Unable to publish RFP

[Former Member]

Hi Gurus

I am trying to publish an RFX to ther selected vendor...I am facing the following problems

1. when i try to assign weight to the questions itdoesn't allow me to do so. weight field is some how locked.

2. After filling in the details when I try to change the phase to open for response, system gives me the following error

"You do not have the required rights to publish an RFx."

Is there some problem with security profile? I have assigned Purchaser security profile to the user..

Looking forward to yuor rersponse.

Sharad

[james_wojnicki · Accepted solution]

This sounds more like your document collaborator role (Which has a object (Document) level security profile associates).

Check to make sure the collaborator role you have on the specific RFx has publish rights. By system standard setup the Owner, Category Manager and Purcahsing Manager roles have the publish right. If you have collaborator role on the RFx you do not have this right.

Fix here is to give yourself one of these collaborator roles on the specific document. Owner role may be tough to get because you need to take it from the current owner. I would recommend giving yourself one of the other roles or changing the document collabortor role so that it can pubish but beware changing the document collaborator role will be system wide where the other change only effects the single document.

Regards,

James

[james_wojnicki]

When you create a RFx the current user should be populated to the collaborators collection as the owner. If this is not happening you a most likely have an issue with your document security templates.

Setup-> Document Setup-> General-> Document Security Templates

Make sure at least one template is set up for the RFxs. Be aware that if you populate the Document Type field it will be a template for a specific RFx Type. If this is the case & you have multiple RFx types you will need multiple templates.

After finding the document security template

Enter the Document Security Template for the RFx and check the New Documents tab to see that a their is a entry in the collection with role = owner, Principal Type = Current User and Collaborator Usage = Template and Document.

If this entry does not exist the current user will not be added to the document as the owner.

Regards,

James

[Former Member]

James

Thanks a lot for your valuable inputs..I am now able to publish RFP and supplier is able to respond to it..

The only issue now is w.r.t. Weights being locked because of which I am not able to send questions to the suppliers. Pbly Tridip could throw some light on that.

Sharad

[tridip_chakraborthy]

Hi Sharad

I have nailed down the entire process steps for Question creation and Release to the supplier

Defining Questions

Define your vendor criteria using the Questions Tab. Use the Questions Tab to build inquiries that are not specific to a part number or product. Use the Line Item Tab when price, quantity or product-specific information is required.

Process Steps

1. Develop General Question Sections

2. Identify Question Type

3. Add Questions

4. Define Response Preferences

5. Establish Weights for individual questions

6. Establish Section Weights

7. Set Status to Ready for Release

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Develop Questions Sections

Related RFX questions are grouped into Sections. In the example below, Services Requirements, Turnaround Time and Types of Services are the criteria categories in which specific questions will be built.

1. Select the Questions Tab.

2. Click Add from the Question Sections table.

3. Provide a title for this group of questions within Question Section Name.

4. Identify the Type of Question, from the drop down list (Note: Free Text is the default.)

5. Click Add.

6. Build the content of your question*.

7. Click OK.

1. * Content of each question will vary based on question Type. For example, numeric questions will require that minimum and maximum values are entered.

2. Refer to the glossary at the end of this chapter for field definitions.

3. Refer to the Appendix for detailed instructions on how to create a Table Based Question.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Defining Criteria Section Info

After completing the content of individual questions, use the Section Info Tab, to provide additional information specific to a particular section or group of questions.

Using the visibility setting, buyers can create questions that are internal, and visible to internal collaborator audiences only.

Process Steps

1. Select the Questions Tab.

2. Complete the steps in the previous section to complete the question content.

3. Select the Section Info Tab.

4. Identify whether buyers and /or vendors have using the Visibility Field.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Response Preferences

Use the Preference Tab to establish your preferred responses to each question. Your responses serve as the basis by which vendors are evaluated. Vendor performance is calculated based on the content of a response and the weight of the question being answered

Process Steps

1. Open a specific question within the Questions Tab.

2. Select the Preference Tab.

3. Provide your preferred response in the space provided in the left portion of

your screen .

4. Define Scoring method* by which you want this respond scored.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Enter Question Weights

Weights determine how each criteria question is valued in comparison to others within a general Questions section. Weights also determine how to calculate vendor performance. A value of a vendoru2019s response is calculated using the overall weight of the question in comparison to others and the specific response of the vendor.

Process Steps

1. Select the Questions Tab.

2. Open the section you wish to edit.

3. Select the Preferences Tab.

4. Click Adjust Question Weights.

5. Enter the value weight (as a percent of 100) for each question.

6. Click OK.

7. Follow the process steps below to define Section Weights.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Establish Section Weights

Buyers must assign value weights to Questions Sections, as well as, the individual questions within a section. For

example, your RFX consists of criteria questions pertaining to three different areas, (Service Requirements,

Turnaround Time and Service Types), each with multiple questions. Each section, must be given a weight as well.

Process Steps

1. Complete the steps on the previous page, to establish individual weights, click Save.

2. Select the Questions Tab.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Click Adjust Section Weights.

4. Enter the value weight (as a percent of 100) for each Section.

5. Click Save.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ready for Release

When developing RFX questions, the system identifies those Questions, in the process of being built, with a status of

u201CBuilding Questionsu201D. SRM requires that all RFX Questions be identified with a Ready for Release status if the RFX is

To advance into the Response phase. Use the following steps outline how to change a questionu2019s status to Ready for

Release.

Process Steps

1. Select the Questions Tab of an RFX.

2. Select Edit ( only if the RFX hasnu2019t been opened previously)

3. From the bottom of the Questions Table, select Set All as Ready For

Release *.

4. Select Save.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Incase you want the equal weighting criteria, please follow below steps

Use Equal Weighted Average

Select this feature, if all collaborator scores contain the same relative significance or weight. When selected, SAP E-Sourcing sets the relative weight for every collaborator, to one and deactivates the ability to establish

scorer weights. De-select this attribute to prioritize specific collaborator responses by establishing a weighted scheme for each collaborator. When deselected,

Let me know if this helps

Regards

Tridip

[Former Member]

Hi Tridip

Thanks a lot for your help..following are the problems i faced

1. In preference tab, scoring method is coming as "Do Not Score" which I can't edit.

2. In Adjust section weights, the weight locked field is marked corresponding to my question which again cannot be edited.

Can there be some problem with the security profile or probably some back end settings that i have missed..I am able to publish RFQ and also able to carry out a simple award..it is just the evaluation that is not working as i am not able to assign weights to the questions..

[Former Member]

Hi Tridip..

Issue is solved..I forgot to upload ufn_description excel sheet. because of which scoring manually option was not coming.

James and Tridip

Thanks a lot for all your help and sparing time to help me resolve the issues!!

Cheers

[Former Member]

One part of the question is answered.

[james_wojnicki]

Yes if you created the document you should be the owner & your collaborator role should be listed in the Document Collaborators Collection on the Header Tab of the RFx.

Not sure about the questions but this could have to do with the phase of the RFx.

[tridip_chakraborthy]

Hi

1) for the RFx section weight lock issue, please note that its not very intuitive on that screen thats why you feel like that.

To overcome, please click on the line item and go to the Document -> Set-up

Then you will get a link for adjustment of line item weights. This will cumulate to the total weight.

2) RFx approval issue.

If you have created the RFx and are trying to move it to the next phase as another user that was marked collaborator that will fail.

In the collaborators tab, give the role as a approver and also ensure that that user has the authority from a security profile for Business Document Object RFx, Contract Generation.

Also ensure that he has the Vendor Administrator role and also the role with the maximum rights

Let me know if this solved the issue.

There is another thread where we answered the questions around the RFx weight lock issue, can you do a quick check on the threads of last month

Regards

Tridip

[Former Member]

Thanks James and Tridip

James, though i have created the buyer lets say "buyer1" it is not reflecting as owner in the collaborator list. Currently what I am doing as a work around is assigning the same Buyer "Purchasing manager" role in the collaborator list.so after approval this is allowing me to publish the RFP.

I have assigned the security profiles of Purchaser manager, Contract Template Manager and application user to the buyer with all rights for RFX allowed. is there some setting i am missing here?

Tridip, I have seen the thread regarding weight lock issue However I am not able to see link for adjustment for line item weights in document--> set up. could you please tell me the exact path?

Also referring to link () the issue I am facing is exactly the same. Could you please elloberate a bit on how you managed to solve this issue.

Sharad

Edited by: sharad kulle on Aug 12, 2009 12:23 PM

[Former Member]

Hi James

Where should i give the collaborator role? Is it to be given on the collaborators field that we have in the RFX itself? Also one more doubt is when I am creating a RFX shouldn't I be the owner of that document? if yes then why am I not able to publish the same ..

Also I am not able to make changes to the questions which are shown as locked. Plz let me know what could be done to resolve this.

Sorry for asking a whole lot of questions..trying to get my understanding right..

Sharad