Vendor’s Webinar Session on eQuote DOAS State Purchasing April 4, 2008

Let’s start by talking about eQuote The history of eQuote Introduced as E-quote in October 2004 with a buying limit of $10,000 Re-introduced as eQuote in March 2007 with buying limit raised to $50,000 Enhanced eQuote released late March 2008 No limit on buying amount Substantially more robust functionality Training provided through webinars and brand new Vendor’s Guide

Who can use eQuote? eQuote is available to all governmental entities in the State of Georgia  State of Georgia Agencies  Technical schools  Public colleges and universities  Authorities  Those buying for the legislative and judicial branches of state government  County government  City government  Public k-12 schools  Other governmental entities

The basics of what a vendor needs to know about using eQuote  Alternative to faxing for bids less than $10,000  Alternative to posting to the GPR for bids $10,000+  Posted eQuotes of $50,000+ publically available from GPR also  System generates award notification s to successful vendor and to non-successful vendors  Greatly reduces the possibility of arithmetic calculation errors  Ability to “no bid” a line or to receive a partial award  Ability to add comments as well as documents  Ability to edit your response while the eQuote is still open  Buyer can add non-registered vendors to an open eQuote  Buyer can re-award a solicitation if there is a problem with the initial award  Eases the transition to the PeopleSoft modules coming in 18 months  Reduces amount of paper needed to be submitted for a solicitation response

State Purchasing has two manuals on our website to help you with eQuote These provide eQuote step by step with examples and screenshots, FAQs and standard terms and conditions Both are available on DOAS State Purchasing webpage at:

Getting started with eQuote—if you are registered on the Vendor Registration System and have selected the NIGP Code(s) associated with the eQuote solicitation, you get an invitation to participate Unique user-id and password. Can only be used for this eQuote url address that gives you access to this eQuote solicitation Vendor’s Guide link contains: Userid and password url link to eQuote Link to Vendor’s Guide Title of the eQuote eQuote close info Name/ of buyer Governmental entity

Access the eQuote system.. Click the Submit button

You are given a choice: Not to Bid, to Bid Later, or to Bid Now

If you click “I will not bid on this eQuote” and then try to return, you will not be able to do so… You will have to contact the Buyer to get re-set

Once this has been accomplished, you will get an allowing re-entry to that eQuote

If you opt to Bid Now, you open the eQuote You can add document(s) at this Header section You can add comments here Document added by buyer Name of Person, not company

On State Agency eQuotes, Standard Terms and Conditions are included and you must click “I agree” button Non-state agencies and those that have certain exemptions will not have these included but will add their own Terms and Conditions Additional terms and conditions or contracts may be included in the eQuote solicitation

Respond to each line—and you can add documents to any line also You can add documents here to the line

To add documents at a line (note that the same method is used for adding documents to the Header): Click Browse

Opens your computer---find the document to add

Click Open

Your document is downloaded first—always give each document a Title—then click Upload the Document Your document is loaded in Give the document a title Click Upload the document

Screen shows document you attached and allows you to add more documents or to delete this one Document you added Click only to delete!!! Click to add more documents Click to proceed with eQuote

You can No Bid a Line eQuote calculates your bid for you

Here the vendor No Bid two of the three lines Note the buyer has deleted this line

To submit your bid, just click on the button

Box appears asking if you are sure you want to submit the bid at this price IF you agree, click the OK button Then click Submit your Bid

Critical Information!! Your eQuote bid is considered as POSTED when it is RECEIVED by the eQuote system---and NOT when you hit that SUBMIT button. It might take 2-3 minutes for the eQuote system to receive the eQuote bid response.

Screen appears indicating your eQuote has been recorded by the system Click here to exit from the system Buyers cannot open your bid response until eQuote closes

You will receive an confirmation that the system has received your eQuote bid. If you do not receive this, your computer and the eQuote system did not communicate!

While the eQuote is still open, you could receive an notification regarding the eQuote  There might be a change in the specifications  The buyer might have deleted or added one or more lines  The buyer might ask for additional information—such as references or for you to provide a sample  An optional or mandatory pre-bid conference might be now included  The closing might be extended  The eQuote could have been cancelled

Sample . Note the opportunity for you to return to the eQuote to amend your response (pricing or documents)

What if? * You accidently delete the that offers the eQuote invitation? * You never receive the ? * Your system blocks the ? Answer: You can contact the buyer and get the notification re-sent to you

What if? * You find out about the eQuote but did not receive an notification Answer: Contact the buyer who will add you to the eQuote vendor list and you will receive an invitation

If you are not registered on the Vendor Registration System eQuote will take you to that system, have you register, and then take you back to the eQuote to submit your eQuote response

What if? * You need or want to modify your eQuote response (add or delete a document, amend your pricing)? * You want to withdraw your eQuote bid response? Answer: As long as the eQuote is still open, you can contact the buyer who will arrange for you to receive an allowing you to re-enter eQuote to make your changes

What if? * You clicked “I will bid at a later time” and are ready to go back into the eQuote and respond? Answer: As long as the eQuote is still open, simply re-enter using the same access provided in the original . You do not need to contact the buyer

Is there anything else you might need to do? If the eQuote includes providing reference information, samples, attending a pre-bid conference, signing a contract, or submitting additional information, you must comply to be considered as “responsive” Note: You may submit an request for an exception to the contract with your eQuote response If you want to offer an early-payment discount, indicate this in the Comment section

Note: Access Closed eQuotes After the eQuote closes, you can go to the GPR to see the eQuotes that have closed. Will show the responses, not the results of the evaluation or award decision!!

After the eQuote closes and the award decision is made—all responding vendors receive an notice of the award decision: An notice is sent to the vendor(s) who receive all or part of the award

An notice is sent to vendor(s) who do not receive all or part of the award

For State Agencies, eQuotes $100,000 and above—first a Notice of Intent to Award is issued and is in effect for 10 days. of NOIA is sent and the NOIA is publically posted

After the 10 days, if there are no protests or problems, a PO or fully executed contract is issued, and a Notice of Intent to Award (NOA) is issued and posted. All vendors are notified through the eQuote system as well as through public posting of the NOA

For State Agencies eQuotes, the NOIA and then final awards of $50,000+ will be publically posted on the GPR

For any eQuote, the buyer has the ability to re-award if there is problem with the original award  An notification will go out stating that the you have been awarded all or part of the eQuote due to a re-award  If your pricing has a time limitation (such as 60 days), please indicate this information in your eQuote response

What happens after you are notified of an award?  You will receive either a Purchase Order from the buyer or a contract mutually signed OR  You will be contacted by the buyer with P-card information If you will not accept payment by P-card, please indicate this in your eQuote response

Important Things to Remember  When you get an eQuote invitation and decide to look at the eQuote, use the one-time userid and password provided DO NOT use your Vendor Registration userid and password  If you click “Do Not Wish to Bid” your one-time userid and password will be deactivated  Do not fax in your responses or them in or send them in via postal services. Responses MUST be submitted electronically  If you do not get an confirmation after submitting your eQuote response, THE SYSTEM DID NOT TAKE  Your eQuote response is considered as the time the system accepted it, NOT THE TIME YOU SENT IT (maybe be a minute or two before it is accepted)

Help Desk Support and Assistance   All trained on eQuote  2 Additional Tier Levels of Help 