As a buyer, you can place a surrogate response on behalf of your suppliers. The supplier can view detailed information about the solicitation, for example, items and pricing information, from the pdf. The supplier then contacts the buyer with the offer information, and the buyer enters the details in the negotiation. Surrogate responses are processed the same way as other offers.
If suppliers have access to the CLM system, they can enter their own offers online. For more information on supplier offers, please refer to the chapter Sourcing for Suppliers in this guide.
You can choose to create a Two-Stage Surrogate Quote that enables you to enter the technical information, and the commercial information for a two-stage RFQ on behalf of a supplier. In the technical stage, you enter the technical offer submitted by a supplier. The supplier's technical offer is evaluated and if it is found acceptable it is shortlisted for the commercial round. In the commercial evaluation process, you enter the supplier's commercial offer and evaluate it. Please note that the buyer can create unsolicited lines in a two-stage surrogate quote only for the commercial offer, and not in the technical offer.
You can create an order from a solicitation when a solicitation is created to complete the buy. You can use the surrogate offer to do this, provided the offer is updated to capture the information that must flow from solicitation to award.
To enter a surrogate response:
On the Negotiation home page, access, the negotiation in which you wish to bid by clicking its number.
On the Negotiations page, select Create Surrogate Offer from the Actions menu.
Search for the Supplier. You can perform a supplier search using the supplier name, contact, D-U-N-S Number and CAGE Code. The search list of values for D-U-N-S Number and CAGE Code enable you to find a supplier. The search results display the supplier name, site, D-U-N-S Number and CAGE Code. When you find the supplier, click Create Surrogate Offer. Click Accept to accept the Terms and Conditions of the offer.
The Create Offer page displays, where you can enter details in the Header and Lines tabs. You can also perform actions such as Cancel, View Solicitations, Offer by Spreadsheet, Save Draft, and Continue.
Working with the Header and Lines tabs:
By default, the Header tab displays the name of the Supplier, Solicitation Currency, Offer Currency, and the Price Precision. You cannot update this information.
Enter a value for the Offer Received Time for the solicitation. This is an optional field.
Enter a value for the Offer Valid Until for the solicitation. This is an optional field.
Enter the Reference Number for the solicitation. This is an optional field.
Enter a note for the buyer. This is an optional field.
In the Reference IDVs region, select the Internal IDV and enter the External IDV name. If the solicitation is of type Fair Opportunity Notice, the buyer may select an IDV from the Internal IDV or enter an External IDV, to reference the IDVs that were part of the original umbrella program. Thus, even unsolicited lines can refer to IDVs that were part of the original umbrella program.
Use the Attachments region to add an attachment for the solicitation. Click Add Attachment to search for and add an attachment.
If there are additional contract terms associated with the solicitation, then the Contract Terms region enables you to Preview Contract Terms. You can also view the details of the Variables and add a value associated with the variable. Using multi-row variables, you can assign multiple values for a single variable.
Click the Lines tab to update the line information. By default, you can view the Solicitation Currency, Offer Currency, and the Price Precision values. You cannot update these details.
Enter an Offer Price, and Offered Quantity against each line. Alternatively, if you need to make any further changes to the line details, click Update for the selected Line. You can view and update details as follows:
If the Informational check box is selected, it indicates that the line is not a priced line.
View the Description, Unit, Contract Type, IDC Type, Cost Constraint (if any), Start Price, Target Price, Target Quantity, Close Date, Offer Currency, Rank, Ship-to address, and Need-by Date. You cannot modify these details.
The Lines tab displays the following regions: Solicitation Lines, and Unsolicited Lines. The Solicitation Lines region defaults the line information from the original solicitation. Fields such as Offer Price are available for entry. Click on a line number link to see more line information from the solicitation. The Unsolicited Lines region enables suppliers to enter unsolicited lines (CLIN/SLIN structures) as part of their offer. Suppliers may have additional goods/services that they wish to offer that might be related to the solicited items, but are not specifically listed in the solicitation. Please note that the buyer needs to manually complete the line items details for the unsolicited line on behalf of the supplier.
The Lines tab displays the following regions: Solicitation Lines, and Unsolicited Lines. The Solicitation Lines region defaults the line information from the original solicitation. Fields such as Offer Price are available for entry. Click on a line number link to see more line information from the solicitation. The Solicitation Lines region enables suppliers to enter unsolicited lines (CLIN/SLIN structures) as part of their offer. Suppliers may have additional goods/services that they wish to offer that might be related to the solicited items, but are not specifically listed in the solicitation. Please note that the buyer needs to manually complete the line items details for the unsolicited line on behalf of the supplier.
To create an unsolicited line, select Create CLIN from the Actions LOV and click Go. The Create Offer: Line page displays, with the following regions: Main, Related to Solicitation Lines, Additional Item Information, Federal Customer Designation, Notes and Attachments. The main region enables you to enter line details such as Description, Quantity, Offer Price, etc. If the default values for Unit Of Measure, Category, Contract Type, Cost Constraint on the Negotiation Configuration page have been selected, these default values will display in the relevant fields. If the buyer has opted that these values are updateable by the supplier, suppliers can replace the default values with any other valid values. The buyer can then enter these values on behalf of the supplier. In the Related to Solicitation Lines region, click Add Solicitation Lines to select the solicitation lines you wish to associate the unsolicited line to. The Add Solicitation Lines LOV displays, and you can select one or more solicitation lines to link the newly created solicitation line. Click Select after choosing a line, and return to the Create Offer: Line page. In the Related to Solicitation Lines region, the original solicitation line details are displayed. Select Alternate or Additional from the Relation with Solicitation Line LOV to specify the nature of the association or relationship between the original solicitation line and the newly created unsolicited line. Enter any other relevant information in the other regions.
Attributes, Cost Factors, Quantity Based Price Tiers, Price Breaks (for IDVs) regions are not available on the Create Offer: Lines page.
Click Apply to return to the Negotiations page, or click Apply and Create SLIN to create a CLIN/SLIN structure. The Create Offer page displays, showing you the offer details. Click on the Lines tab and note that the unsolicited lines numbers start from the next available numbers of the original solicitation lines.
In the Additional Item Information region, enter the following details:
Enter the NSN. This is the National Stock Number (NSN) and is a thirteen (13) digit number assigned to an item of supply. It consists of the four digit Federal Supply Class (FSC) and the nine digit National Item Identification Number (NIIN). The NSN is used as the common denominator to tie together logistics information for an item of supply. A NIIN is a unique nine character code assigned to each item of supply purchased, stocked or distributed within the Federal Government; when combined with the four character FSC it composes the NSN. The NIIN is used as the common denominator for an item of supply
Enter a Drawing Number - The drawing number as given by the manufacturer/vendor for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Serial Number: The serial number as given by the manufacturer for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail helps to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Piece Number: The piece number as given by the manufacturer for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Model Number: The model number as given by the manufacturer for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Item Long Description: In cases where the Commodity or Service Name / short description field does not provide enough space for the item/service being requested, the Item Long Description field is used to enter additional descriptive text. The text entered within this field is carried forward to subsequent transactions. This is the description of what the government is procuring.
The supplier, receiving clerk, and payment office use the item long description to ensure that the correct items are shipped, received and invoiced.
Specification Number: The specification number as given by the manufacturer/vendor for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Manufacturer Name - the name of the manufacturer by whom the goods are made.
Manufacturer Number: The number of the manufacturer. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Manufacturer Part Number: The part number as given by the manufacturer for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Product/Catalog Number: In the case where a manufacturer provides a catalog from which goods can be purchased, this is the product/catalog number associated to the item being requested. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
Supplier Part Number: The part number as given by the supplier for the item being purchased. This field provides the ability to more specifically identify the item being requested. This detail will help to ensure that the correct item is procured.
In the Federal Customer Designation region, enter the following details:
MDAPS/MAIS: Major Defense Acquisition Programs/ Major Automated Information System Acquisition Programs.
NAICS: The commodity group (defined by the NAICS) under which the size standard is applied.
Program Code: Allow the user to select from established Program Codes. Programs are also agency-defined and can be used to group and report purchases under a particular program.
FSC/PSC: The Federal Supply Classification (FSC) is a set of codes designed to help the federal government in supplying operations.
Customer Project Code: This identifies PRs created for special programs, exercises, projects, operations, or other purposes. Sites can establish their own set of codes and use them to identify and group PRs. It is used to capture the Construction Project Number for the SF1442 (block 6).
Customer Project Text: Text Description of the selected project code. It is used to capture / map the A&E Project Title and Location for the SF252 form and the Project number for the 1442 form as well.
In the Notes region, enter a note for the buyer
The Attachments region enables you to add an attachment for the offer, if required. Click Add Attachment to search for an add an attachment.
Click Cancel to cancel the creation of the surrogate response.
Click View Solicitation to view the details of the solicitation. You can view information in the Header, Addresses, Lines, Controls, Contract Terms, and Suppliers tab.
Click Offer By Spreadsheet to use the a spreadsheet to work with the solicitation data. Select the type of spreadsheet format you wish to use: XML Spreadsheet or Tab-Delimited. If you choose Tab delimited, you will also have to select which spreadsheet you wish to download - Requirement or Line. Click Export. Save the spreadsheet file to a convenient location. Open the spreadsheet file and complete your work. Once done, select the format of the spreadsheet you wish to import. Browse to the location where you saved your spreadsheet file. Click Import. The system will validate the response information you entered in your spreadsheet.
Note: If you use MS Excel to open and work with this spreadsheet, then select the Data menu, select Get External Data, and then select Import Text File. Browse and select the downloaded response text file. In the Text Import Wizard that displays, select Delimited in Step 1 of 3 and click Next. In Step 2 of 3, ensure the Tab check box is selected, and click next. In Step 3 of 3, select the second column containing Solicitation Line Number and select the Text radio button. Click Finish. This ensures that your line numbers display in the correct format.
Click Save Draft to save your work.
Click Continue to progress.
Managing Draft Surrogate Responses
Use the Manage Draft Surrogate Responses page to search for and update a draft surrogate response. You can search for a supplier using the D-U-N-S Number or CAGE Code.
Creating Multiple Active Offers or Revising Existing Offers
The supplier can create multiple active offers for a solicitation or revise an existing offer, if permitted by the buyer. The buyer can enter multiple active offers or revise existing offers on behalf of the supplier.
In order to create another active offer, select Create Surrogate Response from the Actions LOV of the solicitation. You will be asked to enter a supplier name. Select the same supplier for which a surrogate offer has been created. A warning message displays, telling you that you have already created an offer for this solicitation. You now have two choices: to create a new (alternate) offer or to revise the existing offer. Select the appropriate radiobutton and click Ok.
If you have opted to revise or modify an offer, the Submitted and Draft Responses page displays, listing your current responses and responses from previous negotiations in different regions. Select a current response and then click Revise. Or if you still wish to create another new offer, click the Create New Offer button at the top of the page. The Create Offer page displays in either case, enabling you to revise the existing offer details or create a new offer. Click Revert to Active Offer in order to retain your original offer information. You can also create unsolicited lines for a revised or new offer and associate the unsolicited lines to the solicitation lines. The Unsolicited Lines region displays below the Solicitation Lines region in the Create Offer page.
The Surrogate Offer History > Offer page enables you to revise or withdraw your offer, depending on your supplier's request. For example, your supplier may wish to revise or withdraw their bid because the amendment to the solicitation now contains terms and requirements that were not anticipated. Please note that you can withdraw only active offers from suppliers and also offers that are for solicitations that are currently open for bidding.
Open the Offer from the Surrogate Offer History page. The action Withdraw Offer in the Actions LOV enables you to withdraw an offer from the negotiation. Select Withdraw Offer from the Actions LOV and click Go. The Withdraw Offer page displays, and you need to enter a withdrawal reason and click Submit. You get a confirmation message that the offer has been successfully withdrawn.
Note: CLM enables surrogate entry of an offer on behalf of the supplier even if a draft offer exists in the system from the same supplier.