MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Training State of Florida Solicitations Good afternoon, I am Crystal Owens and I am the Vendor and Sourcing Analyst for the MFMP team. Today I will be giving a short presentation on how you, the vendor, should view and respond to a solicitation. The main purpose of this training is to focus only on system functionality (i.e., what the system can do). If you have any questions specifically about today’s solicitation, please direct those inquires to _________________________________ Before we begin, I would like to address some technical items, all phone lines have been muted to reduce background noise during the presentation. If you have any questions, please enter them into the chat box and we will answer them throughout the session. For the vendors who have decided to join us today, please feel free to stop me if you have any questions.

Table of Contents Vendor Information Portal IE Compatibility Public User Accessing Solicitations Composing and Viewing Messages Responding to Solicitations Resources Today we will be discussing the following topics: Vendor Information Portal – also know as VIP. IE Compatibility and steps on how to updated your browser settings. We will also discuss how to view all formal State Purchasing solicitations by using the Public User Access. Next, we will move on to discuss how to access and view Solicitations in MFMP Sourcing. Then, we will cover Composing and Viewing Messages After that, we will discuss the steps on how to Respond to a Solicitation. And finally, we will conclude today’s training with some helpful Resources.

MFMP Vendor Information Portal The MFMP Vendor Information Portal VIP is a self-service online application that allows vendors to: Register to do business with the State of Florida Maintain their account/contact information View their performance rating scores View and submit their transaction fees Select commodity codes that match their business’ offered goods/services Let’s begin the presentation by looking at the Vendor Information Portal, which is the State of Florida’s self-service online application that allows vendors to: Register to do business with the State of Florida Maintain their account/contact information View their performance rating scores View and submit their transaction fees Select commodity codes that match their business’ offered goods/services In order to do business with the State of Florida, all vendors are required to register and maintain an account in VIP. If you need to create a new VIP account, MFMP U provides a recorded online training that explains the steps needed to create a new account. You may also contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk if you need additional support.

MFMP Vendor Information Portal Navigate throughout the application by using the I want to drop-down menu Maintain your account by keeping your commodity codes, locations and contact information updated (e.g., solicitations/sales contact) Your MFMP VIP and Sourcing accounts share the same username and password Complete account updates 48 hours before bid submissions are due Register to receive notifications on all open solicitations with your selected commodity codes Once you log into your account, you will see a dropdown box in the top right corner of the screen. This is how you will navigate throughout the application. You have the option to view or edit your password, locations, contact information and much more. If you choose to edit your password, just remember that your VIP account and MFMP Sourcing account share the same credentials. If you need to make any changes to your password, please do so at least 48 hours before any bid submissions are due. Another important point I would like to make is that in order to receive a notification about an event, you must have the commodity code listed on the solicitation and you must select ‘yes’ to receiving notifications from the Vendor Bid System and MFMP Sourcing application. If you choose to receive notifications, you will be required to enter an email address. (Does anyone have questions about VIP?)

IE Compatibility When using the Internet Explorer (IE) web browser for accessing and using MFMP applications, the MFMP team recommends enabling the compatibility view settings. See the IE Compatibility job aid for more information.  When you are using Internet Explorer to access MFMP, the MFMP team recommends enabling the compatibility view settings. See the IE Compatibility job aid for more information. 

MFMP Sourcing The Department of Management Services, Division of State Purchasing currently uses the MFMP Sourcing application to issue formal competitive bids On the login screen, enter the same username and password you use for your MFMP VIP account This is a screenshot of the login screen of MFMP Sourcing. As the slide states, MFMP Sourcing is the application that the Department of Management Services uses to issue formal competitive bids. The system provides 24/7 access and offers full transparency with the State of Florida. MFMP Sourcing stores all of your historical bids and offers a message board, where you will have the ability to ask questions about the solicitation. Please remember that you will log into MFMP Sourcing using the same username and password used when logging into your VIP account. If you have any issues with your credentials, please contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk.

Public User Access Public User Access view does not require a username or password Clicking the Public Access button allows vendors to view all open, formal solicitations Click the Preview button to view high-level information on the event Please Note: Vendors can only respond to these solicitations when they are logged into their MFMP Sourcing account and have a matching commodity code selected in MFMP VIP Now lets discuss Public User Access. Through MFMP Sourcing, vendors are given the option to view all open solicitations. The Public User Access view does not require a username or password. In order to login, click the ‘public access’ button on the MFMP Sourcing login page. On this screen you will be able to preview all open events at a high level. If you would you like to respond to an event you must have a matching commodity code selected in VIP. If there is an event that you would like to join that is about to end within 48 hours, and you still need to add a matching commodity code, please contact the MFMP customer service desk. This is done to confirm that your VIP updates will sync with Sourcing. Also, please remember that you will not be able to respond to an event while you are in the Public User Access view. To respond, you must login to your VIP account Any questions?

Joining an Event The My Events queue contains events that you have already joined or have been invited to participate by the State To join an event in the Public Events queue, you can: Click Preview to access high-level event information Click Join to review the agreement and submit a response After logging into the system, you will see two different queues: My Events and Public Events. The My Events queue contains events that you have already joined or were invited to participate by State Purchasing. Once you Join an event you will gain access to the message board, download content, and event system notifications. The Public Events queue contains events that have at least one of your selected commodity codes that you selected in VIP. In order to participate in a solicitation within the Public Events queue you will need to select the join button. If you are not sure that you want to Join an event, you do have the option to select preview, which will give you high level information. I would like to point out that you are not required to submit a bid if you join an event. Joining an event moves it to your My Events queue. To join the event, make sure to click the "Join" button next to the Public Event listed (this shows on the page that launches after logging into your account with your Sourcing username and password).

Preview Period During the ‘Preview’ period, you will have access to the following functions: Download Content - Exports event information to Microsoft Excel Print Event Information - Exports event information to Microsoft Word Next – Click to view all event information Review Agreement – Allows you to accept the bidder’s agreement Decline to Respond – Inform the state that you will not submit a response Event Clock – Counts down the time remaining in the ‘Preview’ period Event Messages – View, send and receive messages about this event Once you have joined an event, you will have access to the event details. On this screen you will see the following functions: Animation The download content button, which exports the content of the solicitation to a Microsoft Excel file. The print event information button, which downloads the same information to a Microsoft Word file. Animation: You also have an option to view all content by clicking the Next Link. The review agreement button allows you to accept the bidder's agreement and respond to the event. The decline to respond button allows you to un-join the event. This will also send a notification to State Purchasing that you do not want to submit a bid. Animation: The event clock counts down the time remaining. In this slide this is an example of a solicitation in a preview period, which is a period before the event officially opens. During the preview period you cannot submit a bid, you can only submit messages and review content. Animation: Finally, the message board can be reached via the link in the top left corner of the screen. The next slide will explain the message board functions in greater detail.

Submitting a Question During Q&A On the Event Messages page, click the Compose Message button to send a message to the event owner State Purchasing will respond to all questions with an addendum to the solicitation Vendors are unable to see other vendors messages. There is a defined time period where State Purchasing can receive questions from vendors via the message board. You will be able to see this period listed in the timeline of events. To create and send a message, select the compose message button. The message board functions just like a typical email. Once State Purchasing receives your message they will be able to respond to your question via an addendum. I would like to point out that other vendors will not be able to view any of your messages. Any questions on composing messages?

Responding to a Solicitation Once the event opens, the Event Details menu guides vendors through the steps for responding to the event. Each section will need to be completed before the response can be submitted. The clock at the top of the screen shows the remaining time until the solicitation is closed to responses. Once the event has opened, you will be able to submit a response. On this screen you will also see the event details menu, which is designed to walk you through the steps on how to respond to the event. Once the event opens, you will have two choices: decline the event or accept the bidder’s agreement and submit a response. If you choose to decline to respond, the system will require that you enter a comment explaining why you chose not to patriciate. We ask that you provide a justification so that State Purchasing can receive critical feedback. In order to continue your response, you must accepted the bidder’s agreement by clicking the yellow review agreement button. The next slide shows more on accepting the bidder’s agreement, which is also know as the terms of use. Please remember to always pay attention to the count down clock, which displays the time remaining before the event closes.

Review and Accept Agreement The Review and Accept Agreement page displays the terms of the bidder agreement You must accept the agreement to submit a response On this screen you will see the Terms of Use. You will have two choices: You can accept the terms of the agreement or you can choose to decline them. If you choose to decline the agreement you will return to the Event Details screen. In order to continue submitting your bid, you must accept the agreement.

Standard Content Types You may encounter different types of required information for each event The State Procurement Lead may add different fields based on the information required Most common types of content are: Attachment Downloads Text Boxes (Single/Multi-Line) Yes/No Questions Pricing/Line Items File Attachment Responses Required fields will be marked with an asterisk (*) There are several types of responses you may encounter when submitting a bid. The ones listed are the primary response types; however, you may see all or none of these on a solicitation. The question types we will be covering during this training are: Attachment Downloads, Single or Multi-Line Text boxes, Yes or No questions, Pricing questions, and file attachment Responses. Also, you will be required to submit a response for any question that has an asterisks.

Attachment Download Example Click the link to download and view the files Review all attachments before submitting a bid This is an example of what an attachment download could look like. You will need to click the link to download and view the file. To review all relevant information about the event, please be sure to view all attachments before submitting your bid.

Text Box Fields Examples Single Line text boxes are fields that accept a single line of text and have a 4,000 character limit. These fields are used to answer shorter questions Multiple Line text boxes do not have a character limit and are used to answer longer questions These are examples of single line and multiple line text box responses. A single line response would be used for a small response, something like a name or email address. Single line answer fields accept a maximum of 4,000 characters. A multiple line response is a text box used to answer longer questions. There is no character limit for this type of response.

Yes/No and Line Item Fields Examples Yes / No questions default to Unspecified. Select Yes or No to respond to the question Line Items are unit pricing fields that are automatically multiplied by the preset quantity. Remember to review the Unit of Measure (UOM) before submitting a bid Here is an example of a Yes or No response, which is pretty straight forward. If it is not a required field you do not have to select a response, the field can be set to ‘unspecified.’ However, if there is an asterisk then you will be require to select yes or no. Pricing requests also called Line Items are critical to your response. When you enter an amount, the per unit price is automatically multiplied by the quantity set by State Purchasing. As a result, be very careful to review the unit of measure listed. Remember that your price point must match the unit of measure. Does everyone understand the importance of entering the correct unit price? (DO NOT USE for Medical/Dental contract) Example: Let’s use pens as an example. Let’s say you sell pens for $1 per pen/unit The agency is asking for a quote on 12 pens. In order to match the unit price you will enter $1. which is $1 x 12units = $12 If you make a mistake and enter the total price which is $12 as your unit price you will receive an extended price of $12x12 units = $144 This happens more often then you think, so please be sure that you pay close attention to the unit price.

File Attachment Fields Example Select the applicable Attach a file link and browse for the file on your computer Select OK to upload the file to your response Finally, State Purchasing may require that you attach a file to your response. Click the attach a file link and the application will prompt you to browse your computer to locate a file. You may upload commonly used file types such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zip, and PDF. Once you have located a file click the ‘ok’ button and your file will be uploaded to the application. There is a 20 MB file size limitation per file. You can only upload one file per link, so if you have multiple files to upload, we recommend consolidating them into one file. If you have any questions, please contact the Customer Service Desk for assistance. Note: There is a 20 MB file size limitation applied to each attachment.

Submitting Your Response Click the Save button to save your response Please Note: This does not submit your bid Click Submit Entire Response to formally submitted the bid Click OK to proceed After clicking OK, the following message will appear: “Your response has been submitted. Thank you for participating in the event.” Next we will move on to submitting your response. Before you submit your response, you do have an option to save your bid. The MFMP team recommends that you save your response, in 20 minute intervals. This will confirm that you will not lose critical information as you are entering it. After responding to all required fields, you may submit the entire response by clicking the yellow Submit Entire Response button and then clicking ‘ok’. If your response was successfully submitted, you will see a message that says ‘your response has been submitted’. The MFMP team recommends that that you submit your response at least 24-48 hours before it is due to account for any technical issues (e.g., they lose internet) or unforeseen situations (e.g, someone wins the lottery). Any questions on how to submit a response?

Revising Your Response The Revise Response button allows vendors to revise their original response Vendors can only revise responses on open events Once the bid has been submitted, you will have an option to revise your response, by clicking the Revised Response button. Please note, you can only revise a response if the event is still open. If you decide to revise your bid, be sure that you select the Submit Entire Response button again after you have completed your update. Please remember that The State will only accept your last submitted response. To view a list of your submitted responses, please click the Response History link. Any questions on how to submit a response?

Review Remember to keep your account information updated in MFMP VIP Always double-check your price and required content before clicking Submit It is strongly recommended that you submit your bid at least 24-48 hours before it is due If you have any system questions, please contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk at 866-352-3776 Just to recap today’s training, here are some helps tips you should follow: Remember to keep your account information updated in MFMP VIP Always double check your price and confirm that you have uploaded all required documentation. It is strongly recommended that you submit your bid at least 24-48 hours before the bid is due. And as always, remember that if you have any system questions, please contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk immediately at 866-352-3776.

Helpful Links Online Trainings for Vendors A list of available online MFMP University trainings Vendor Training Registration Calendar of upcoming MFMP University training opportunities MFMP for Vendors Quarterly communication created to keep vendors up to date on MFMP MFMP TV YouTube channel that provides short videos on a variety of vendor-related topics Finally we will conclude today’s training with some helpful resources. Click on the links to access resources such as, vendor training materials and registration. Sign up to subscribe to the MFMP for Vendors quarterly communication, and MFMP TV YouTube channel.

Contact Information Contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk: Phone: 866-352-3776 Email: VendorHelp@MyFloridaMarketPlace.com Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time Our customer service desk is always willing to help you with questions about MFMP. They are available from 8 am to 6 pm EST. Their email address is vendorhelp@myfloridamarketplace.com and once again the phone number is 866-352-3776.

Questions?