must wait to open submitted responses for a date specified. If checked, the Sealed Until Date and Time must be populated. The Sealed Until Date and Time cannot occur before the Due By Date and Time.
4. Effective Start/End Date: Indicates the length of time the results of the event will occur with the supplier (i.e. contract, project, construction)
5. Event Terms and Conditions: Terms and Conditions specific to the event (optional)
6. Terms and Conditions: Terms and Conditions for the Organization selected at the Administrative level
7. Attachments: Header level attachments that the supplier can view
8. Invitation Type: Invitation Onlyallows the event creator to select suppliers when publishing. Open Invitation allows all suppliers within the ESM supplier community to respond.
9. Display Awardee: Determines if non-awarded suppliers can view the awarded supplier

If the entity is configured to allow for suppliers to submit response terms based on event, the selection will be visible in the event header upon event creation. 

Review the sections in the template using the left panel with the capability of adding, editing or deleting. Clicking the trash can icon deletes the highlighted section. The plus sign allows the user to add a section from the library, or add a new section entirely. Newly created sections are saved to the event only; they are not added to the Event Library.

Click on a section within the left panel to edit/delete. As a best practice, system administrators may require changes on the template for the event specifically. To make a change, select the 'Edit' button.

The event creator enters content into the description and creates the columns for the line items. The description can include instructions for the suppliers. Select update to save changes.

Attachments can be added to the description by the creator. Supplier attachments and a Supplier Input Box can be configured to be included and/or required for the event submission.

The line item columns can be configured to be required for the Supplier/Entity, optional or Hidden. There are also two AUX fields to configure and rename for special requirements.

Select the caret on one of the column headers to access the configuration options. Select Column Settings>Edit Column Configurations.

The configuration pop-up window will appear to create the required, optional and hidden columns using the drop-down menus labeled “Included Status” and “Required Status.” The fields can be configured to be required by the entity or the supplier.  The event creator can hide inapplicable columns. Select Update to save changes.

The legend will indicate whether the field is required to be completed by the event creator or the supplier.

The event creator can change the column order using the same caret. Select Column Setting>Set Column Order. The pop-up window allows the user to drag-and-drop the column headers to change the order. Select Update to save changes.

The creator can Copy and Paste or enter line item information.

Add or remove rows by right clicking on the row number. Please note that the system will automatically add a new row at the bottom as the user enters in data.

If the creator does not enter a required field when completing the line item information, the row will trigger an error message. Use the scroll bar to go to the last cell on the right to view the cause of the error.

After completing the required fields, select update to save the information.

Complete any other necessary sections of the event for publishing. Use the Next Step drop-down to select the Publish option.

After selecting Publish in the Next Step drop-down menu, the event will be published for all suppliers if the event is an open invitation. If the event is invitation only, users search for suppliers using the provided search criteria. To display all search criteria, select 'Advanced Search'. Distribution Lists are selected suppliers by system administrators for specific types of events.

If unable to find a certain supplier, enter the email to invite the supplier to register for ESM Sourcing.

 Select 'Add' on the unassigned suppliers (search results) to move the supplier to assigned suppliers. The user can also add all on the current page, or add all.

If a supplier needs to be removed from the Assigned Suppliers section, the user can select the Remove button. The Remove All – On Page and Remove All options can be used to quickly remove multiple suppliers from the Assigned Suppliers section.

When all required suppliers are assigned, the user selects 'Publish' at the header or bottom of the page. Then, confirm by selecting Publish.

 Line Item Addendum

 To create an addendum, the bid facilitator selects "Create Addendum" from the Next Step drop-down menu on the specific bid. 

The bid will go into an edit mode. Select the section from the navigation pane to change. When an edit is created, the addendum icon will appear on both the Tree Menu and the header of the section. The same indicators will be available to supplier upon the publishing of the addendum.

Once edits are complete, select "Update Addendum" from the Next Step drop-down menu. 

The bid facilitator will be prompted to publish the addendum to suppliers.

Using the pop-up window, the facilitator can review the changes and add addendum notes prior to selecting Publish.

The user is given an opportunity to add existing suppliers. Select Publish to continue.

If an addendum is created, the supplier maintains the ability to modify the response prior to the event’s due date using the Retract Response option. The addendum email notification to the supplier will also indicate the Retract Response option should be used if changes are needed.