Extended RFx Processing

You use this business process to assess technical and price-based RFx responses. This is part of a specialized process called tendering and includes two-envelope RFx response processing with the following optional steps:

 Tender fee payment

 Earnest money deposit payment

 Multiparty verification of RFx responses

Two-envelope RFx response processing is used when purchasing organizations want to evaluate RFx responses from bidders on not only price information, but also technical or other qualitative information.

This allows the purchasing organization to assess the RFx response by looking at the technical

information first, before viewing the price information. Then, the purchasing organization decides whether or not to accept the RFx response. In this situation, the bidder must submit an RFx response containing technical information and price information. This differs from the standard RFx response, which contains price information only.

Prerequisites

You have activated the business functionSRM, Supplier Collaboration (SRM_SUCO_1).

You do not have to activate the business function SAP SRM Procurement for Public Sector

Functions(/SAPPSSRM/SRM_PPS). If you have previously activated this business function, it remains active.

You have performed the following activities in Customizing for SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) under:

 SRM Server RFx Extended RFx Process Envelope RFx Response Activate/Deactivate Two-Envelope RFx .

 SRM Server RFx Extended RFx Process Envelope RFx Response Define Basic Data for Two-Envelope RFx Response .

 SRM Server RFx Extended RFx Process Two-Envelope RFx Response Define Basic Data for Technical RFx Response Folders .

 SRM Server RFx Extended RFx Process Simultaneous Logon Activate/Deactivate Simultaneous Logon at RFx Response Opening .

 SRM Server RFx Extended RFx Process Simultaneous Logon Define Basic Data for Simultaneous Logon .

You have also done the following:

 Activated two-envelope RFx response for the required transaction and publication type in transaction Maintain Table Views (SM30), view /SAPPSSRM/V_TNDR.

 Activated the simultaneous logon function for the required transaction and publication type in transaction Maintain Table Views (SM30), view /SAPPSSRM/V_TNDR.

Process

The following business process runs in SAP SRM and SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM) cFolders systems. You can navigate from one system to the other using the SAP NetWeaver portal or the SAP NetWeaver Business Client (NWBC).

Purchaser Creates New RFx Document for Two-Envelope RFx Response

1. The purchaser creates an RFx document of a transaction type that is customized for two-envelope response.

2. The purchaser enters the submission deadline for the RFx document, and also sets two opening dates - one for the technical RFx response and another for the price response.

3. The purchaser adds bidder contacts who respond with the RFx response.

4. The purchaser adds items using product search or retrieves details from a catalog.

5. The purchaser can add and weight questions for the bidders to respond.

6. The purchaser chooses Technical RFx to create a cFolders collaboration room area for the RFx document, and to create the necessary subfolders. For example, the purchaser can create an external folder, where public documents are uploaded.

7. The purchaser can additionally add new users and assign read, write, or administrator authorizations to the users.

Purchaser Defines Tender Fee Payment Details (Optional)

If a tender fee is required from bidders before submitting their two-envelope RFx responses, the following steps must be performed before publishing the RFx document:.

1. The purchaser specifies whether or not the tender fee is required.

2. The purchaser specifies the tender fee amount.

3. The purchaser sets a submission deadline for tender fee payment.

Purchaser Defines Earnest Money Deposit Details (Optional)

If earnest money deposit must be paid by winning bidders, the following steps must be performed before publishing the RFx document:

1. The purchaser specifies whether or not the earnest money deposit is required.

2. The purchaser specifies the earnest money deposit amount.

3. The purchaser sets the submission deadline for earnest money deposit payment.

Purchaser Defines Multiparty Verification Settings (Optional)

If multiparty verification (simultaneous logon) is required to open the two-envelope RFx responses, the following steps must be performed before publishing the RFx document:

1. The purchaser chooses Permissions in the identification area to set the multiparty verification authorization.

2. The purchaser also sets his or her own user ID or that of an authorized purchasing officer and defines the user ID as Bid Floor Admin.

3. The purchaser can set the user ID of an authorized technical officer, from the purchasing company, to technical opener.

4. The purchaser can set the user ID of an authorized purchasing officer or manager, from the purchasing company, to price opener.

5. The purchaser can add one or more users as technical evaluators to evaluate technical RFx responses.

6. The purchaser can add additional users as stakeholders of the RFx document and they can participate in the multiparty verification process.

Purchaser Publishes the Two- Envelope RFx Document 1. The purchaser publishes the RFx document.

2. The bidders who were invited to participate, are notified by e-mail or fax according to the settings for the bidder.

Bidder Pays Tender Fee (Optional)

The bidder must pay the tender fee before being allowed to submit the two-envelope RFx response.

1. The bidder opens the RFx document.

2. If tender fee payment is required, the bidder cannot create a response document until the tender fee is paid.

3. The bidder navigates to the payment gateway from the RFx document and pays the tender fee.

4. The bidder can then create a new RFx response.

Bidder submits Two-Envelope RFx Response

1. The bidder receives a notification for the RFx document.

2. The bidder logs on to the SRM system to view the RFx document.

3. The bidder creates a new RFx response.

4. The system creates a unique folder for the bidder in the cFolders collaboration room and assigns write authorization for the bidder.

5. The bidder chooses Technical RFx Response, navigates to the cFolders collaboration room, and uploads the documents to the assigned folder.

6. The bidder enters the submitted quantity and price details in the Item Overview section.

7. The bidder then submits both the technical and price RFx responses.

Bidder Makes Earnest Money Deposit (Optional)

The bidder pays the earnest money deposit where required.

1. The bidder opens the RFx document.

2. If the earnest money deposit payment is required, then the bidder navigates to the payment gateway from the RFx document and pays the deposit amount.

3. Alternatively, the bidder can send payment by check or bank draft to the purchaser.

4. The purchaser updates the earnest money deposit payment in the system at a later stage.

Two Envelope RFx Response Opening and Evaluation

The following steps are required when multiparty verification is not enabled:

1. The purchaser initiates the technical RFx response opening.

2. The technical evaluation panel evaluates the technical RFx responses.

3. The technical evaluators navigate to the cFolders collaboration room and submit their feedback in the Evaluationfolder.

4. The purchaser then navigates to the technical RFx response overview and accepts or rejects each technical RFx response according to the decision of the evaluation panel.

5. Depending on the settings made in Customizing, an e-mail notification is sent to all bidders notifying them of the decision of the evaluation panel. And, if configured, the price RFx responses of bidders whose technical RFx responses were rejected by the evaluation panel are automatically rejected.

6. The purchaser then initiates price RFx response opening.

7. The price evaluation panel evaluates the price RFx responses of the bidders who were shortlisted by the technical evaluation panel.

8. An award is made.

Two-Envelope Response Opening with Multiparty Verification (Optional)

The following steps are required when multiparty verification is enabled. The verification happens before the actual response opening.

1. When the purchaser opens the technical RFx response, the system sends an e-mail notification to all users with the technical opener role informing them that they need to approve the process. They have a defined period of time to complete the approval process

2. The technical RFx response opener navigates to the Simultaneous Logon application and approves the process by entering his or her system password.

3. This step is repeated by all users who have been assigned the technical opener role by the purchaser.

4. The system updates the process overview with the users’ approval status.

5. When all RFx response openers have approved the opening process, the system gives the process the status successful and makes the RFx response available for the evaluation process.

Note

If the process has not been approved by all RFx response openers by the end of the approval period, the purchaser can either extend the process or the process fails and all users taking part in the process are informed of the failed opening. In this case, the process must be initiated again by the purchaser.

6. The technical RFx responses are evaluated by the evaluation panel and the above steps are repeated for the price RFx responses.

Note

After the technical and price RFx responses have been opened, you must complete steps 2–8 of the previous process Two Envelope RFx Response Opening and Evaluation.

7. An award is made.