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      2. User Guides

      PB System™ Vendor & Bid Management 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. Vendor Management

      Entering Vendor Management, Users can search for Vendors, check validations, edit profiles, and create a quick Vendor profile, run reports, send emails, and export data. Access to different functions is permission-based.

              A. Searching for Vendors             

                   PB System™ has default fields to search for Vendors. Select the "+" to add more fields.                Multi-chooser fields are designated with a black square and allow the User to choose                    multiple criteria within the field.

                  Located in front of the “Clear” button will either be an or >.  This will toggle the                     search criteria open and closed to optimize screen space.

        • Entering a multi- chooser box.
          • Search box (top left): User can search list by code, number, description.
          • Select all that apply.
          • Select Show only selected to see selections.
          • Select Save.
          • Select Search.
        • Collaborative Searching

          Collaborative searching will offer the User different criteria choices depending upon when the Collaborative feature is selected.

          • Select Criteria first and the options displayed will be Agency configuration only.
          • Select Collaborative first and the options displayed will be from all PB Agencies giving the User greater search abilities.
            • Select Collaborative.
            • Select Exclude Own to remove vendors already registered with the Agency.

           B. Managing Display Results

        • Select the cog icon located at the far right.
        • Drag the up/down arrow to change the display column order.
        • Place cursor between columns to resize; similar to Excel.

         C. Viewing and Editing a Vendor Profile

        • Select any Vendor in the list to open the profile.
        • Scroll down to view information.
          • Information is based on Vendor Registration configuration during implementation. Agency Superuser can manage the master list of category codes, classifications, ethnicity, and gender tracked by the Agency in Admin, Vendor Management. (See Admin Manual)

         D. Select Edit (Permission Based)         

             PB System™ allows Users with edit rights to edit selected fields only.

             Profile Tab: 

        • Status: controls Vendor notification and participation with the Agency.
          • Approved: The Vendor is allowed to receive bid alerts and participate in bids so long as their profile meets requirements set at the bid level. Vendors are automatically approved when registering.
          • Not Approved: Set when a Vendor is no longer allowed to participate in Agency projects due to debarment or other issues defined by the Agency.
          • Needs Approval: if the Agency is configured to approve Vendors prior to allowing participation after registration, PB System™ will default to Needs Approval instead of Approved. Agency will be required to view all Needs Approval profiles and change the profile to the appropriate status.
          • Deactivated: Vendor profile has been closed down and is no longer active. Used primarily when a Vendor has multiple profiles, and only selected profiles need to be closed.
          • Unsubscribed: Vendor has requested not to receive any further communication from the Agency.
        • Agency Vendor ID: allows Agency to assign a Vendor number to a profile.
        • Allow Multiple Profiles: by default, Vendors are allowed only one profile under a tax id number. Agency and PlanetBids Support may allow Vendors to create additional profiles, if applicable.
          • Check Allow Multiple Profiles box. 
          • Select Submit. 
        • Exempt from Document Fees: if Agency charges Vendors to download documents, Users can exempt a profile from being charged. This will allow the profile to download all bid documents without paying.
        • Allowed Certified Vendors Search: if the Agency has configured Business Certification, this allows the Vendor to search approved Certified Vendors. PB System™ can be configured to automatically grant any profile access, or Agency can specify which profile shall have access. All approved certified Vendors will reside in Certified Vendor Search area for Vendor networking purposes on the Vendor Portal.
        • Opt out of Bid Broadcast Emails: Vendors may contact PlanetBids and ask to opt out of receiving Bid Broadcast notices.
          Note:  Bid Broadcast are additional bid notice emails an Agency can opt to send when posting a bid to vendors registered at other Agencies. Opting out of BidBroadcast will not affect any emails the Agency sends to vendors registered directly with the Agency. 
        • Classifications: correct any classification information provided by the Vendor when registering.
          • Verify: Select Verify to reach out to the appropriate website to verify classification information.
        • Contractor Licenses: list of contractor licenses, if applicable, Vendor provided when registering, including license number and expiration date.
          • Verify: Select Verify to reach out to the appropriate website to verify classification information.
        • Other Licenses: list of other professional licenses, if applicable, Vendor provided when registering.
          • Verify: Select Verify to reach out to the appropriate website to verify classification information.
        • Groups: list of private category codes the Agency has added to the Vendor's profile. Vendors cannot select a group when registering, nor does the Vendor see the group in their profile.
          • Add:
            • Select one or more codes from the list. Search box allows search by code number and description. Select Show only selected categories to see a final list of codes chosen.
            • Select Save.

              Note: to create a category, go to Admin, Bid Management. (See Admin Manual)

        • Categories: list of public category codes the Agency is using to notify Vendors about bid opportunities. Agency may add a code to a Vendor 's profile, but Agency may not remove a category code.
          • Add:
            • Select one or more codes from the list. Search box allows search by code number and description. Select Show only selected categories to see a final list of codes chosen.
            • Select Save.        

                    Note: to create a category, Admin, Settings. (See Admin Manual)

              Overview Tab:          

                 Overview: this section displays details found within Contract Management, Insurance                   Certificate Management, and Emergency Operations Management modules related to                  the vendor

             

              Comments Tab:            

                 Comments: this section allows for internal Agency notes on the Vendor's profile and                     contains a history of edits made to the profile by either the Vendor, PlanetBids, or the                  Agency. The information is not viewable by the Vendor, however, other Agencies may                    view comments when searching collaboratively.

        • Enter notes.
        • Select Submit when done editing.
             

               Reports Tab:

        • Reports: found within the profile, Agency can view and export the Vendor Statistics Report. The report details all Vendor project activity with the Agency from notification, becoming a Prospective Bidder, to award at the contract and subcontract level. (Subcontract tracking is only available with Advanced eBidding for Public Works).
          • Select column header to organize in ascending or descending order.
          • Report can be exported to Excel.

      E.    Creating a Quick Vendor Profile (Add Vendor)  

                WARNING: before creating a new Vendor profile, search for the Vendor by all possible                  variations of their name, DBA, email suffix (ex: @planetbids.com) and tax id number to                  avoid duplicates. TIP: search by character string. (Ex: T.W. Applied Electrical. Enter Applied            Elect in the name field).

        • Select the person icon at the top right
        • Complete the Form: (minimum mandatory fields) and select Submit.
        • Generate Email: The PB System™ will automatically generate an email to the Vendor, instructing the Vendor on how to log in and update the profile.

      F. Email

           Allows Agency to Post an announcement in News and Events, Email registered and                         collaborative search Vendors or Both.

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

            Note: to remove a post from News & Events, go to Admin, Email History (See Admin Manual).

      G. Reports

           Agency can run several reports based on Vendors listed in search results.

        • Ethnicity/Gender Chart displays the number and percentage of vendors who have identified themselves based on the ethnicity and or gender tracked by the Agency.
        • Classification Chart displays the number and percentage of vendors who have identified themselves or have been certified by the Agency through Business Certification based on the classifications tracked by the Agency.
        • Vendor Activity report displays high level vendor project activity: bid notifications, prospective bidder, bidder, awards, award amount and classifications tracked by the Agency.   Report can be exported to Excel.
        • Vendor Types (Classification, Ethnicity, Gender) A report providing statistics on the number and percentage of registered vendors for each category code, and the number and percentage of vendors by Classification, Ethnicity and Gender.
        • Vendor Types by Category A report providing statistics on the number and percentage of registered vendors for each category code, and the number/percentage of vendors with each vendor Classification, Ethnicity, and Gender.

      H. Export

      Exports search results Vendor data into an excel document. Includes registration information.

       

      IV. Bid Spec Library

           Entering Bid Spec Library, Users can search for solicitations conducted by other agencies             using the PB System™. Bids in a draft stage will not be shown in the Bid Spec Library.

          A. Searching for Solicitations

              PB System™ has default fields to search for Vendors. Select the "+" to add more fields.                  Fields with a black square allow the User to choose multiple criteria within the field.

              Located in front of the “Clear” button will either be an or >. This will toggle the                      search criteria open and closed to optimize screen space.

        • Entering a multi chooser box.
          • Search box (top left)- search list by code, number, description.
          • Select all that apply.
          • Select Show only selected to see selections.
          • Select Save.
          • Select Search. 
        • Uncheck Exclude Own to include Users Agency bids in the search results.
        • Select any bid to open and review the information on each tab and export or download the following: Notified Vendors, Prospective Bidders, Line Items, Documents, Email Documents and Addenda Documents. 

          If the project is not By Invitation Only, at the bottom of the Bid Information tab there will be a link to the public posting of the solicitation. Bid Results and Award information is viewable if released by the Agency.

      V. Calendar

           Allows the User to see a calendar of important bid dates for the Agency or participating               agencies. Users can drill down to view more information and open the bid directly from the        calendar.

             A.  Filter Events:

        • Events: Unselect any event type that is not of interest
        • User: Select a specific user of interest
        • Department: Select a specific department of interest
        • Collaboration: Change view from Agency view to All Participating Agency or Specific Agencies.
          • Agencies: appears when collaboration is set to Specific. User can Search and select as many agencies as desired. All collaboration views will be set to the time zone of the agency viewing the bids.
        • Apply: change calendar view to show selected criteria
        • Reset: changes calendar back to default view

            B. Drill into a date

        • Select any day on the calendar.
        • Select the forward and back arrows to scroll through the calendar.
        • Select the Calendar Icon to Add to Users Email Calendar.
        • Select any bid title to go directly to the bid in Bid Management.
        • If collaborative search is on, calendar will display the name of the Agency if the bid is from another participating Agency. If the bid belongs to the Agency searching, it will display the name of the User.
        • Select the X to exit the date.

      VI. Bid Management

            Entering Bid Management, Users can search for bids to view, create, manage, run reports,            and export search results. Access to different functions is permission-based.

           A. Searching for Bids          

                PB System™ has default fields to search for Bids. Select the "+" to add more fields. Fields            with a black square allows the User to choose multiple criteria within the field.

                Located in front of the “Clear” button will either be an  or >. This will toggle the                    search criteria open and closed to optimize screen space.

        • Entering a multi chooser box
          • Search box- search list by code, number, description.
          • Select all that apply.
          • Select Show only selected to see selections.
          • Select Save.
          • Select Search. 
        • Searching by Buyer: PB System™ default is to search by the current User. To search for all Users, move mouse over the blue circle, which will then change to an X.
          • Select X.
          • Select Search. 

         B. Managing Display Results

        • Select the cog icon located at the far right.
        • Check or uncheck an item to hide or add to the search display.
        • Drag the up/down arrow to change the display column order.
        • Place cursor between columns to resize; similar to Excel.

           C. Archive          

                Provides the Agency the ability to Archive or un-Archive multiple projects by batch.                       Archived projects will no longer be viewable on the Vendor Portal. Agency can search for             projects by Archive status by adding the Archive criteria to the list.

        • Select the Archive icon at the top.
        • Select projects from the search results.
        • Select Archive/Unarchive and choose from the drop-down list.
        • Select Save.

            D. Reports

                 Provides a list of reports based upon the projects in the search results.

        • Bid Activity A comprehensive report containing a list of projects with bid and buyer information; a breakdown of which template and project type were used; the total number of notified vendors, prospective bidders, bidders and awards and award amounts with breakdown for each classification.
        • Bid Activity Summary A report providing statistics on the total number and percentage of notified vendors, prospective bidders, bidders, awards and award amounts for each classification based on the total number of bids.
        • Bid Counts A bar chart showing Bid Counts by Buyer, Department, Template Type and Project Type.
        • Awards This report has two charts illustrating awards. Award Amounts shows the amount awarded per classification, based on the total amount awarded while Number of Awards shows the number of projects awarded to each classification, based on the total number of bids.
        • Subcontractor Awards Two charts illustrating awards made to subcontractors. Award Amounts shows the amount subcontractors were awarded per classification, based on the total amount awarded while Number of Awards shows the number of projects awarded to subcontractors per each classification, based on the total number of bids.
        • Cost Savings Analysis of cost savings for projects in Awarded and Award Pending stages. Award amount is compared with the Target Bid Amount/Engineer’s Estimate when provided. The report also provides the lowest, mean, median, and highest bid per project and compares these values with the award amount.
        • Awarded Bids Search Export An export of Awarded projects listing vendors that bid for the project, their bid amount, the date the projects were awarded and the amount.

           E. Export   

                 Exports project information as shown in search results, plus the Reference ID field.

           F. Add Bid

        • Select the gavel icon at the top right.
        • Select a template
          • Quick Quote: suggested template for quotes for goods.
            • Used for Quotes only.
            • 30-line items or less.
            • Line item grid is designed for goods and services.
            • No pre-bid meetings.
            • Bidders can only submit line item pricing and general attachments.
          • General: suggested template for goods and minor services
            • Used for Quotes, Bids, RFI, RFP, RFQual.
            • Unlimited line items.
            • Line item grid is designed for goods and services.
            • Includes pre-bid meetings.
            • Bidders can submit line item pricing, general attachments, cost file, and response file.
          • Professional Services: suggested template for service-based awards.
            • Used for Bids, RFI, RFP, RFQual.
            • Unlimited line items.
            • Line item grid is designed for goods and services.
            • Includes pre-bid meetings.
            • Bidders can submit line item pricing, general attachments, cost file, and response file. With Advanced Ebidding, bidders can also submit a subcontractor list and bid bond/cashier's check information.
          • Public Works: suggested template for construction bids.
            • Used for Quotes, Bids, IPWB (Invitation Public Works Bid).
            • Unlimited line items.
            • Line item grid is designed for construction.
            • Line item allows Agency to lock in pricing on any line (ex: allowance).
            • Includes pre-bid meetings.
            • Bidders can submit line item pricing, general attachments. With Advanced Ebidding, bidders can also submit a subcontractor list and bid bond/cashier's check information.

              Use the Template that best fits User needs.



              Subcontractor and Bid Bond* only available if Agency has purchased Advanced eBidding for Public Works.

              Now that a template has been selected, Users will see several tabs running left to right. As Users configure and manage the project, the different tabs will become available.

              Once selected, templates are by default set to Draft stage. To save as a Draft, at a minimum, a Project Title is needed. When changing the bid from Draft to Planning or Bidding stage, the PB System™ has only a few mandatory fields. An* indicates mandatory fields. Several fields are for internal use only and are clearly marked.

            G. Bid Information Tab

        • Create a Project Title*: solicitation title.
        • Invitation #: solicitation number. May contain alpha, numeric, and symbols.
        • Bid Due on*: date offers must be submitted by. PB System™ will automatically close the bids exactly at the time stated. Ex: 10:00am - PB System™ will close exactly at 10:00:00am.

          Note: Due Date is not required when moving to Planning Stage.

          • Select anywhere in the date field
          • Select Date- tip: use your keyboard to navigate by tabbing to the hour, time, AM/PM.
          • Select Hour, Time and AM/PM

          Next to the due date field, there is an additional calendar icon. Select to view dates and times of other projects at the Agency.
          • Select Calendar Icon located outside of the Due Date field
          • View calendar dates with and without activity. Heat map will let you know how busy a specific date is.
          • Hover mouse over a date to see the types of events
          • Select a date to see specific dates/times for each event
          • Click on a time to set the event date in the project
          • Select Done to return to the project.
        • Project Stage*: project stage options will vary upon the bid's stage and User’s permission level.
          • Draft: draft stage, Public has no access. Allows Users to save an incomplete form and finish the posting at a later date.
          • Needs Approval: User is configured to request approval before moving forward. Public has no access. Based on configuration, once approved, the User will either push the bid into Planning or Bidding stage or have their Approver take over the bid.
            • Select Needs Approval.
            • Select Approver's name from the drop-down list below.
            • Select Save Bid, and the Approver will be notified via email to review the bid.
              • Approver can mark the bid as needing changes and record which changes need to be made in the Comments/History tab or make the necessary changes.
              • Approver can take over the bid based on permission levels.
            • Change Request: Approver will place a bid into this status to inform the originator changes are required before the bid can be approved. Public has no access.  The Approver may leave comments in the Comments/History tab.
            • Publish Approved: Approver has granted the original User the right to place the bid in Planning or Bidding stage. Public has no access.
            • Publish Denied: Approver has denied the bid posting and cannot be placed in Planning or Bidding stage. Public has no access.
            • Planning: releases the bid to the Public or By Invite Only Vendors and sends announcement. This stage does not need a due date. Activates Bid Broadcast function.
            • Bidding: releases the bid to the Public or By Invite Only Vendors and sends an announcement. This stage does need a due date. Activates Bid Broadcast function.
            •  Canceled: this stage appears when the bid is in either the Planning or Bidding stages. This stage does not send an email to Vendors. Users can issue an email to Vendors before canceling the project on the Prospective Bidder's tab. 
        • Reference ID: (Internal only) may contain alpha, numeric, and symbols. This field is searchable by the Agency and can help Users tie multiple bids together. Ex: High-level project number, project manager, bond measure, etc.
        • Project Type*: type of projects (quotes, bids, information, proposal, qualification). Each template has a different list of types available to use.
        • Response Format*:
          • Electronic Only: Bidder must submit their bid electronically through the PB System™.
          • Paper Only: Bidder must submit their bid hard copy to the Agency.
          • Electronic and Paper: Bidder may either submit electronically through the PB System™ or submit a hard copy to the Agency.
            • Notes Displayed in eBidding: this field is only available if electronic submission options have been selected. Bidders will only see this field when they start to enter in their submission, and it is used as a courtesy reminder note to electronic Bidders. Anyone submitting via paper will not see this note.   Field will expand as needed.
        • Response Types*: for electronic bids, what information Bidders need to complete, and for paper bids, what information User will record manually into the PB System™ after the bid closes. Select the box to one or more options.

          Note: Quotes and Bids require at min 1 line item. RFP, RFI, and RFQualification requires either Response File or Cost File selected if Line Item is not selected.

          • Line Item: line item list of items the Agency wants to procure.
          • Cost File: (only on General and Professional Services template) instead of completing line items, Bidder must upload an attachment with their cost offer. This document is locked when the bid closes, and the Agency will have to release it to view the attachment.
          • Response File: (only on General and Professional Services template) mandatory file upload for the Bidder's proposal or qualification statement.
          • Subcontractors: (available only with Advanced eBidding for Public Works on the Public Works and Professional Services template) mandates the Bidder check either they have no subcontractors or list at least one subcontractor on their bid.
          • Bid Bond: (available only with Advanced eBidding for Public Works on the Public Works and Professional Services template) mandates the Bidder either check they will be submitting a cashier's check or requires that the Bidder uploads their bid bond to the submission.
          • General Attachments: Agency can require additional documents.
            • Select Add to add more general attachments.
            • Optional change the Attachment label from General Attachment to document title (ex: Good Faith Effort).
              • Select X to remove the document field.
              • Select Required box to make the document a mandatory item the Bidder must upload to their bid.

                Note: the General Attachment title must be short and cannot exceed 100 characters.

        • Type of Award: defines how the award information will be displayed.
          • Split: drops the awardee field into each line of the bid. Agency can award each line to one or multiple Bidders or not at all.
          • Lump Sum: awardee information is at the top of the awards page. Agency can award to one or multiple Bidders or not at all.
        • Categories*: select one or more categories to notify Vendors of the bid opportunity.
          • Select Add. 
          • Search: enter in a code or description to find category codes.
          • Select one or more codes related to the bid.
          • Optional: Select Show only selected categories to see a list of all selected codes.
          • Select Save.                             

                           Note: By Invitation Only bids do require at least one category code for reporting                            purposes. Once one or more codes have been selected, Vendor Notifications section                     will expand options, and directly below, a list of all Vendors to be notified will appear                     in a scrollable window.

        • Vendor Notifications: based on the category codes selected, this will display the list of Vendors who will be notified of the bid once the status has been changed to Planning or Bidding.
          • By Invite Only: select this box to handpick which Vendors will be notified of the opportunity. Only the selected Vendors will be able to view and participate in the bid once they have logged in.
            • To select Vendors, scroll through the list of Vendors (found) and click on their name.
            • This will move them to the Selected Vendors column.

              Note: Clear Search will change the Vendors (found) display to all Vendors in the Agency database regardless of which code(s) User selected. Use the Name field to find the Vendor quickly.

          • Category: can add more codes or select a private Group to expand notifications. Groups are private codes the Agency creates. Agency will place the Vendor into the group for quick look-up. This is great for prequalified Vendors and plan rooms. (To create a Group, see Admin Manual).
          • License Type: (only available if Agency has been configured for construction contractor licenses). Select one or more license types. This will narrow the notification outreach to only those Vendors registered under one of the category codes selected AND also has one of the license types selected.
            • Select Inclusive to expand outreach. PB System™ will now notify any Vendor under the category code(s) selected OR any license type selected.
          • Vendor Type: (only available if Agency has been configured for Vendor classifications, ethnic and/or gender). Select one or more types. This will narrow the notification outreach to only those Vendors registered under one of the category codes selected AND also has one of the types selected.
          • Country: will default to All Countries. Allows outreach to be narrowed down to Vendors who reside only within a selected country.
          • State/Province: will default to All States/Provinces. Allows outreach to be narrowed down to Vendors who reside only within a selected States/Provinces.
          • City: will default to All Cities. Allows outreach to be narrowed down to Vendors who reside only within a selected Cities.
          • Zip/Postal Code: will default to All Zip/Postal Codes. Allows outreach to be narrowed down to Vendors who reside only within a selected Zip/Postal Codes.
        • Bid Broadcast: provides extended outreach to Vendors not directly registered with the Agency.
          • Place the bid in Planning or Bidding stage.
          • Select Activate Bid Broadcast.
          • Select Categories.  Users must select at least one from the list of ALL Agency codes.
          • Select Save when complete.
          • Select any other criteria from the list of options.
          • Select Search.  
          • PB System™ will return the number of Vendors registered at other Agencies that met the criteria selected.

            Note: PB System™ will display the number of maximum Vendors for additional outreach. If the PB System™ finds over the Agency max limit, the PB System™ will randomly select Vendors from the list and notify them of the opportunity when the bid is saved. The outreach max number does not affect the number of Vendors directly registered with the Agency. All Agency Vendors meeting criteria will be notified.

        • Contact Information:
          • Contact Name/Phone: PB System™ will default the User's current information. Users may override this information.
          • Email PB System™ will default the User's email. Users may override this information.
          • Bids to: optional field to let the Vendor know that another 3rd party will be receiving bids.
          • Owner's Agency: optional field to let the Vendor know the address of the 3rd party that will be receiving bids.
        • Department and Address*: PB System™ defaults to Users dept and address.
        • Other Bid Details: optional fields
          • Engineer's Estimate /Target Bid Amount: (title varies per template), this field must be a single dollar amount. Once the bid has been awarded, User can run a Cost Savings Report against this amount.
          • Estimated Bid Value: User can enter in a single dollar amount, a range, alpha/numeric values.
          • Bid Valid: how long submitted offers shall be valid.
          • Liquidated Damages: enter any liquidated damage value or note.
          • Start/Delivery Date: if the project has an official start or delivery date, User may enter it here.
          • Project Duration: how long the project should last.
          • License Requirements: required licenses Bidder must hold to complete the project or be given the award.
          • Prevailing Wage: flags bid as having prevailing wage (also known as Davis/Bacon) requirement and allows User to search All PB Agency bids by prevailing wage requirement.
          • Cooperative Bid: flags bid as having been conducted as a cooperative bid and allows User to search All PB Agency bids by cooperative flag.
          • Piggy-Backable: flags bid as having piggy-backable language and allows Users to search All PB Agency bids piggy-backable flag.
        • Bid Bond: allows the Public to know if there are bonding requirements by bond type.
          • Format: select the drop-down arrow to change from % to $.
          • Bid Bond: enter amount Vendor must hold.
          • Payment Bond: enter amount Vendor must hold.
          • Performance Bond: enter amount Vendor must hold.
        • Pre-Bid Meeting: informs the Public if there will be a pre-bid (job-walk) meeting. Prospective Bidders will be able to RSVP the name and email address of who will be attending.
          • Select Yes if there will be a meeting. Default is No.
            • Mandatory: informs the Public if the meeting is mandatory or optional.
              • Select Yes, Default is No.
            • Pre-Bid Meeting on*: informs public of meeting date/time.
              • Select anywhere in the date field.
              • Select Date- tip: use your keyboard to navigate by tabbing to the hour, time, AM/PM.
              • Select Hour, Time and AM/PM

                Next to the Due Date field, there is an additional calendar icon. Select to view dates and times of other projects at the Agency.

              • Select Calendar Icon located outside of the Due Date field.
              • View calendar dates with and without activity. Heat map will let you know how busy a specific date is.
              • Hover mouse over a date to see the types of events.
              • Select a date to see specific dates/times for each event
              • Click on a time to set the event date in the project
              • Select Done to return to the project.
            • Pre-Bid Meeting Location*: enter in meeting location information. Field will expand as needed.
        • Q&A: allows Prospective Bidders to submit questions before the deadline set.
          • Select Yes, if there will be a Q&A period. Default is No.
            • Due on*: informs public of question submission deadline.
              • Select anywhere in the date field
              • Select Date- tip: use your keyboard to navigate by tabbing to the hour, time, AM/PM.
              • Select Hour, Time and AM/PM

                Next to the Due Date field, there is an additional calendar icon. Select to view dates and times of other projects at the Agency.

              • Select Calendar Icon located outside of the Due Date field
              • View calendar dates with and without activity. Heat map will let you know how busy a specific date is.
              • Hover mouse over a date to see the types of events
              • Select a date to see specific dates/times for each event
              • Click on a time to set the event date in the project
              • Select Done to return to the project.
            • Question Notification List: PB System™ will email list when a Prospective Bidder submits a question. Email list may only contain Users of the PB System™. Email will instruct User to enter the bid to view the question.
              • Select Add to add more emails.
              • Enter email address, one per box.
                • Select X to remove an email address.
        • Preferences: informs the Public that the Agency will be applying a presence to submitted bids where the Bidder meets preference calculation requirements (Ex: SBE 5%, DVBE 3-10%, Local 1-3%). If set, PB System™ will assist in calculating preference using the Bid Tabulation Report.
          • Select Prefer Local: PB System™ configured local designation based upon zip codes provided to PB by the Agency.
          • Select Add.
            • Select one or more Vendor classifications, ethnicity, or gender.
            • Select Save. 
        • Restrictions: allows the Agency to create a hybrid between and public bid posting and a By Invite Only bid posting. Bid posting will be viewable by the Public, but Prospective Bidders will not be able to do specific actions unless they qualify.
          • Select one of the following options:
            • Downloads and eBidding: Prospective Bidders will not be able to download documents marked Private or allowed to submit an electronic bid unless they meet the restriction criteria set.
            • eBidding only: Prospective Bidders cannot submit an electronic bid unless they meet the restriction criteria set.
              • Classification: Prospective Bidder must have at least one from the list of classifications selected in their profile to progress on. Once a Prospective Bidder updates their profile with the missing information, they can progress on.
                • Select Add and/or select Restrict to Local. Local is based on zip codes and is defined during Agency configuration.
                • Select all that apply.
                • Select Save.
              • Group: Prospective Bidder must belong to at least one of the groups selected. Agency must place the Vendor into the Group. See Vendor Management to place a vendor in a group.
                • Select Add.
                • Select all that apply.
                • Select Save. 
        • Description and Scope: brief introduction to the bid before Vendors sign up to become a Prospective Bidder and download documents or line items.
          • Scope of Services: free form area to introduce the project to the potential Bidders. Field will expand as needed.
          • Other Details: free form area to impart other details of the project to the potential Bidders. Field will expand as needed.
          • Notes: free form area to provide additional notes on the project to the potential Bidders. Field will expand as needed.
          • Special Notices: standard policies and statements used by the Agency when introducing the project to potential Bidders. Library of statements is configured in Admin, Bid Management (See Admin Manual).
            • Select Add. 
            • Select all statements that apply.
            • Select Save. 
          • Local Program & Policies: free form area to inform potential Bidders of local programs and policies applicable to the project. Field will expand as needed.
        • Bid Administration: administrative area regarding display of the project to Vendors as well as manage internal notifications.
          • Internal Notification Email List: bcc's anyone listed on all emails sent to the Vendor community on the project. A default list may be configured in Admin, Settings. (See Admin Manual).
            • Select Add.
            • Email to Notify: enter in an email address.
              • Select X to remove an email.
            • Repeat as needed.
          • Hide from All Vendors: available only in Planning or Bidding stages. Hides the project from the Vendor's view without having to close the bid. Allows the clock to run out on its own.
          • Archived: available only in Closed, Award Pending, Awarded, Canceled, and Rejected stages. Hides the bid from the Public and removes it from daily view for the Agency. Agency Users will need to change search criteria to show Archived bids.
          • Advertise Bid: PlanetBids offers multiple agencies the ability to create a central landing page for Vendors to see all bids from each Agency. Great for counties or areas with a large number of PB agencies. Selecting this box will share the bid posting on the shared portal. (Contact Sales for more information).
          • Re-issue Bid: allows the user to copy the current solicitation into a new record in Draft stage. User can now modify the new solicitation as needed.
          • Delete Bid: allows the User to delete any bid that has not been published. This action cannot be undone.
             H. Line Items Tab
        • Export: exports line items into Excel.
        • Add Section: creates another section of line items. PB System™ will automatically tally each section. Includes Line Item Library folder to select multiple lines from the library at the same time.
          • Select Section Title to rename the section.
          • Select the folder to open Line Item Library.
            • Use search box to search by code or description.
            • Select all that apply.
            • Select Insert.
              • Once inserted into the bid, User can make any necessary edits to the line.
        • Import: quick import of line items into a solicitation. Use the Line Item Import template found on the Home page, under News and Events. Select the post to download the excel form. See number see above for more detail.
        • Unit Price Precision: toggle between 2 and 4 decimal places. This will control submitted pricing.
        • Item Code: Agency part number or Agency line item numbering. Includes access to Agency line item library. (See Admin Manual).
        • Type: Agency defined tag for the item. Public will not see this information. The Agency configures type definition in Admin, Bid Management. (See Admin Manual).
        • Description*: description of the item to be procured.
        • UOM*: unit of measure.
        • QTY*:
        • Reference: free form area. Great for notes to Prospective Bidders regarding the item.
        • Unit Price: only found on Public Works template. Sets the amount Bidders must have in their bid submission for this line. (Ex: allowance amounts).
        • MFR: not found on Public Works template. Manufacturer.
        • Model #: not found on Public Works template. Model # for the item.
        • Brand Req: not found on Public Works template. Brand requirement for the item. Drop down selection: blank, Sole Brand, Equivalent, No Preference.
        • Delivery Loc: not found on Public Works template. Delivery location. The Agency configures drop-down list Admin, Bid Management. (See Admin Manual).
        • Categories: allows the Agency to tag the individual line item with one or more category codes. Agency configures category code list in Admin, Categories. (See Admin Manual).
        • Line Item add: To manually create a list of line items, do the following:
          • Select Section 1 to retitle the section.
          • Line 1: enter in at minimum the Description, UOM, and QTY fields.
            • Item Code/Line Item Library: the item code field will contain a folder if the agency has created a Line Item Library in Admin, Bid Management. (See Admin Manual).
              • Select the field.
              • Type in code number or description.
              • Select from a list of possible choices.
              • Once selected, user may edit the line.
          • To add more lines:
            • Hover mouse over the existing line.
            • Hover mouse over either the top or bottom green + at the beginning of the line.
            • Select the green arrow.
              • This will insert a line above or below the existing line.
            • Enter the second line-item information.

              Note: Users may create as many line items and sections as needed EXCEPT for the Quick Quote template. Quick Quote allows for 30-line items or less.

        • Line Item Import: To import a list of line items, do the following:
          • Select Import.
          • Select Browse Files or drag and drop the import template.
          • Select File.
          • Import Line Items box will appear.
            • Columns in blue, select ⱽ to ignore the column
            • My sheet has a header row, unselect if your worksheet does not have column headers.
            • Select Continue.
            • Select either:
              • Add to existing line items (to add to the bottom of the current list of line items on the solicitation OR
              • Replace the existing line items to import lines starting at line 1. This will replace all current lines.

            • Select Finish.

        • Once all lines are created, user may use mouse to “grab” a line and drag to another position.
        • Select any line number to remove the line.
        • Reorder Sections: Changes the order in which the sections appear. This action can be done in Draft, Planning or Bidding stages.
          • After all sections have been created, move to a different tab within the bid
          • Return to the Line Items tab and Reorder Sections will be available.
            • Select Reorder Sections
            • Select a section title and drag and drop to the desired position.

             I.  Documents Tab

        • Select Document Library File to add any document from the Agency library. Library is configured in Admin, Bid Management. (See Admin Manual).
        • 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 attached, queued for upload, and or saved as a Draft, User can modify the list of documents.

          • Select Remove to remove the file. Once the bid is in Planning or Bidding stage, Remove will change to Recall. Recalled files will be grayed out and no longer available for download. Prospective Bidders who have downloaded the file will be notified.
          • Select any row under # and place a position number. This will reorganize the files and can be done at any stage. Any document without a number will default to the top display on the Vendor Portal.
          • Select Public to make a document Public or Private. Private documents require a Vendor to log in and place their name on the Prospective Bidder's list. This is important for notifications of Addendum or Emails. Once logged in, PB System™ will track download and actions taken by the Vendor during the bidding process.
        • Select Require Document Terms and Conditions to require Prospective Bidders to acknowledge Agency configured Document Download message. The message is configured in Admin, Settings. (See Admin Manual).
        • Download Cost: only if agreed to between the Agency and PlanetBids™, Agency can assign a cost to be paid by the Vendor before downloading documents. Once paid, Vendor may download the doc multiple times without repayment.

             J. Save Bid

                  Select Save Bid to save the bid in the current status. PB System™ will return Users to the              search area once save is completed. If in Planning or Bidding stage, User will be asked to              Publish. Publish will announce and post the bid.

             K. Editing a Draft Bid

        • Select the bid to open. All bids will be locked to prevent unwanted edits.
        • Select Edit to release the form.
        • Users may now edit any field.
        • Select Save Bid once all edits have been made.

           L. Delete a Draft Bid

        • Select the bid to open.
        • Scroll to the bottom of Bid Detail tab.
        • Select Delete Bid.
        • Select Delete (all deletions are final) or select Cancel to back out of the deletion.

         

      M. Managing the Approval Process for a Bid

        • Requesting Approval
          • Open the bid and select Edit.
          • Change Project Stage to Needs Approval.
            • Select the Approver.
            • Select Save. The selected Approver will receive a notice requesting their review.
        • Managing a Request for Approval
          • Search for the bid and select to open.
          • Select Edit. 
            • Approver can make any necessary changes OR detail changes to be made under Comments/History.
        • Change Project Status to:
          • Change Requested: originator must make necessary changes and request approval again.
          • Request Approved: originator can place bid in Planning or Bidding stage at their discretion.
          • Request Denied: originator cannot place bid in Planning or Bidding stage.
          • Planning: releases the bid to the Public or By Invite Only Vendors and sends announcement. This stage does not need a due date. Activates Bid Broadcast function.
          • Bidding: releases the bid to the Public or By Invite Only Vendors and sends an announcement. This stage does need a due date. Activates Bid Broadcast function.

            Note: Approver may place bid in Planning or Bidding stage. If requestor is a Draft Only user, the Approver will need to do this step and manage the project moving forward.

            N. Placing a Bid in Planning or Bidding Stage

        • Open the bid and select Edit.
        • Change Project Stage to Planning or Bidding.
          • To extend outreach beyond those Vendors directly registered with the Agency, scroll down to BidBroadcast.
          • Select Activate BidBroadcast.
            • Select at least one code from the Categories list. Users may use any code listed.
            • Select any additional criteria.
            • Select Search. Failure to do this step will prevent BidBroadcast from issuing notices.

              Note: PB System™ will return the number of Vendors registered with other PB agencies under the criteria selected. PB System™ will display the number of additional notifications BidBroadcast allows for the Agency.

            • If the PB System™ finds less than the number set, PB System™ will notify all.
            • If the PB System™ finds over the number set, PB System™ will randomly select up to the allowed amount. 

              When the bid is published, all registered Agency Vendors meeting the outreach criteria will be notified of the opportunity. Additional Vendors, up to the number allowed registered at other PB agencies, will be notified as well.

            • Select Save Bid.
            • Select Publish to post the bid. Select Cancel to return to the bid and make further edits.

      VII. Managing the Solicitation      

             Once the project is in Planning or Bidding Stages, additional tabs will become available.

            A. Bid Information Tab

                 General advertisement area for the solicitation. Users can edit fields as well as send an                 email to all Agency Notified Vendors.

               Note: Edits made to fields within the Bid Information tab may generate a warning                          message based upon the Bidder activity within the bid.

      • If there are no Prospective Bidders, edits are allowed without notifying the Vendors.
      • If there are Prospective Bidders, PB System™ will generate a warning and allow the User to: cancel the edit, make the edit without notice to the Prospective Bidders list, send a general email to the Prospective Bidders list, or issue an addendum to the Prospective Bidders list.
      • If there are Bidders, PB System™ will generate a warning and allow the User to cancel the edit or issue an addendum to the Prospective Bidders list. Bidders will be required to acknowledge the new addendum and resubmit their offer. Their previous offer has been saved as a draft.
        • To send an email:
          • Scroll to Vendor Notifications.
          • Select Send Email.
          • Complete form and select Save.

          • If no other edits, select Save Bid.

        • To export Notified Vendors:
          • Scroll to Vendor Notifications
          • Select Export

            B. Line Item Tab

                 All line items related to the solicitation. Users can edit fields, remove, and add lines.

                Note: Edits made to fields within the Line Item tab may generate a warning message                      based upon the Bidder activity within the bid.

        • To Remove a line:
          • Place the mouse over the line number. Number will change to an X.
          • Select X. 
        • To Add a line:
          • Enter the line information on the last line available within the section.
          • Select Add. 
            • If there are no Prospective Bidders, edits are allowed without notifying the Vendors.
            • If there are Prospective Bidders, PB System™ will generate a warning and allow the User to: cancel the edit, make the edit without notice to the Prospective Bidders list, send a general email to the Prospective Bidders list, or issue an addendum to the Prospective Bidders list.
            • If there are Bidders, PB System™ will generate a warning and allow the User to cancel the edit or issue an addendum to the Prospective Bidders list. Bidders will be required to acknowledge the new addendum and resubmit their offer. Their previous offer has been saved as a draft.
            C. Documents Tab

                  Contains the primary documents for the project. Use can add, recall, and organize any                   file.

        • To Recall a document:
          • Select Recall.
            • Once the action has been saved, the action cannot be changed.
            • Any Prospective Bidder who has already downloaded the recalled file will receive a notice of Recall. Document will not be grayed out, marked Recalled, and will not be available for download by Vendors.
          • To reorder documents:
            • In the column labeled #, enter the position number for the document order. Documents without a number will display at the top of the list on the Vendor Portal.
            • Click away from the field.
            • Documents will reorder.
              • If there are no Prospective Bidders, edits are allowed without notifying the Vendors.
              • If there are Prospective Bidders, PB System™ will generate a warning and allow the User to: cancel the edit, make the edit without notice to the Prospective Bidders list, send a general email to the Prospective Bidders list, or issue an addendum to the Prospective Bidders list.
              • If there are Bidders, PB System™ will generate a warning and allow the User to cancel the edit or issue an addendum to the Prospective Bidders list. Bidders will be required to acknowledge the new addendum and resubmit their offer. Their previous offer has been saved as a draft.

              D. Prospective Bidders Tab

                   Vendors who are interested in the bid can place their name on the Prospective Bidder's                 list by selecting one of the following options on the bid advertisement: Pre-Bid Meeting               RSVP, Export Line Items, Download Private documents, Ask A Question, Acknowledge                   Addenda, or Place eBid.

                  Users can add, update multiple, export, manage, and send emails to the Prospective                      Bidder's list.

        • Add: manually add a vendor to the prospective bidders list.
          • Select Add.
          • Read warning notice and select OK. 
          • Enter company name to search database for an existing profile.
          • Select the company name
            • If the company name does not appear, select Create Vendor.
            • Complete the Form: (minimum mandatory fields) and select Submit.

                                        WARNING: before creating a new Vendor profile, search for the Vendor by all                                    possible variations of their name. TIP: search by character string. (Ex: T.W.                                           Applied Electrical. Enter Applied Elect in the name field).

            • Generate Email: The PB System™ will automatically generate an email to the Vendor, instructing the Vendor on how to log in and update the profile.
            • Update information within the profile including pre-bid meeting attendance, classification (PW template) and Status
            • Select Done. 
        • Update Multiple: allows the User to quickly select multiple Prospective Bidders and update selected fields.
          • Select Update Selected.
          • Select Prospective Bidders to be updated. The prospective bidder’s list is scrollable with mouse wheel. Select the box at the top of the list to select all prospective bidders.
          • Complete the form on the right.
            • Attended Pre-Bid Meeting: Yes / No. If pre-bid meeting was mandatory and the vendor did not attend, you must also change their status to either Non-Bidder to prevent the vendor from submitting an offer electronically (ebids only).
            • Prospective Bidder Status: change vendors from Bidder to either Non-Bidder, with communication or Non-Bidder without communication (on this project only) or change vendor back to Bidder status.
            • Non-Bidder Comment: note area as to why their status was changed to Non-Bidder.
          • Select Save. 
        • Send Email: emails are sent to all Prospective s except those marked non- Bidder, no communication.
          • Custom Email: User can create a custom email to be sent to all Prospective Bidders and displays the email on the public posting for the Public to see.
          • Pre-Bid Reminder: reminds all Prospective Bidders who have not said no to the Pre-Bid RSVP of the upcoming meeting. User can add to the message before sending.
          • Bid Closing Reminder: reminds all Prospective Bidders the bid is about to close. User can add to the message before sending.
          • Non-Participation Survey: emails all Prospective Bidders with the status Bidder who did not submit an offer, asking them why they did not participate. User can add to the message before sending.
        • Document Download Report: provides a list of all prospective bidders who have downloaded at least one document after logging in. Report details the title of each document withing the bid and the date/time the vendor downloaded the document.
          • Select Export or Done to exit
        • Status Reasons Report: provides a list of prospective bidders who changed their status from Bidder to Non-Bidder and the reason why. Agency can build a common list of reasons in Admin, Bid Management. 

          Agency can issue a Non-Bidder Survey email after the bid has closed asking vendors to update their status.

        • Pre-Bid Meeting RSVP Report: provides a list of all prospective bidders and sorts by those who have RSVP’d including the name and emails of those who plan to attend, those who have declined to attend and those who have not yet responded.
          • Select Export or Done to exit

        • Export: Exports Prospective Bidder information, including reasons for not submitting an offer.
        • Display Prospective Bidder's list on Public Site: Agency default can be overridden by checking or unchecking the box.
        • Column Headers:
          • Vendor: contact information of the Prospective Bidder
          • Type: any classifications, ethnicity, or gender held by the Vendor. Data comes from the Vendor profile and Business Certification if the Agency is using this module.
          • Status: current Prospective Bidders status. Vendor and Agency can change the status. Status controls Vendor participation in the individual project only.
            • Bidder: Vendor can bid and will receive all emails on this project—default status for all Prospective Bidders.
            • Non-Bidder, with communication: Vendor is not allowed to bid but will still receive all emails on this project. If Vendor selects this status, they must enter why they will not bid. Agency can run the export to see the detail. Only the Agency can place a Vendor back into Bidder status.
            • Non-Bidder, without communication: Vendor is not allowed to bid and will no longer receive communication on this project. Does not affect other current or new projects. If Vendor selects this status, they must enter why they will not bid. Agency can run the export to see the detail. Only the Agency can place a Vendor back into Bidder status.
          • Pre-Bid: if pre-bid meeting is configured on Bid Information, this column will appear. Show Agency record of Vendor pre-bid meeting attendance. This can be shown or not shown to the Public.
          • Classification: only on the Public Works template will display if the Vendor plans on participating as a Prime, Subcontractor, Supplier, or Other on the bid. Allows for greater networking amongst Prospective Bidders.
          • VBID: Indicates the Vendor has a saved or submitted bid. If the Vendor name appears on the Bid Results tab, the Vendor has submitted. If the Vendor name does not appear on the Bid Results tab, the Vendor has a saved (incomplete) offer in the works.
        • To Edit or View an individual Prospective Bidder profile:
          • Select (Name of Prospective Bidder): profile contains contact information, Vendor types (classification, ethnicity, and gender), pre-bid meeting attendance, Bidder classification (prime, subcontractor, supplier, or other), Bidder status, Date Added to the Prospective Bidder list, Reason Added (what action initiated their name on the Prospective Bidders list), Pre-Bid Meeting RSVP list, List of each file downloaded by the Agency and when Addenda acknowledgment record.
          • Agency can edit any open fields.
          • Select Done to save changes.
          • Select Save and Publish.
         

                              Note: Subcontractor Ads

                              Found on the Vendor Portal only, Vendors will have the opportunity to place Sub                           Bid Ads for a min fee. The ads will appear after the Prospective Bidder tab and in                            VendorLIne™. The section will list all Vendors seeking subcontractors. Vendors will                          be able to purchase a GFE document.

            E. Q&A Tab

      Manages the Q&A process for the bid. Vendors can submit questions to the Agency IF:

      • Vendor is logged in and is a Prospective Bidder.
      • Agency has configured bid to have a Q&A session.
      • Deadline for submission of questions has not passed.

      In Admin, Settings (See Admin Manual), the Agency can configure a standard Agency message to appear when a Vendor enters a question.

      When a Vendor enters their questions, they may add as many questions as they need by selecting Add Question. Vendor may include a single attachment to each question. (Agency can configure the PB System™ to remove this option from ALL Agency bids). Vendor may edit or remove a question before submitting.

      Upon submission, the Vendor will receive a confirmation on-screen and a confirmation email. Please note, the question will not appear on the bid's public side until the Agency completes two (2) actions. 1- Agency must answer the question, AND 2- Agency must release the question. Unreleased answers will not appear on the public side.

      • Release Q&A: manages the release of selected questions and their answers via general email or formal addendum. Release will email everyone on the Prospective Bidders list based on status and post the release on the public side. When released, the PB System™ will not display who asked it to the Public. Display shows only the release date, release set number, question and answer, and release type (email or addenda number).
      • Export: exports all submitter names, dates of submission, questions, and any answers already entered into Excel.
      • Select All: selects all unreleased answered questions.
      • Select None: unselects all selected unreleased answered questions.
      • Add New: User can manually add a new question to the list of submitted Vendor questions. PB System™ records the entry as "Agency asked question" in the Vendor name field.
      • Expand All: expands all questions and answers.
      • Collapse All: collapses any open question and answer.

        • To Answer a Question
          • Select either Expand All or select an individual question.
          • Enter the response. Field will expand as needed.
          • Select the question title to collapse the individual question and move to the next OR
          • Use the tab key to move to move through the list.
          • Select Save Bid to save answers and return later to make further edits or release at a later date.
        • To Release Questions
          • Select one or more questions for release. Released questions must have an answer.
            • Select Release Q&A.
            • Select Cancel, Email, or Addendum.
            • Complete Email or Addendum form.
              • Description field will expand as needed.
            • Select Done. 
          • Select Save Bid and Email or Addendum notice will be sent automatically to all Prospective Bidders with status Bidder or Non-Bidder, with communication.
             F. Addenda/Emails Tab

      Users can create, manage, and view all issued addenda and emails.

      Addenda

      Send Ack Reminder: will issue an email reminding any Prospective Bidder in Bidder status who has not acknowledged ALL issued addendum.

      Post: User can create an addendum not related to an edit on the Bid Information, Line Items, or Documents tab. (If these areas are edited, when the User saves the changes, if there are Prospective Bidders or Bidders, the User may issue an addendum directly from where they are in the PB System™).

      View Addenda Acknowledgements: displays all Prospective Bidders, pre-bid meeting attendance once recorded by the Agency, each addendum issued, and if the Vendor has acknowledged the addendum or not. This list may be exported.

      Recall: only appears when an addendum has been issued. User can recall the addendum. All Prospective Bidders with appropriate status will receive the notice of Recall. Addendum will no longer be accessible to the Public and no longer requires acknowledgment. Addendum number may be reused.

        • To issue an addendum.
          • Select Post. 
          • Complete Addendum Detail box.
            • Description field will expand as needed.
          • Select Done. Addendum will not appear until the User saves the bid.
          • Select Save Bid and Publish.
        • To Recall an addendum.
          • Select Recall.
          • Select Save Bid and Publish.

      Email History:

      All custom emails the User generates will appear in this area. Users may use the Filter List drop-down to sort emails by email generation option used.

      Custom emails except for those sent to individual Bidders will be posted on the Vendor Portal. See Bid Results, Send Email for more detail.

      When an addendum is issued the email generated will appear here. Expand to view the list of prospective bidders notified. This email is not shown on the Vendor Portal.

      Select any email to open and view the message details.

       

            G. Bid Results Tab

                 Bid Results allows the Agency to conduct an immediate Public Bid opening once the bid              closes or release bid results any time after the bid closes. Agency is in control of how                    much data is released to the Public.   Users can override PB System™ settings before bid             closing and after bid closing.

              Note: submitted documents will never be released to the Public. This is to protect the                 Agency from the accidental release of confidential information. Even if the bid does not r             require confidential information to be submitted, a Vendor might accidentally select the             wrong attachment.

        • To Configure Bid Results:
          • Select or unselect Make Bid Results Public. If on before the bid closes, PB System™ will automatically release bid results as configured when the bid closes.
          • If selected:
            • Enter Public Notes if applicable. Field will expand as needed.
            • Select Line Item Detail option.
              • None: line items and pricing will not be displayed
              • All Line Items and Totals: line item unit price, line total, section subtotals, and grand totals will be displayed.
              • Section and Grand Totals: only each section subtotals and the grand total will be displayed.
              • Grand Totals: only the grand totals will be displayed.

                Note: If Advanced eBidding for Public Works, Subcontractor option was selected in Response Types, only All Line Items and Totals selection will display the subcontractor data to the Public.

            • Select Show Status
              • Yes, with comment: will display bid responsiveness determination once the User makes the entry. Users can opt to leave a comment on the Bidder's bid and display the comment to the Public.  
              • Yes, without comment: will display bid responsiveness determination once the User makes the entry. Users can opt to leave a comment on the Bidder's bid and hide the comment from the Public.  
              • No: will hide both the bid responsiveness determination and buyer comment from the Public.
            • Select Vendor Detail option
              • Complete Vendor Info: displays the company name, address, and the person who submitted on behalf of the company.
              • Vendor Name Only: displays only the company name.
            • Select Display Ranking option
              • Select or unselect to display Ranking information. User will enter the ranking for each Bidder after review. Available only for RFI, RFP, and RFQual Project Types.
            • Select Save Bid and Publish.
        • To Review Bid Results: Agency can view limited bid results information while the bid is still bidding. Agency cannot see the amount column or open submitted bids until the bid closes.
          • Release Cost File: once the bid has closed, cost files are sealed until the User selects Release Cost File and selects Save Bid. PB System™ will record who released the file for the Agency.
          • Release Cost to Evaluators: available only if the Agency has Evaluation. Evaluators will not be able to open the Cost File or view Bid Amount column until Agency User selects Release Cost to Evaluators and selects Save Bid.
          • VBID: Indicates the Vendor has a saved or submitted bid. If the Vendor name appears on the Bid Results tab, the Vendor has submitted. If the Vendor name does not appear on the Bid Results tab, the Vendor has a saved (incomplete) offer in the works.
          • Vendor: name of the company who has submitted an offer.
          • Vendor Type: any classifications, ethnicity, or gender held by the Vendor. Data comes from the Vendor profile and Business Certification if the Agency is using this module.
          • Bid Amount: only shown after the bid has closed. Displays the grand total of all line items or 0 if the Project Type is RFI, RFP, or RFQual, and line items were not required. Users can enter this amount once the real cost has been determined.
          • Bid Ranking: only shown if the Project Type is RFI, RFP, or RFQual and the bid has closed. Users can enter ranking once it has been determined.
          • Submit Date: date and time of submission.
          • Status: current status of the offer to the Agency.
            • Submitted: Agency may open the submission once the bid closes.
            • Invalidated: Agency issued an addendum after the Vendor submitted their offer. See Addenda/Emails tab. Agency cannot open the bid submission once the bid closes.
            • Withdrawn: offer was marked withdrawn.
              • If the Vendor withdraws the bid, the Agency cannot open the offer.
              • If the Agency marks the bid Withdrawn after the bid closes, Agency will continue to be able to open the offer.
          • Resp: displays if the Agency has marked the submitted bid responsive. Bidder must have a yes in the Response column to be awarded the bid.
        • To Open an Offer
          • Select Bidder.
          • Select any tab to view submission details.
            • Detail tab: displays Vendor information, including contractor license and additional contractor registration, required field. In CA, this is the DIR registration.
              • Respondee: who submitted on behalf of the company.
              • Respondee Title: title of the person submitting the offer.
              • Respondee Phone:
              • Ext:
              • Respondee Email: email of person submitting an offer. Emails from the Bid Results tab will go to this email address only.
              • Delivery Method/time: does not appear on Public Works template.
              • Comment: respondee submitted comment.
              • Bid Responsive: Agency will mark the bid Yes, No, or Withdrawn after review of the offer.
              • Buyer Comment: Agency can leave a general comment about the offer.
              • Submission Date: date/time the offer was received.
              • Submission Format: electronic or paper submission.
              • Bid Amount: total from all line items or User will enter this amount after determining the cost submitted in a Response or Cost File.
              • Discount Total: only shows if there are line items, and the Agency accepts Net Discount Terms options. This is determined during implementation.
              • Ranking: Agency will enter the final ranking for RFI, RFP, and RFQuals.
              • Delete Bid: only available on paper bids. Allows Agency to correct an error.
            • Attachments: displays all attachments submitted by the Bidder. Agency can individually download or view each document or select Download All to download all submitted documents by the Bidder into a zip file.
            • Subcontractors: only available with Advanced eBidding for Public Works. Displays Bidders list of subcontractors or No Subcontractors selection.
              • Expand All: show all subcontractor detail information.
              • Collapse All: collapses all open records.
              •  Select any subcontractor name to expand the individual record. Agency can verify subcontractor contractor license and license and additional contractor registration required field. In CA, this is the DIR registration.
            • Line Item: view all line item unit price, line extended price, subtotal, grand total, and comments by Bidder.
        • To manually add a Bidder: Agency can only add a submitted paper bid after the bid has closed AND the bid Response Format was set to Paper Only or Electronic & Paper.  
          • Select Add.
          • Type the Company name.
            • Select when profile box appears.
              • If profile box does not appear, check the spelling on the Prospective Bidder tab.
            • Bidder must be on the Prospective Bidder list with a status of Bidder. Users may edit their status if necessary.
            • If Bidder is not on the Prospective Bidder list, Users will need to add them.
          • Agency does not have any validation and can opt to skip all fields or complete any of the fields on the Detail, Attachment, Subcontractor, and Line Items tab.
          • Select Done.
          • Repeat as needed.
          • Select Save Bid. This step is not necessary right away but is highly recommended.
        • Update Multiple: Update multiple allows the user to quickly update bidder information in a batch.
          • Select Update Selected.
          • Select Bidders to be updated. The bidder’s list is scrollable with mouse wheel.
          • Complete the form on the right.
            • Delete Bid: select Yes / No. Applies only to paper submissions. Allows the agency user to correct data entry errors.
            • Responsive: select Yes / No. To award the project the bidder(s) must be marked responsive.
            • Comment: note area for agency use. If Show Status is set to Yes, with comment, this field will be shown to the public.
        • Send Email: Send public or private emails to bidders.
          • Select Send Email.
          • Select bidder(s) to notify.
          • Complete email form.
          • Select Send.
          • Select Save and Submit.

            Note: If all bidders listed are selected, email will be sent and posted under Addenda/Email tab for the public to see. If all but one is selected, email will only be sent to only the selected bidders and will not be posted for the public to see. Both emails will be posted internally.

            WARNING: If there is only one bidder on the Bid Results tab, the email will be posted publicly.

        • Report: Displays Bid Tabulation Report. Bid Tabulation report displays all line item description, UOM, QTY, and each Bidder's unit price offer.
          • Highlight: Select County Highway District from the list to highlight the lowest offer by line, section subtotal, grand total, or show all highlights. Report can be exported to Excel. Select Done to exit the report.
        • Export: Provides the User with two different exports of bid result data.
          • Export by Bidder Info- Bidder's details.
          • Export by Bid Results- comparison of Bidder's bid amounts.

             H. Awards Tab

                   Users can manage project status after the bid has closed.

        • Export:
          • Provides the User with two different exports of award data.
            • Export by Line Items: only available if doing a split award.
            • Export by Vendor: available for split or lump sum award.
        • Award Status:
          • Closed: bid is closed; no more offers will be accepted.
          • Award Pending: also known as the intent to award status. Usually starts the Agency protest submission countdown.   Protest cannot be submitted via the PB System™.
          • Award: final award made.
          • Canceled: project was canceled, and no awards will be made. Bid Results and Awards tab will no longer be viewable by the Public, regardless of Agency setting on Bid Results. Awards tab will no longer be available to the Agency.
          • Canceled: project was canceled, and no awards will be made. Bid Results and Awards tab will no longer be viewable by the Public, regardless of Agency setting on Bid Results. Awards tab will no longer be available to t

            WARNING:       Status cannot be changed.

                                        PB System™ does not generate an email.

                                         Notices must be sent before the bid is saved.  



          • Rejected: the Agency rejected all bids. Bid Results and Awards tab will no longer be viewable by the Public, regardless of Agency setting on Bid Results. Users can return to change status.

            WARNING:      PB System™ does not generate an email.

                                       Notices must be sent before the bid is saved.  

          • Type of Award: allows User to change the display of award area from Lump Sum to Split. Split will drop the awardee name and amount selection box into each line of the bid. Split award is not available on the Public Works template.
          • Date: defaults to today's date. Date can be backdated if needed.
          • Award total: auto-populates based upon award to selections and lines/sections to be awarded.
          • Internal Notes: User can leave private notes about the award. Public has no access to this area. Field will expand as needed.
          • Display Awards on Public Site: displays awardee name, line, and sections and which were included or not included in the award and award amount if checked.
          • Display Award Amount on Public Site: only displays the award amount on the public site IF Display Awards on Public Site is selected.
          • Public Notes: User can leave a message to the Public regarding award information. Field will expand as needed.
          • Award to: User can select one or more Bidders for award.
          • Line items and sections will display below.
        • Place bid in Award Pending or Award Status
          • Select Award Status option
          • Change Date if applicable.
          • Select Type of Award if using the Quick Quote, General, or Professional Services Template with line items.
          • Enter Internal Notes if applicable. Field will expand as needed.
          • Select or unselect Display Awards on Public Site.
            • Unselect will deactivate Public Notes Field and Display Award Amount on Public Site.
          • Select or unselect Display Award Amount on Public Site.
          • Enter Public Notes if applicable. Field will expand as needed.
          • Select Award To.
            • Select all that apply
              • If Bidder does not appear in the Choose Vendor to Award box, return to the Bid Results tab and mark awardee(s) responsive.
            • Select Done.
            • For Lump Sum Type of Award, uncheck any section that will not be part of the award. Display Award Amount will deduct this amount.
            • Select Save Bid.
            • Complete Bid Award Notice email
              • Select Send or select Don't Send. This will email all Bidders and post the notice on the public site.   If Users do not send the email, the next time Users edit/submit the bid, the option will return until Users use the option.
            • Select Submit to complete the changes or select Cancel to return to the bid for alternations.
        • Place bid in Canceled status
          • Select Award Status option
          • Change Date if applicable.
          • Enter Internal Notes if applicable.
          • Select Save Bid.

            Note: Bid Results and Awards tab will no longer be viewable by the Public, regardless of Agency setting on Bid Results. Awards tab will no longer be available to the Agency.

            Be sure to send a custom email BEFORE saving the change if Users wish to notify Vendors.

            WARNING:      Status cannot be changed.

                                      PB System™ does not generate an email.

                                       Notices must be sent before the bid is saved.  

        • Change Status back to Closed
          • Change Award Status to Closed.
          • Uncheck all selected Vendors in Award To if bid was in Award Pending or Awarded status. Not applicable for Rejected status.
          • Enter Internal Notes if applicable.
          • Select or unselect Display Awards on Public Site.
            • Unselect will deactivate Public Notes Field and Display Award Amount on Public Site.
          • Enter Public Notes if applicable.
          • Select Save Bid.
          • Select Submit.

            Note: PB System™ does not automatically notify Vendors of this change.



             I. Comments/History Tab

                Tracks last User to make an update and Project Stage changes. Users may also leave                         notes  or comments. Comments/History tab is not viewable by the Public. Approvers may            use this area to communicate with Users on needed changes to the bid prior to approval.               Field will expand as needed.

             J. Summary Tab 

                 Vertical view of all details on the different bid sections. Includes a direct link to the bid                 on   the Vendor side. This link is available in draft mode and can be used for any 3rd party             advertisement. (Ex: newspapers, periodicals). Summary tab is not viewable by the Public.            Public may print a summary.

        • Project Print: Prints the full solicitation or user can select specific sections or user can select specific sections.

             K. Reports Tab

        • Project Participation Report: List of all vendors who were a part of the solicitation and what level the participated.
        • Ethnicity/Gender: breakdown of vendor participation by ethnicity and gender based on types listed in Agency Vendor Management, Admin.
        • Classification: breakdown of vendor participation by classification types listed in Agency Vendor Management, Admin.
        • Cost Savings: comparison of awarded, highest, mean, median and lowest bids against the amount entered in Engineer’s Estimate or Target Bid Amount field.
          • Running Reports
            • Select report Type.
            • Select target Group.
              • Select Show unspecified and unpopulated by default the system will exclude this group.

             L. Re-Issue a Bid

        • Select the bid to open. Bid can be in any stage.
        • Scroll to the bottom of the Bid Detail tab.
        • Select Re-Issue Bid.
        • Previous bid has now been copied into a new project. By default, it is now in Draft stage. You may make any necessary edits. Due dates and Documents have not been copied.

      VIII. Reports

      Available reports are based upon the modules used by the Agency.

             A. Bid Management Reports

        • Bid Activity Report A comprehensive report containing a list of projects with bid and buyer information; a breakdown of which template and project type were used; the total number of notified vendors, prospective bidders, bidders, awards with a breakdown for each classification; and total amount awarded.
        • Bid Activity Summary Report A report showing the total number and percentage of notified vendors, prospective bidders, bidders, awards and award amounts for each classification based on the total number of bids.
        • Bid Revenue Report Projects with a download cost and the fees collected from download payments.
          • Select Bid Revenue Report.
          • Select Export. 
        • Cost Savings Report Analysis of cost savings for projects in Awarded and Award Pending stages. Award amount is compared with the Target Bid Amount/Engineer’s Estimate when provided. The report also provides the lowest, mean, median, and highest bid per project and compares these values with the award amount.
        • Line Item Report The report provides pricing analysis for bids using line items listed in the Line Items Library. The analysis includes the highest, lowest, average bidder amounts and awarded for the line items. (See Admin Manual to configure Line Item Library).
          • Select Line Item Report.
          • Search by Item Code, Item Type, Keyword, UOM, Ref, Categories, Brand Req
          • Select Search. 
            • Uncheck any line and select Load to recalculate results.
        • Bid Counts: A bar chart showing Bid Counts by Buyer, Department, Template, and Project Type.
        • Awarded Bids Summary Export An export of Awarded projects listing vendors that bid for the project, their bid amount, the date the projects were awarded and the amount.

             B. Vendor Management Reports

        • Vendor Activity Report A comprehensive report of registered vendors with their activity and Classifications. Activity reported includes the number of solicitations each vendor received; number of times they’ve become a prospective bidder, bidder, and an awardee (with amount awarded).
        • Vendor Types Report A report showing the number of registered vendors and percentage for each Classification, Ethnicity, and Gender.
        • Vendor Types By Category Reports A report showing the number and percentage of registered vendors for each category code, and the number and percentage of vendor with each Classification, Ethnicity, and Gender.
          • Select Load to load all codes or
          • Select Categories to individual select one or more codes
            • Select Save. 
            • Select Load.