/ Purchasing / E-Procurement for Requesters & Approvers
Manage SRM User settings
/ Actions / Page
Notes
EP1-Invitation to eRFx (Bid) / eAuction
EP2-Connect to the client’s system
EP3-Visualize eRFx / eAuction
1.eRFx & eAuctions worklists
2.Search an eRFx / eAuction
3.Display an eRFx
4.Display an eAuction
EP4-Maintain an offer for an eRFx
1.Participate to an eRFx
1.Create an offer through SRM
2.Create an offer through Excel
3.Control, Save and Submit an offer
4.Do not participate to an eRFx
EP5-Maintain an offer for an eAuction
1.Participate to an eAuction
2.Create and Submit an offer through Live Auction cockpit
EP6-Use the forum

1

Draft – Version October 25, 2018

/ Sourcing / E-Sourcing for Bidders
Use the forum

Notes

In this manual explanations and screenshots are provided using a general role for which one all access rights had been granted.

Please take in consideration your profile access rights: accordingly some displays can be different.

EP1- Invitation to eRFx (Bid)/eAuction

Procedure
When you are invited to respond to an eRFxor an eAuction, you will always receive prior notice of this by email. This email will contain a link that allows you to connect to the access screen of your client’s system:
Tips:
Link:
Your user code and password will have been sent to you previously in another automatically generated email. Do not forget to keep a record of this information as it will allow you to connect to your client’s system.

EP2- Connect to the client’s system

Procedure
To connect to the site, please enter this address in your Internet Explorerbar:

Normally you received youridentifier and your default passwordby mail before.
  1. Enter the identification number in the fieldUser.
  2. Enter the password in the fieldPassword.
  3. Click on Log On.
If you encounter connection issues, call the Helpdesk or click on Logon Problems.
When you first connect, you will be prompted to change your password.
Tips:
/ Click on Forgotten your password? if you want to modify your password.
/ This screen allows you to see:
- All the requests for quotation or eAuctions that you can respond to;
- Previously created bids.
To end the application, click on the button.
Click on on the left for hiding the Navigation Panel.
For easier navigationif you want to come back on the last screenclick on located at the top right of your screen.

EP3- Visualize eRFx / eAuction

1.eRFx & eAuctions worklists

In the eRFx & eAuctions worklistsyou will see the list of all eRFx and eAuctions that you have been invited to (including those you have already responded to).
You can sort the list by clicking on the column title (by number, name, type, etc.).

You can consult an event by clicking on its code number.
There are different possible bid status:
-No Bid created: you have not yet registered or submitted an offer for a eRFx / eAuction;
-Bid Decline: you have declined the entire bid invitation or eAuction;
-Held: your offer has been registered but not submitted;
-Bid submitted: your offer has been submitted and sent to the purchaser;
-Bid rejected: your offer has been examined and refused by the purchaser;
-Bid accepted: your offer has been examined and accepted by the purchaser.

2.Search an eRFx / eAuction

/ If you do not find aneRFx or an eAuctionin the initial table, you can make a search.
  1. Click on Show Quick Criteria Maintenance.

/
  1. Fill out some of the data.
  1. Click on Apply.

3.Display aneRFx

The bid invitation is composed of 7 parts.

  1. RFX Information tab.
In this tab you can fill your eRFxparameters, ask questions or add notes/attachments.

1.1Identification part
-Name.
-Product Category: this is the group of products.
-Publication Type: the bid invitation is either public or restricted.
ArcelorMittal’s management rules require that all bid invitations are restricted.
1.2Organizationpart
-Purchasing Organization and Purchasing Group.
1.3Datespart
-Start Date: this stipulates the date from which the supplier contacts can respond to the bid invitation.
-Submission Deadline:this is the deadline after which suppliers can no longer respond to the bid invitation.
-Opening Date: this is the date from which the bids sent by the supplier contacts can be opened.
-End of Binding Period: this indicates the deadline until which bids must be valid.
-Valid From / To: this indicates the validity dates of the bid invitation.
1.4Event Parameterspart

-Currency and Target Value.
-Detailed Price Information: Simple Price, Price with Conditions or No Price.
In the last case, the supplier cannot enter prices in his bid.
-Follow On Document: the documents selected are for following the bid invitation.
-Bidder Can Change RFx Responses: if this option is unpicked the supplier contact cannot change his bid once it has been submitted.
-Allow Multiple RFx Responses for Each Company: if this option is unpicked a company can only propose one response to the bid.
-Display Weighting to Bidders: if this option is unpicked contacts cannot see the weighting given to the attributes you are using to make a decision.
1.5Scenario Award / Contractpart
-Reminders (days):a reminder is sent to the supplier contacts X days before the end date for the bid invitation.
-Confidential: only persons who are granted access in the “Partners” tab will be able to see and/or change the bid invitation.
Not confidential: all buyers in the same purchasing organisation as the person who created the bid invitation will be able to see and/or change the bid invitation.
1.6Partners and Delivery Informationpart

  1. Bidders tab.
In this tab you can see the bidder details and the currencies.

  1. Items tab.
In this tab you can seethe items details.

  1. Notes and Attachments tab.
In this tab you can seenotes, attachmentsandcollaborations.

  1. Weights and Scores tab

  1. Approval tab.
In this tab you can check the current approval status of your bid.

  1. Tracking tab.
In this tab you can check the status details of the bid.

You can also check the historic of changes made on the bid.

4.Display an eAuction

The eAuction is composed of 6 parts.

  1. Auction Information tab.
In this tab you can see the auction parameters, notes/attachments or factors (enable the buyer to assign a competitive advantage or disadvantage to bidders through the use of multipliers or adders; if filled on item level, will be only taken into account for the concerned item).

1.1Identification part
-Product Category: this is the group of products.
-Currency: this is the principal currency for the auction (suppliers have to quote on this currency).
1.2Organizationpart
-Purchasing Organization and Purchasing Group.
1.3Datespart
-Start Date: this stipulates the date on when the live auction will start (suppliers can start offer).
-End Date:this is the deadline after which suppliers can no longer answer or modify their offer.
-Time Zone: this indicates the time zone used for the dates.
1.4Event Parameterspart
-Bid Decrement: this determines whether the next offer submitted is to be lower than the previous by an amount (absolute) or a percentage.
-Bid Validation: there are 4 pre-defined transaction types with determined bid validation rules.
-Follow on Document: the documents selected are for following the e-Auction.
-Hide Bid Monitoring Until First Valid Bid: if selected, the system will not display any item pricing information to bidders until they themselves have first submitted a valid offer.
-Tied Rank Possible: if selected, bids of the same value will be given the same rank.
If unselected, the system will use the timestamps associated with bids to determine the validity and rank.
-Proxy Bidding Allowed: if selected, the system acts as a proxy agent and automatically bids line items on a bidder’s behalf during the auction until the minimum price entered by the supplier.
-Sequential Line Items: if selected, the system enables cascading bidding on lots or line items. Lots or line items open to bidding at the same time, but close to bidding one after the other.
-Sequential Initial Duration: time between the overall auction start date and the end date of the first lots or line items.
-Sequential End-Time Gap: time between each end dates of lots or line items.
1.5Automatic Extensionspart
The following parameters permit to the system toautomatically extend the auction if bids are received shortly before the end date.
-Remaining Time Trigger: a trigger will be activated when the remaining time limit will be reached.
-Extension Period: duration of the automatic extension if a new offer is received.
-Number of Extensions: maximum number of time by which the auction can be automatically extended.
1.6Partner part

  1. Bidders tab.
In this tab you can see the bidder details and the currencies.

  1. Items tab.
In this tab you can see the items details.

  1. Notes and Attachments tab.
In this tab you can see notes and attachments.

  1. Bidder View tab.
In this tab you can see the information disclosure rules that control the level of information displayed to bidders in the live auction cockpit.
The picked options mean that data will be displayed for all line items.

5.1Display General Preferences part
-Chat: the chat functionality isabled for bidders.
-Extension Details: the extension details (automatic extensions) are available to bidders.
-Number of Participating Bidders: the number of participating bidders is displayed.
5.2Display Pricing Preferences part
-Reserve Price: reserve price (higher price the buyer is agreed to pay) is displayed.
-Next Bid Price: the next valid price (actual price + bid decrement) is displayed.
-Best Company Bid Price: the best price offered by the same company is displayed.
-Best Bid Price: the best offered price is displayed.
5.3Display Ranking Preferences part
-Company Ranking: the company rank (and not the bidder rank) is displayed.
-First Place Only: rank is only displayed when bidder is ranked one.
5.4Display Bid History Preferences part
-Company Names: the other company names are displayed in the bid history table.
-Bidder Name: the other bidder names are not displayed in the bid history table.
-Bid Price: the bid price is displayed in the bid history table.
-Bids From Other Bidders: all bidders’ bids will be included in the bid history table.
5.5Display Chart Preferences part
-Bid Chart: the bid chart is available to bidders.
-Bid Volume Chart: the bid volume chart is available to bidders.
-Best Bid Per Bidder Chart: the best bid per bidder chart is available to bidders.
  1. Tracking tab.
In this tab you can check the tracking of your auction (history, status and changes).

EP4- Maintain an offer for an eRFx

1.Participate to an eRFx

/ Before creating anoffer it is important for you to register yourself.
Registering allows you to notify the purchaser of your intention to answer.
  1. Still in display mode, click on Participate.

/
  1. The system displaysa message telling you that your participation has been registered and the purchaser is notified of your intention to respond.

2.Create an offer through SRM

/
  1. Still in display mode, click on Create Response.
A pop-up will appear.
/
  1. The RFx response is composed of 5 parts.

  1. RFX Information tab.
In this tab you have 3 sub-tabs: Basic data, Questions and Notes and attachments.
-Basic data: you can change the currency.

-Questions: you can answer to the questions and add comments.

-Notes and Attachments: you can add attachments.

  1. Items tab.
In this tab you can check the existing line items and change the submitted quantity and price.
You can also addnewitems by clicking on Add New.

  1. Notes and Attachments tab.
In this tab you can add notes (technical or commercial remarks) and attachments.

  1. Summary tab.
In this tab you can see the summary about submitted responses.

  1. Tracking tab.
In this tab you can track the versioning.

3.Create an offer through Excel




You can also decline an item by filling X in the corresponding cell (column AP).
If there are attributes on some items, you can answer to them in the tab ‘Attributes’ of the Excel file.
When your file is complete (and stored in .XLS format) you have to store it under the format. / In the case of a Bid Invitation with a big number of items, you have the possibility to answer offline through an Excel file.
  1. Click on Export to open item data in Excel.
Important - The Excel file allows you to answer ONLY on items data. To answer to the general data or to add attachments, you have to do it directly on the platform (online).
You have tostore your offer before, because the Excel file includes the offer’s number.
For response time reason you have to compress it in a ZIP file (and not RAR).
  1. Click on Import to upload item data in SRM.

4.Control, Save and Submit an offer

/
  1. Click on Check for verifying that no mandatory fields have been omitted or are incorrect.
  1. Click on Save for saving your bid invitation (then you can interrupt your work and retrieve your bid invitation later).
  1. Click on Submit.
You can save the offer at any time. The offer is created and saved but not sent to the purchaser.
You can carry out changes until the offer deadline date.
/
  1. The system displaysa message telling you that your offer has been submitted.
As long as the call for offer deadline has not passed you can still modify your offer and re-submit it (even if the offer has already been submitted).

5.Do not participate to an eRFx

/
  1. Still in display mode, click on Do NotParticipate.

/
  1. The system displaysa message telling you that your will to not participate has been registered and the purchaser is notified.

EP5- Maintain an offer for an eAuction

1.Participate to an eAuction

For an auction, you can only answer through the Live Auction cockpit.
/ You are able to access the auction before becoming active, but you can’t answer.
To answer to the eAuction you have to access to the Live Auction Cockpit with the link Live Auction.
A pop-up will appear.
The live auction is composed of 4 parts.

  1. Header Datapart (in pink)
This area contains basis auction information such as name and number, rules, requester, star and end dates and remaining time.
In addition, you can also pause or extend the auction using the buttons located at the right of this area.

Left partis general information:
-Name of the auction;
-Internal numberof the auction;
- Rule profile: according to the transaction type;
- Description: coming from the auction text (received by email);
- Currency: principal currency chosen by the buyer.
Central part is for auction time:
-Requester name(buyer) of the auction;
-Start and end date: period during when you will have to submit your price(converted into your computer time zone setup);
-Time remaining before the end date;
This opens a FAQ page.
  1. Item datapart (in green)

On this part for each item you can have the description, the quantity and the unit, the start price (fixed by the purchaser), and the decrement (in absolute or percentage).
Then after starting offering, you will display your price / best price and your rank.
On the tab Bid Price, you will have to enter your offer price.
To enter a price you have to enter it in the tab Bid Price then press ‘Enter’.
The price will be calculated in the part Total value of my bids / Total bid value.
You can resize the column widths for more clearness.
  1. Chartspart (in brown).

This area of the cockpit includes the following tools, displayed only for the currently selected item:
-Details: this displays the details of the item;
-History: this displays the history of the selected item;
-Charts: some information in chart mode for the selected item;
-Calculation:in the main auction currency for the selected item.
  1. Chatpart (in blue).
This area displays all chat and system messages according to your selection (via the top/down menu at the right).

This area displays all kind of messages:
-System messages: like status of the auction, information on your submission, error messages, etc.;
-Chat messages: messages from or to the buyer.

2.Create and Submit an offer through Live Auction cockpit

/ To start offering to the auction, the status must be Active (check the time remaining).


/
  1. To offer, you have to put your first offer on items in the field Bid Price and press ‘Enter’.
This first price must be lower or equal to the start price.
  1. To submit your offer click on Submit.
A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm before submitting.
  1. Click on Yes.
    According to your price you will see the corresponding rank (per item) and a message appears on the system messages area.


/
  1. You then have the possibility to change your price in order to win the item.
The new price MUST be lower than the last submitted price (My Bid). The minimum difference is the decrement value.
If your price is lower than the expected price, an error message will appear in the system messages area.
/
  1. The remaining time could change for different reasons during the auction:
    - Automatic extension (you can display the rules by putting the mouse on the remaining time);
    - By a manual action of the buyer.
In every case a message will inform you of the extension.

EP6- Use the forum