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From the Home screen, select Procurement > Inquiry > Inquiries Overview.
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Click Add Inquiry.
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Type the Inquiry Number.
Alternatively, create the inquiry number using a number rule as follows:
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Click Automatic Number.
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Select a Number Rule.
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Click Generate Number.
The inquiry number is automatically generated, if a pre-defined number rule is assigned to project default ZP_INQRULE and a pre-defined number range to project default ZP_INQRANG. If project default ZP_REQ_DP is set to Y, the number range value and the number rule are taken from the discipline of the requisition, otherwise from the currently selected discipline
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Keep or update the Inquiry Type, Agreement Budget and Currency.
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Optionally, type or select values as required.
For detailed field descriptions see Inquiry Details.
The fields of the Inquiries Details tab and their descriptions are listed below.
Field
Description
Inquiry Number
Number of the inquiry
Supplement
Inquiry supplement number
Inquiry Header
Purchase
If Purchase is set to Yes, you can create agreements from the quotes associated with this inquiry. If it is set to No, you cannot transform any quote resulting from this inquiry into a Purchase Order or Subcontract agreement; you can only create a blanket order or a master agreement.
Inquiry Type
The inquiry type specifies which agreement type is available for the inquiry later on, it is either Order or Subcontract.
Agreement Type
The available agreement types depend on the Purchase indicator value, the selected inquiry type, and the setting of project default ZP_CONSPCI.
If the inquiry can only be used for inquiries and ZP_CONSPCI is set to Y, only the agreement type Blanket Order is available for inquiry type Order and only the agreement type Master Agreement is available for inquiry type Subcontract.
If the inquiry can be used for purchasing or if the project default ZP_CONSPCI is set to N, more options are available.
If the inquiry type is Order, you can select:
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Blanket Order
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Purchase Order
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Notice of Commitment
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Notice to Proceed
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Blanket Order Release
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Field Order
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Rental Order
If the inquiry type is Subcontract, you can select:
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Master Agreement
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Subcontract
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Notice of Commitment
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Notice to Proceed
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Service Agreement
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Work Order
If a blanket order is assigned to a requisition, you can create a purchase order (= blanket order release) based on this blanket order. If a master agreement is assigned to a requisition, you can create a work order based on this master agreement. A notice of commitment can be converted into a purchase order.
Payment Type
You can assign a payment type from the select list to the inquiry, the available values are:
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Measured Qty
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Milestone Progress
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Schedule of Values
Pricing Type
You can select a pre-defined pricing type from the select list.
Agreement Budget
Enter a value to define a budget for the agreement resulting from this inquiry. If the budget was already specified on the requisition, it would be copied and displayed here.
Currency
Currency of the inquiry. On creating a new inquiry, the currency defined with project default ZX_CURCY is set, but it can be changed.
Buyer
The buyer is assigned when creating the inquiry and cannot be changed.
Short Description
Type the inquiry short description.
Description
Type the inquiry description.
Reason for Supplement
Only displayed on supplements greater 0 (zero). An inquiry supplement greater 0 can only be approved after entering the Reason for Supplement.
Materials
Material or Service Type
If you select a material or service type, you would restrict the selectable materials or services to this type.
Material or Service
If you select a material or service, you can only assign bidders to the inquiry who can provide this material or service.
If technical and/or commercial questions are defined for the selected material or service, these questions are attached to the inquiry and the line items.
Revision
Displays the revision of the selected material or service.
Class System Code
To assign a CMS (Component Management System) class system to the inquiry, select a value from the select list.
Class Revision
Displays the revision of the selected class system.
Dates/Events
Created On
Displays the date when the inquiry was created. This date is automatically set on inquiry creation but can be updated.
NIB Due Date
Enter the Notice of Intent to Bid due date to define the latest date when the bidders should notify whether they want submit a bid.
Bid Due Date
Enter the bid due date to define the latest date when the bids must be returned from the bidders.
On inquiry creation, the bid due date is set automatically depending on the setting of project default ZP_CALC_BD as follows:
If ZP_CALC_BD is not set, the bid due date is calculated by adding 14 days to the actual date, without consideration of the project calendar.
If ZP_CALC_BD is set to any negative value, the bid due date is not set.
If ZP_CALC_BD is set to a positive value, the bid due date is calculated by adding the number of days given by the project default to the actual date, under consideration of the project calendar.
If ZP_CALC_BD is set to 0 (zero), the bid due date is copied from the previous supplement when a new inquiry supplement is created.
If the calculated date is not in the range of the project calendar, the current date plus 14 days is entered.
If you update Issued On and the inquiry is not approved, the bid due date is recalculated according to the rules described above, based on the entered issue date instead of the actual date. If the issue date is cleared, the bid due date remains unchanged.
Bid Due Time
You can enter a time in any format to define the latest time when the bids must be returned from the bidders.
Revised Bid Due Date
If the due date must be updated after approval you can enter the revised bid due date.
Post Bid Due Date
If project default ZP_TND_PRD is set to Y, the post bid due date specifies the date from when the buyer can view the bids. This means, the bids would not be available until this date, although the bid due date is already over.
Post Revised Bid Due Date
If project default ZP_TND_PRD is set to Y, the post revised bid due date specifies the date from when the buyer can view the bids. This means, the bids would not be available until this date, although the revised bid due date is already over.
Bid Opening Date
If project default ZP_TND_PRD is set to Y and the bid due date and revised bid due date are in the future, the bid opening date specifies the date when the bidding information of this inquiry will be available. If no bid opening date is entered or the entered date lies after the (revised) bid due date, the bidding information will be available when the tender period ends.
Approved On
Displays the date when the inquiry is approved.
Approved By
Displays the user who has approved the inquiry.
Issued Date
Enter the date on which the inquiry has been issued. Future dates are not allowed. When updating the issue date of the inquiry, the bid due date is recalculated as described above under Bid Due Date. If project default ZP_SET_ID is set to Y, the issue date of the inquiry is copied to the corresponding quotes. If ZB_SET_ID is set to N, the issue date of the quotes is not changed.
Settings
Request Bidder Approval
Selecting this checkbox will initiate the approval procedure for the list of bidders assigned to the inquiry and the software will send an e-mail to the first user on the approval sequence, requesting the approval of the bidder list. The this requires setting up an approval sequence on the Bidders tab beforehand.
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This checkbox is only enabled if project default ZP_BIDEVAL is set to Y.
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Before you can set this checkbox, all bidders assigned to the inquiry must be marked as evaluated and accepted on the Bidders tab.
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After all members of the approval sequence have approved, Bidders Approved is marked automatically.
Bidders Approved
This indicator shows if the list of bidders assigned to the inquiry has been approved. If project default ZP_SUPAPRV is set to Y, the inquiry can only be approved if Bidders Approved is selected.
Inquiry RfA
Select Inquiry RfA to indicate that the inquiry is Ready for Approval. If project default ZP_SUPAPRV is set to Y, Bidders Approved must be checked before you can select Inquiry RfA.
NDA Exemption
Select NDA Exemption to allow the assigned bidders to provide a bid for this inquiry although an NDA is required for this project (project default ZP_NDA is set to Y) and the bidders’ NDA status does not entitle to participate in the bidding process.
Summarize Line Items
Select the Summarize Line Items check box to sum up identical requisition line items on one quote detail on inquiry approval. Material is regarded as being identical if the ident code, tag number, unit of the released quantity, group-by and summary properties of the MTO are the same. If you do not select this check box, material will not be summarized and each requisition line item will result in a quote detail. You should use this option if you need to separate your material because of different prices, delivery designations, delivery dates, and so forth. The default value of this check box is specified by the project default ZP_DEF_SLI.
Allow Split Tag
If you want to disable the Split Tag functionality for this inquiry in Smart Materials Portal, clear Allow Split Tag check box.
Allow Split Quantity
If you want to disable the Create Split functionality for this inquiry in Smart Materials Portal, clear Allow Split Quantity check box.
Non-Public
If project default ZP_ALLOPTD is set to Y and Non-Public is selected, the inquiry is only available in Smart Materials Portal to the bidders who are assigned to the inquiry. If Non-Public is cleared, the inquiry is shown to all bidders.
Portal
If the inquiry should not be available in Smart Materials Portal, clear Portal check box. If the project default ZP_DEF_PTL is set to Y, Portal is selected by default when a new inquiry is created.
Miscellaneous
Section
If a section is assigned to the inquiry, only buyers allowed for this section can edit the inquiry.
Expediting Level
Optionally, assign an expediting level to the inquiry.
Inspection Level
Optionally, assign an inspection level to the inquiry.
Criticality Level
Optionally, assign a criticality level to the inquiry.
Approval Template for Quotes
Here you can assign an approval template to the inquiry. All templates of type Quote Summary are available. The content of this approval template will be copied to the quote summaries that are created when approving the inquiry.
The approval template will be ignored on approval of an inquiry supplement > 0 (zero), in this case, the approval sequence as defined for the quotes on the previous inquiry supplement is kept.
Property Set
Optionally, assign a pre-defined Property Set to the inquiry, to display the properties of the set on the Quotation Details - Miscellaneous tab in Smart Materials Portal. Subcontractors can use these properties to provide appropriate values on the quote detail level.
Justification
The entry in the Justification box can be used to determine whether the inquiry approval can be done or not. For example, if the Justification contains any text, the inquiry can be approved. The check is performed using the M_PCK_QUOTE_CUSTOM.CHECK_BEFORE_INQ_APPR CIP,
Reason for Update of Tender Reference Amount
If the tender reference amount was changed during the approval, the reason for updating is displayed here.
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Click Save.
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From the Home screen, select Procurement > Inquiry > Inquiries Overview.
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Click Add Inquiry.
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Type the Inquiry Number.
Alternatively, create the inquiry number using a number rule as follows:
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Click Automatic Number.
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Select a Number Rule.
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Click Generate Number.
The inquiry number is automatically generated, if a pre-defined number rule is assigned to project default ZP_INQRULE and a pre-defined number range to project default ZP_INQRANG. If project default ZP_REQ_DP is set to Y, the number range value and the number rule are taken from the discipline of the requisition, otherwise from the currently selected discipline
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Keep or update the Inquiry Type, Agreement Budget and Currency.
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Optionally, type or select values as required.
For detailed field descriptions see
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Click Save.