BIS Procedures (On and Off - Line)
Bids/Proposals/Addendums/Rebids

1. On-line BIS Procedures
1. BIS Templates
BIS templates are forms for different types of bids and proposals. These should always be the top page of any bid or proposal. If issuing an addendum, that form would be the top page.
1. Set up a new file in your J Drive folder. Use the RX # as the file name. This is where all of the documents related to this bid/proposal will be saved. In some cases, you may even choose to save e-mail communications in this folder.
2. Choose a template from your J Drive folder that seems most appropriate for the specific bid/proposal. The Bid Long is a very common one used.
3. Type in the information requested by the buyer into the proper template.
   TIP: Many times entering the current date on the left will move the due date on the right out of aliagnment. To fix this, unprotect the document, move the due date back to the left for proper formatting and then re-protect the document.
   Standard Instructions: See standard instructions on bids/proposal.

4. For RFP documents, it is wise to double check the following:
   • Due date on the RFP template with the due dates noted in the RFP document. These are listed in two places in the RFP document.
   • Verify that the attachments listed on the table of contents are included in the RFP document.
   • Review the Table of Contents numbering. With the many changes made to these RFP documents, the table of contents may not be in sync with the information in the RFP.
5. Save the template as both a MS Word Doc and a PDF doc into the J Drive folder.
6. Write the due date you (or the buyer) assigned at the top middle area of the RX.
7. Attachments: If the RX has information on an attachment, either key that information into the bid/proposal template or scan the information into the file in the J Drive. Many departments are now providing some of these attachments electronically and these can just be edited as directed by the buyer and saved to the file as both the MS word and PDF doc.
8. Merging documents: Once all of the separate documents are keyed and saved, Open them in Adobe Acrobat Reader so you can merge all the documents together into one document. The bid template (cover page) should be on top (or addendum, later), followed by any attachment specifications (or RFP documents) or scanned pages, and always end with the bid terms and conditions as the last page. Scroll through the merged document just to double check that all of the pages are there and in the order you expected. Save this merged document to your J Drive folder. Follow the file names below wherever possible.
9. Print the bid/proposal and give the buyer the folder along with this printed Master copy clipped to the outside front cover. The buyer will review and return the approved (initialed) copy. See Sample copy of a bid document.
10. Draw a diagonal line completely across the RX form. At the bottom right hand corner of the line, write in your initials and the date you completed the bid.
2. Naming the Files
Since PA s are responsible for covering for each other when someone is out on vacation or sick, it is helpful for the PA s to use consistent names for the files so other PA s can easily understand what documents are saved where.
Each PA has their own folder in the J Drive. Below is an example of the structure of documents inside a typical PA File folder on the J Drive.
Go to J Drive and Open Folder assigned to you (or use the short cut provided on your Desktop).
Below is a hierarchy of the recommended way of organizing the folders and files on the J Drive.
1. Look for the folder that has been set up for you by the LAN Coordinator.
2. Inside the PA folder set up a folder for the Fiscal Year.
3. Inside the Fiscal Year folder set up a DONE folder for each fiscal year. As files are finished, move them from your active files into the appropriate fiscal year DONE folder.
4. Inside the Fiscal Year folder set up for each of the buyers assigned to you.
5. Inside the buyer folder, set up a folder for each bid or proposal number. Save your templates here.
6. Inside the specific bid or proposal folder save the files under the following names:

   bid.doc and bid.pdf	MS Word and PDF versions of the bid template
   Specs.doc and Specs.pdf, or SpecsScanned	Additional .doc, .pdf, or scanned specifications
   BidComplete.pdf	Merged PDF document for the original bid, including the Terms and Conditions
   BidComplete+Add1.pdf	Merged document with the possible addendum
   Tab.xls and Tab.pdf	MS Excel Tab Template
   Award.doc/xls, and Award.pdf	MS Word/Excel Template

3. Sign into BIS
1. Open Netscape Communicator or Internet Explorer
2. Sign into BIS at http://bidinfo.umn.edu or Sign into Purchasing's HomePage and click on BIS
3. Bookmark these for future reference
4. Click on Log into BIS
5. Type in your User Name and Password (your x.500)
4. Adding a Bid/Proposal Request in BIS
Once the bid / proposal template is complete and there is a merged document saved. Sign into BIS to start entering the information to issue the bid e-mail to the selected vendors.
1. Click on Add Request under the heading Request Management (See Screen Sample)
2. Begin filling in the fields with information from the RX.
3. Date Received - Current date
4. Due Date - Default is 10 working days from today or any date assigned by the buyer on the RX. If the request is an RFP, make sure the BIS screens have the same due date as the date entered on the bid/proposal template.
5. Request # - This is the RX #. Include the Area number with no dashes or spaces.
6. Requester's x.500 id - Click on LOOKUP to find id. Highlight the copy and paste the first line - Internet ID into this BIS field.
7. Request Description - Enter the information from the BIS Stamp on the RX. This displays to the vendors: 1) as they search for bids on-line in BIS, 2) on the Request History printed for the folder; and 3) in the e-mails sent to the vendor.
8. Requester's Name - key from the Requisition
9. Department Name - key from Requisition
10. Type of Request - Defaults to RFB. Change if you are entering any other type of document. Buyer will identify on the RX if the document will be a bid or proposal.
11. Category Code - These are lists of vendors that will be issued the bid/proposal from BIS.
    
    • Click on Sort By Category code to put them in numeric order.
    • Click on the requested category(s).
    • Click on Sort by Category again and the category(s) highlighted will pop out to the left side of the box. (Hold control button down while scrolling through list to select additional categories)
12. Recommended Vendors - Leave blank. This is for future expansion of the electronic RX.
13. Click on Buyer's x.500 and choose the appropriate buyer. This will forward a copy of the BIS e-mail and bid to the buyer's e-mail account.
14. Notes - Enter the Request Description again. This is a description of the bid/proposal that appears on the Manage Request Screen.
15. Fax/Phone Numbers - These fields were intended for the future electronic RX so they do not display anywhere else. Since they are required but no currently needed, just enter the area code and the next 3 digits of the phone number. The whole number is not needed.
16. Click on appropriate campus - Default is Twin Cities Campus. This will be correct for most documents. Change it for any documents issued for other campuses.
17. Click on Add Request.
18. BIS will display any error messages at the top of the screen. Otherwise, it will display that the record was entered successfully. Once the Request is added click on Manage Files & Status button to continue with the next section - Completing the bid.
5. Completing the bid in BIS
1. Click on Add a New File.
2. Click on Notes. Copy and Paste the Request Description in here. This displays on the Complete Request Screen and on the Request Viewer just before the vendor chooses to download a copy from on-line.
3. Confirm the Due date matches the assigned date.
4. Click on Browse. Choose the PDF bid complete file from your J Drive folder. This should include the bid template (cover page), any attachments or RPF documents, and the bid terms and conditions.
5. Click on Upload File. This ties the document to the e-mail that will be sent. This is a good time to check the size (or KBs) of the file. There are other chances to check this later on original bids, but on addendums this is your last chance to check this out so it is best to get in the habit of checking all files at this time.
6. Click on: To Complete the Request button and then click on Send Mail and Complete. The Request screen will appear.
7. Click on Continue to go to the Complete Request screen. This will give you a chance to verify that the right vendors have been selected for this document.
   At this point, you still can add or remove vendors from the final e-mail if there were any errors in who were selected. There is also a text box to enter additional comment that will appear on the e-mail to the vendors.
   Usually this is left blank on original bids. Use it to note if a bid is too large to fax and that the vendor should download a copy from BIS directly or use it to identify an addendum.
   Remember to look at the file size (KBs). Do not attached the bid/proposal to the e-mail if it is larger than 500 kb.
8. Click on Send Mail and Complete. A screen will display a list of all the vendors that were sent the e-mail. Any bounced e-mails will be forwarded to the BIS Coordinator for research and resending.
9. Return to Main menu and view the history of a request.
10. Search for the bid/proposal number just entered and print the Request History. This provides the details of who the e-mails were sent to and when. This should be filed in the back of the bid folder.
11. The bid/proposal has now been issued to all of the BIS vendors. If there are any non-BIS vendors, make sure they also get a copy of the document and make sure they are listed in the back of the folder.
12. Research and resend any bounced e-mails so that all vendors get their copies of the bids as close as possible to the same time.
    Once bid/proposal have been successfully sent, follow the BIS Off Line Procedures below to make up the paper bid/proposal folder.
6. Addendum Procedures in BIS
An addendum modifies a bid or proposal before the due date and time. Addenda must be sent to all of the original vendors plus any vendors that have requested a copy since the original was issued to ensure they all receive the same information.
Addenda are usually rushed since vendors need this new or changed information as soon as possible so they can incorporate the change into their response.
• Preparing the Addendum Document
1. Open the files and folders in your J Drive. Find the bid.doc (MS Word) saved in the specific bid/proposal folder and open the file. Change the type of document to be an Addendum and assign the addendum a number, ie: 1, 2, 3, etc.
2. Enter current date and update the due date if the buyer has requested an extension.
3. Move to the description field in the body of the document and insert lines so that the original text drops down to the next (2nd) page.
4. Move back up to the top of the text field and enter the addendum information as the start of the text area. This way the addendum information is now formatted at the beginning of the document.
5. Complete the addendum template and save the word document addendum page to your J Drive folder as bid complete + add1. Also save as bid complete +Add1.pdf
6. If there are additional pages related to the addendum that need to be sent with, use Adobe Acrobat to merge the PDF Addendum with any additional (scanned) pages.
7. For additional addenda (addendum #2, addendum #3, etc) follow the same procedure above but apply the correct addendum number to the template.
8. Print just the addendum page (and it's related scanned pages) since the rest of the document is already filed in the folder.
9. Put the addendum clipped to the top of the folder and have the buyer review and sign.
10. Continue with entering the document into BIS to send the addendum e-mail.
    NOTE: ADDENDUM MUST BE MERGED WITH THE ORIGINAL BID/PROPOSAL DOCUMENT BECAUSE ONCE THE ADDENDUM IS ADDED TO BIS, IT WILL REPLACE THE DOCUMENT THAT IS THERE. IF YOU ONLY ADD THE ADDENDUM PAGE ALONE, THEN ANY VENDORS THAT REQUEST THAT DOCUMENT AFTER YOU ADD THE ADDENDUM WILL ONLY GET THE ADDENDUM AND NOT THE WHOLE DOCUMENT.
• Entering the Addendum into BIS
1. Click on Manage Request Files & Status
2. At Search For A Request - type in the Bid # & click on Search.
3. Click on Modify Request Info - put today's date in date rec'd. Make changes.
   If the due date does not have a box around it, you will not be able to update the field with a new due date. If this is necessary, click on Update Request 2 times. This will change the field to an updateable field so a new due date may be entered.
4. Insert the Addendum description in front of the existing description field.
5. Click on Update Request & then click on Mgmt Files & Status.
6. Click on Update Req Documents at the bottom of page.
7. Click on Continue. Verify the vendors and categories are correct.
8. At Complete Request screen, scroll down & type in Notes: Addendum #1. This appears displays internally and displays to the vendor.
9. Browse to find the addendum document that you previously merged with the original document. Click on the file in your J Drive that you want to attach to the BIS e-mail.
10. Click on Yes to send mail to vendors & type an X to attach Document to email. Remember, don't attach large files (over 500k). The default on addendum documents is blank. If you want to send the addendum document with the e-mail, you much check the box. This is where you want to make sure that the file is not too big now.
    TIP: To view file size, go to pdf file in J drive and right click on document you are attaching to e-mail. This will display the document properties and the file size.
11. Click on Upload New Version to issue the bid to BIS vendors
12. Send the same Addendum document to any non-BIS vendors listed on the original list or who have picked up a copy since the original was issued. The vendors that receive the addendum appear on the Request History in the Updated Request portion.
7. Rebids
Rebids are documents that re-issue the bid after the original due date and time. Rebids usually change some of the specifications and assign a new due date and time. Some times they are issued to the same vendors or to other vendors.
The same folder is used since the bid/proposal number has not changed.
1. Prepare the Rebid Document using the Rebid Template in your J Drive folder. Save the document as a Word Document and a PDF.
2. Sign into BIS and click on Manage Request Files & Status.
3. In Search for a Request, type in the Bid/Proposal number in the Request number box and click Search to locate bid or proposal.
4. Scroll down to bottom and click on Cancel This Request. You will need to cancel the original bid, so the new rebid document can be issued.
5. For Send Mail Cancel Request, click No (usually) and then click continue. Since this cancel step is an internal step for us, we don't usually need to send a notice to vendors.
6. In the next screen, scroll down to the right and click on Update/Add File across from the current active bid.
7. Scroll down and type Rebid in Description and use the Browse to find the rebid file you saved in your J Drive file and connect it to BIS.
8. Then scroll up & click in Mgmt Files for Requsition Number, Click Modify Request Info to update new info, and click Update Request & Manage Files & Status.
9. Next scroll down to click on Rebid This Request.
10. Check Yes to Activate Rebid & To Attach Document to Email.
11. Click on Send Mail & Complete.
12. The remainder of process should be similar to an original bid.
13. Remove the original Tabulation from the public view during a Rebid. The original bid is not public information during the rebid process.
8. Large Bids/Proposals
These are documents that are larger than 1000k. BIS can accept larger file sizes, but many vendors' e-mail systems will not accept a file larger than 1000k, and in order to give all vendors that subscribe equal access to the documents, do not attach the larger file size documents to the email sent to vendors.
If you have a bid/proposal that is larger than 1000k:
1. Complete the bid/proposal template as usual. Save it to J drive in bid folder as a word document and a PDF.
2. Issue the bid/proposal on-line in BIS as usual up to the final screen.
3. In the additional comments box on the last screen, enter an explanation as to why the vendors are getting the e-mail with no attachment. For example:
   This document is too large to e-mail. Sign into BIS (http://bidinfo.umn.edu) and search for the referenced bid (or proposal) number. View the document and if you are interested, you may print the document from BIS.
   For large documents, the vendor's only get this notice that the bid/proposal was issued.
4. If you have other vendors that are non-Bis vendors that say they can accept larger files, you may send the document attached in a separate e-mail. Just be sure to log the name of the vendors in the back of the folder.
5. Send the department their departmental copy of the whole bid document. They do not have access to viewing and printing the document from BIS.
9. Standard Instructions
These are text wordings that buyers request on bids and purchase orders repeatedly. To ensure the wording is the same with each use, a master copy of the wording is kept and used on documents over and over.
1. Maintaining the Standards
• The BIS Coordinator is responsible for maintaining the standard instructions.
• A Master copy of all standard instructions are maintained in Word and Excel versions on the J Drive. A mirror copy is also maintained in ANTS. Any changes the BIS Coordinator makes to the Master copy will also be made to ANTS.
• These are not changed very often, but if typos are found, give the BIS Coordinator the standard number to fix any typos. If buyers request new wording, have the BIS Coordinator assign a new standard number and add the new wording to both Master file and ANTS.
• Occasionally, the buyers will be asked to review all of their standard instructions for accuracy and continued relevance. Any additions, changes or deletions will by provided to the BIS Coordinator for updating.
2. Using the Standards
• Most standards are used on bids/proposals. The buyer will write Std and the standard number on the RX.
• Search the Master file of standards (See J Drive) to find the wording, then copy and paste the information into the bid template.
• Some standards are used frequently, for example Std 203. You may want to copy this to a convenient area for your use.
• Some standards are used on POTs. Use the Master file to find the referenced standard. Copy and paste it into the POT document on CUFS.
• For Award Notices, use the standards provided in ANTs.
• U Stores has some standards specifically used on bids/proposals and a companion version used just for the purchase order or award. They are usually numerically right next to each other.
See also BIS Tabulation Documents
See also BIS Award Documents
2. Bid/RFP Off-Line Procedures
1. Files
1. Files will receive the requisition, apply appropriate stamps and route to buyer. See also Requisition procedures for more details.
2. When the new folder is received from the PA, stamp the name of the buyer on the lower right hand corner of the folder. See sample folder.
3. Record the new folder in two places:
   • On the "Bids to be Opened" Sheet that is located on the side of the filing cabinet, listed according to due date.
   • Also in CUFS on the URQS Table, stating a bid was issued with the corresponding bid opening date.
   • In the computer on the "Bids Opening" document
4. Once logged, the folder is filed in the "Unopened" filing cabinet in order by Area number until the date assigned. See also Bid Opening for more details.
2. Buyer tasks
1. The Buyer determine whether the request will be processed as a bid, a proposal or a sole source.
2. Assigns a due date or PA will use default of 10 working days from date of issue.
3. Assigns BIS category(s) and other vendors
4. Adds BIS description text to the stamp on the RX.
5. Edits the specifications, adds additional wording or recommends adding a standard instruction(s).
6. Reviews stamps for any additional attachments needed like Lease vs. buy, Clean Air or CED forms.
7. Forwards the draft RFP to department (and CED if $100,000 and over) for final approval prior to issuing.
8. If Sole Source, buyer will complete documentation and seek approvals prior to award. No bid document is needed.
9. The Buyer will advise if any alternate Terms and Conditions will be used, otherwise, the Standard Terms and Conditions will be included. See the Terms and Conditions Procedures.
3. PA Tasks
1. A file folder needs to be made up to hold the BIS documents and any other documentation. See the sample file folder for more details.
2. For BIDS the folder is manila (beige) for RFPs the folder is yellow.
3. Prepare the template bid/proposal in BIS and print the Master copy of the bid/proposal.
4. Obtain the buyer's signature on the Master copy.
5. Complete the BIS on-line process to attach the bid/proposal to the email and issue the emails to the vendors.
6. Be sure all e-mails are sent successfully and that all non-BIS vendors are sent copies as soon as possible by separate e-mail preferably. If no e-mail is available, then fax. Notify buyer if there will be any delay in issuing the bid/proposal to any of the vendors.
7. File the Request History in the back of the folder. Also write in the names of any vendors the department recommended that do not appear on the Request History. The names of any other vendors that get a copy of the bid/proposal must be logged in the back of the folder. We must have a complete list to ensure that any addendums are issued to all vendors that received the original bid.
8. Write on the front cover (lower left hand corner) the date of BIS e-mailing and identify if any other copies sent by fax or mail. See Sample bid folder.
   If any copies are faxed to vendors outside of BIS, make sure the fax went through by retrieving the fax confirmation sheet. These should be kept in the folder. If any NON-BIS vendors are sent copies by e-mail, also make sure that none of these e-mails are bounced. Since the PA sends these type of e-mails, any bounced e-mails are sent to the PA, who should research and resend as soon as possible. Discuss any unresolved ones with the buyer.
9. Mail Delays - Mail usually takes 2 or more days to reach the post office. This delay is detrimental when mailing bids with short due dates (less than 10 working days) and processed on Fridays. Vendors complain they miss bid opportunities because of these postal delays.
   To avoid unnecessary delays in the future, if a bid has a short due date, especially issuing on a Friday and it needs to be mailed, give that bid envelope to the receptionist. The Receptionist will take the envelope to Payroll for postage weighing, and will drop the envelope outside in the US mail box.
10. Once all bid/proposals copies are issued, bring the folder to Files to be recorded and filed.