PB System™ Business Certification User Guide

I. Logging In

A. Enter Username

B. Enter Password

• • • Click on the eye to see keystrokes
    • If password is unknown, click on Need Password Help?  to reset your password

II. Home

            A. Daily Calendar

                  Daily calendar contains a list of all of the agency's important solicitation deadlines for the day. Users will see the Pre-Bid meeting, Q&A, and bid deadlines. Click on any listing to open the solicitation. 

           B. Stat Cards

                 Stat cards contain statistical data on the PB System™ general overall usage by both the agency and the public. Stat cards can be configured for user preference. 

               Configuring stat cards:

• • • Select edit
    • Select the delete icon within each card to remove
    • Select the + bar to add in a new card type or select any existing card to edit
      • Select Report Type to define the type of data to be shown
      • Select Timeframe for the frequency of data
      • Select the color bar to change the color of the card
      • Select Save, Cancel or Reset to Defaults
•       News and Events can be found by clicking on the bell icon in the top right of the screen, and contains important information PlanetBids needs to share with its clients. It is highly recommended that Users take a quick look when entering the PB System™ to view updates. The Line Item Import Template and the Inside Scoop registration links have moved to the Help Center.  The Import template can be filled out by the Agency's internal client and provided to the PB User to upload line items into the bid record quickly.

   

• D. Left Side Navigation Menu

  • Navigation menu navigates the user to the different areas of the PB System™. Access to each area is based upon the purchase of the module and User permission configurations.

    • Top right corner of the left-side navigation menu will either be an X or >. This will toggle the menu open and closed to optimize screen space.
    • Home: returns User to the home page.
    • Bid Management: quickly manage the process of issuing, monitoring, conducting evaluations, and awarding formal and informal bids.
    • Bid Spec Library: access to PlanetBids client solicitations to help Users find piggy-backable, cooperative bids and build specs using other agency bids.  
    • Project Evaluation: add-on that allows Users to manage the multi evaluator and/or consensus evaluation process on solicitations. Project Evaluation allows Users to use the RFP evaluation process on all solicitation types (Quotes, Bids, RFI, RFP, RFQual and IPWB).
    • Vendor Management: Gain access to Vendor records, run advanced searches on multiple sets of Vendor data, add a vendor, perform real-time verification of provided information (i.e., certifications and licenses) against third party databases, generate comprehensive reports with visual charts, and broadcast messages to selected Vendors.
    • Contract Management: maintain and retrieve up-to-date, relevant information regarding contracts.
    • Insurance Management: enables risk managers, procurement, public works, and contract administrators to automate, maintain, and retrieve up-to-date, relevant information regarding Vendor or contractor insurance certificates.
    • Emergency Operations: enables any Agency to manage, maintain and retrieve up-to-date information on Vendors that provide goods and services in the event of an emergency.
    • Business Certifications: enables an organization to manage its certification programs such as Small Business Enterprise, Minority, or Diversity as well as Contractor Prequalification(s).
    •  Reports: print or export comprehensive reports.
    • Calendar: calendar view of Agency and any other selected PB Agencies bid dates/deadlines. Users plan solicitation dates to enhance Vendor participation. Provides a quick link to the Agency bid information.
    • Admin: permission-based access to manage administrative areas of each module. (See Admin manual).
    •  Vendor Portal: quick access to the public side of the PB System™. 
    • User Settings: reset User information (name, title, phone, email, login).
    • Help Center: Access Knowledge Base, FAQs, create a support ticket, Support phone number, and feedback section.
    • Log Out: logs User out of the PB System™.

         E. Dark Mode/Light Mode               

             Found at the bottom right corner, Dark Mode / Light mode allows the user to change the background setting.

III. Business Certificate Management       

By entering Business Certificate Management, users can view and manage applications and export search results. Access to different functions is permission-based. (See Admin manual).

Business Certification can be configured to manage multiple types and levels of applications:

                      a. Business Forms: Collection of W9 and other business forms.

                      b. Supplier Diversity: Local, Small Business, or other certification programs.

                      c. UPCCAA: Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act

                      d. Prequalification: Multiple levels of contractor prequalification.

                      e. Bench: Construction Management, Architectural, Engineering Management prequalification.

                       f. JOC: Job Order Contracting

 

          A. Searching for Certificates                

               Select Top left corner located by the Clear button. It will either be an  or >. This will toggle the search criteria open and closed to optimize screen space.

                       a. Entering a multi-chooser box

• • • • Search box: search all columns by character string.
      • Select all that apply.
      • Select Show only selected types to see selections.
      • Select Save.
      • Select Search.                         

           B. Managing Display Results

                       a. Select the cog icon located on the far right

                       b. Check or uncheck an item to hide or add to the search display.

                       c. Drag the up/down arrow to change the display column order.

           C. Export

                Exports the search results into Excel. 

           D. Email

                 Allows agency to post an announcement in News and Events, email vendors within Business Certification, or both. 

                         a. To post only: 

• • • • Select the Email icon.
      • Enter Subject, Message, and Attachment. 
      • Select Display in News & Events.
      • Select Done to post, or select Cancel.

                          b. To send only or send and post: 

• • • • Select the Email icon. 
      • Select one or more vendors from the search results list.
        • Users may redefine search results at this time. 
        • To hide Send email  form while searching or vendors, select the > on the Send email form. 
        • To open Send email form, select the New email tab on the right side
      • Enter Subject, Message, and up to 5 Attachments. 
      • (Optional) Select Display in News and Events.
      • Select Done to post or select Cancel. 

IV. Viewing an Application       

       Users with Agency view only permission will be able to see all areas on the application and open files. Users with limited view only permission will see have limited access based upon the type of application submitted.

                           a. Business Forms: Collection of W9 and other business forms. Access to the application and submitted files. Cannot access Notes/Attachments or Comments/History tabs.

                           b. Supplier Diversity:  Local, Small Business, or other certification programs.

Access to the application and submitted files. Cannot access Notes/Attachments or Comments/History tabs.

                           c. UPCCAA: Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act. Access to see application Status, Max Approved Amount, Dates, Deficiency Reasons and Approval or Denial Letter. Cannot access Notes/Attachments or Comments/History tabs.

                          d. Prequalification: Multiple levels of contractor prequalification. Access to see application Status, Max Approved Amount, Dates, Deficiency Reasons and Approval or Denial Letter. Cannot access Notes/Attachments or Comments/History tabs.

                         e. Bench: Construction Management, Architectural, Engineering Management qualification. Access to the application and submitted files. Cannot access Notes/Attachments or Comments/History tabs.

                          f. JOC: Job Order Contracting qualification. Access to the application and submitted files. Cannot access Notes/Attachments or Comments/History tabs.

Users with view only permission to another Agency’s certification will be able to see all Vendor Info from registration and only the following files from the application: Created and Last modified by Vendor/Agency dates, Current Status, Valid From/To, Approval Comments and Application Type.

Once opened the application contains the following information:

                        a. Vendor Info: Information listed in the main vendor profile. User can check 3rd party classification certifications, contractor or other licenses validations and the list of category codes to be notified of bid opportunities.

                       b. Gen Cert: All application types information except Prequalification. Tab title will reflect application name.

                       c. Prequalification:  Prequalification information

                       d. Notes/Attachments: Agency notes and attachments. Vendor cannot view this information.

                       e. Comments/History: User entered notes and agency/vendor history when application has been updated. Vendor cannot view this information.

        A. Managing an Application               

             Users with permission can review, enter notes and additional documents, track the application history and either mark the application Pending, Deficient, Approved, Denied or Audit.

                      a. Select Edit. Vendor Info cannot be edited from Business Certification. Go to Vendor Management to edit this information.

             

Note: Status under Profile Settings is from the main profile status in Vendor Management. This is not their certification status.

                      b. Gen Cert: Based on Agency configuration not all fields may apply.

• • • • Certification Status: Information on when the profile was first created and last updated by either the Vendor or the Agency.
        • Current Status: status of the certificate 
          • Submitted: Vendor has submitted the application. Agency has not yet reviewed the information. Vendor may make changes to the record.
          • Pending: Agency has viewed the application. Vendor cannot make any updates to the application until the agency has placed the application in either Deficiency or Approved Status. 
          • Deficiency: Agency has found issues in the application that need correction or clarification. Vendor will receive an email regarding their application status and can view their deficiency reasons by returning to the application. Vendor can resubmit after making corrections.
            • • Select deficiency
              • Select one or more reasons (reasons are configured in Admin, Business Certification). See Admin Manual
              • Select Save. Vendor will receive an email notifying them of application status. Vendor can return to their application to view reasons, make corrections, and resubmit. 
          • Approved: certificate has met all agency requirements. 
            • • Select Approved. 
              • Maximum amount appoved: Enter max approved amount. Applicable to Prequalification applications only.
              • Valid from: Date of approval
              • Valid to: Agency default appears. Agency may edit this date. 
              • Select the certification(s) you are approving: List of certification types to be approved on the application form submitted. 
                
                • • Select all that apply
                  • Enter comment if applicable
                  • Select Save. Vendor will receive an email regarding their application status and can view their Approval Letter by returning to the application. Vendor can re-apply at any time. 
          • Denied: Vendor does not qualify
            • • • • Select Denied. 
                  • Select one or more reasons. Reasons are configured in Admin, Business Certification (see Admin manual). 
                  • Select Save. Vendor will receive an email notifying them of application status. Vendor can return to their application to view the Denial Letter. Vendor cannot resubmit. Agency must place the vendor in Deficiency to apply again. 
          • Audit (Random Audit): Application has been selected for an audit. Business Certification can be configured to randomly select one or more vendors in Audit on a scheduled basis. Random Audit process is configured in Admin, Settings (see Admin Manual). 
            • • • • Select Audit. 
                  • Select one of more reasons. Reasons are configured in Admin, Business Certification (see Admin manual). 
                  • Select Save. Vendor will receive an email notifying them application status. Vendor can return to their application to view the audit reasons. Vendor cannot resubmit. Agency must place the vendor in Deficiency or Approved to apply again. 
          • Canceled: Agency can cancel an application. Vendor will receive an email regarding their application satus. Vendor can re-apply. 
        
        

        Agency configurations will appear below and may contain financial information, owner information, key staff, banking information, bonding information, EMR rating, client references, supplier references, yes/no questions with text fields, and attachments.

         
• B. Client References Request Verification: Allows the agency to generate an email to the reference listed requesting information on the project. To configure, contact PlanetBids Support. 
  •          a. Select Request Validations: email is automatically generated. Referene will send the information back based on agency instructions. Agency can attach the response under Notes/Attachments. 
  
  C. Attachments : Vendor supplied documents per agency requirements
•                 a. Select any file to open or download.
• D. Information Sharing: Vendor may opt out of collaborative search in Business Certification.

V. Notes/Attachments
      Agency can attach additional documents and notes related to the application. Vendor cannot access this information. 

          A. Attachments

                       a. Select Drag and drop a file or Browse Files to attach one or more documents from the user's computer directory. 

                     Note: once a file has been queued for upload, user can modify the document title. Once saved, a file can be deactivated. 

           B. Notes

                 Enter notes on the application. Text box will expand as needed. Saved text can be edited. 

 

VI. Comments/History

       Record of last update made to the record and agency comments. Vendor cannot access this information. 

           A. Comment

                 Agency comments

           B. History

                  Records the last update made to the application and general information listed at the time of update. 

                         a. Select Show. 

                         b. Select Update Type to sort history. 

                         c. Select Show more to expland the record to view detail. 

 

VII. Reports

        Available reports found in the left hand navigation are based upon the modules used by the agency. 

             A. Business Certification Reports: Business certification reports based upon the type of application managed: Diversity, Bench or Prequalification.

                         a. Certified Vendors by Category: A report showing the number and percentage of vendors currently certified for each business certification category.    

                                        1. Select Category Report.

                                         2. Select Export.

                          b. Status Reasons: A report showing the number and percentage of vendor applications with each Status Reason.

                                          1. Select Date From or leave blank

                                           2. Select Date To or leave blank

                                           3. Select Load

                                           4. Select Status type  to sort