Review Updates to ECS3 RFQ System


	UPDATED VENDOR PAID ORDERS REPORTS September 23, 2008. The vendor paid order reports have been reformatted to display the data in a single row per order format. This makes the report easier to read, and for the Excel version, easier to sort by column. In addition, changes to the queries have resulted in a performance increse between 20% and 25%. RFQS CAN BE RUN WITH A REVERSE AUCTION June 19, 2008. You can now check a box when creating a new RFQ that indicates you want to run a reverse auction instead of the standard quoting process by vendors. To specify a reverse auction, simply check the box designating a reverse auction on the Create RFQ page. All other RFQ data entry and workflow remains the same. Quotes will be available after the RFQ closes. Note that no RFQs containing Lot 6 items can be run through the reverse auction process at this time. ENHANCEMENTS FOR ENTERING BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATIONS October 9, 2007. You can now check a box when creating a new RFQ that indicates you want to specify a brand name. An additional field is added to the RFQ when the box is checked, allowing you to type in the brand name justification. Note that specifying a brand name requires NITAAC CO review before the RFQ is released to the vendors, so make sure and allow extra time when deciding what the RFQ closing date should be. ACCOUNTS WILL NOW EXPIRE WHEN NOT USED FOR 366 DAYS October 9, 2007. In accordance with NIST security guidelines, unused accounts will be automatically deactivated after a predetermined length of time. Users that have not logged in to the ECS III system for 366 days or more will have their account deactivated. If you find that your account has been deactivated you can send an email to the ECS III System Administrator requesting that your account be reactivated. MICRO-PURCHASE THRESHOLD INCREASED TO $3,000 March 20, 2007. Pursuant to Section 807 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Pub. L. 108-375), the Federal Acquisition Regulations definition of Micro-purchase threshold has increased from $2,500 to $,3000. This change is now reflected in the wording on the Create RFQ screen. Please refer to the FAR for additional information. ENHANCEMENTS FOR HANDLING LOT 6 AND EXCEPTIONS TO FOC July 15, 2006. The long awaited enhancements for Lot 6 and Exception to FOC handling is now available. You can now designate an RFQ as including supporting services (Lot 6) and/or requiring an exception to fair opportunity to be considered (FOC), and all of the justifications and approvals will be handled on-line via this ECS III system. Refer to the on-line tutorial (link is provided under the Quoting System heading on the ECS III home page) for use instructions and an explanation of process flows. Another new feature allows you to specify a single vendor for an RFQ when the total dollar amount will be less than $2,500. NEW VENDOR HOME SCREEN FOR DISPLAYING OPEN RFQS December 29, 2005. The list of open RFQs displayed upon logging in with a Vendor account had included all RFQs that had never been converted to an order. As this list continued to grow, the time it took to display this page also grew. To alleviate this problem the Vendor Open RFQ List now shows only those RFQs that have not passed the deadline date. To view older RFQs, a new report has been added to the RFQ drop down menu, titled RFQs Not Converted To Orders. NEW ENTRY SCREEN AND PROCEDURE FOR LOT 6 RFQS October 6, 2005. NITAAC is currently in the process of reworking the on-line procedures for ordering Lot 6 items. Until this process is completed, RFQs containing Lot 6 items should be submitted through the Create New Lot 6 RFQ menu option on the RFQ drop-down menu. You must also download and complete the Pre-Award Checklist Form (pdf) (word) and fax a signed copy to (301) 402-2431. Additional instructions are provided on the Create New Lot 6 RFQ page. Click the Click here for instructions on using Lot 6 link to see them. ATTACHMENTS TO RFQs CAN NOW BE VIEWED ON-LINE August 16, 2005. Attachments included with RFQs can now be viewed by the Vendors receiving the RFQs and by the Customer that sent the RFQ. Please note that this enhancement will only be able to show attachments to RFQs created from today forward. NEW E-MAIL NOTIFICATION RULES August 16, 2005. In accordance with Contract Mod 2, RFQ notifications will now be sent to a single designated central e-mail address for each Vendor. NITAAC ENHANCES E-MAIL NOTIFICATIONS FOR RFQ PROCESS December 8, 2004. In an effort to streamline the RFQ process and increase the ease with which both Customers and Vendors can use the ECS III Quoting System, we have made several improvements. The RFQ process has been improved to reduce unnecessary e-mail traffic to both our Vendors and our Customers. Vendors will now receive e-mails only for RFQs which contains items from Lot Numbers that they are authorized to provide. This will save Vendors from having to respond with a No Bid on RFQs they cannot fulfill. In addition, if a Vendor does not receive an e-mail for an RFQ, the RFQ will not appear in the Vendor's list of RFQs requiring a response, reducing the amount of clutter on that screen. Customers will now receive only three e-mails for each RFQ placed, instead of one for every Vendor response. This will help to prevent the Customer's mailbox from being flooded with e-mails from the ECS III system. These e-mails will now also include summary data from the RFQ response(s). The improved RFQ system will send the first e-mail when a Customer receives the first Vendor's response. The second e-mail will be sent after the close of business two days before the RFQ closes. The third e-mail will be sent after the close of business on the day the RFQ closes, with a notice that Customers can now make their Best Value decision. A link is provided within the e-mails back to the ECS III Quoting System for easier access when a Customer wants to review the details of the responses. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

September 23, 2008. The vendor paid order reports have been reformatted to display the data in a single row per order format. This makes the report easier to read, and for the Excel version, easier to sort by column. In addition, changes to the queries have resulted in a performance increse between 20% and 25%.

June 19, 2008. You can now check a box when creating a new RFQ that indicates you want to run a reverse auction instead of the standard quoting process by vendors. To specify a reverse auction, simply check the box designating a reverse auction on the Create RFQ page. All other RFQ data entry and workflow remains the same. Quotes will be available after the RFQ closes. Note that no RFQs containing Lot 6 items can be run through the reverse auction process at this time.

October 9, 2007. You can now check a box when creating a new RFQ that indicates you want to specify a brand name. An additional field is added to the RFQ when the box is checked, allowing you to type in the brand name justification. Note that specifying a brand name requires NITAAC CO review before the RFQ is released to the vendors, so make sure and allow extra time when deciding what the RFQ closing date should be.

October 9, 2007. In accordance with NIST security guidelines, unused accounts will be automatically deactivated after a predetermined length of time. Users that have not logged in to the ECS III system for 366 days or more will have their account deactivated. If you find that your account has been deactivated you can send an email to the ECS III System Administrator requesting that your account be reactivated.

March 20, 2007. Pursuant to Section 807 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Pub. L. 108-375), the Federal Acquisition Regulations definition of Micro-purchase threshold has increased from $2,500 to $,3000. This change is now reflected in the wording on the Create RFQ screen. Please refer to the FAR for additional information.

July 15, 2006. The long awaited enhancements for Lot 6 and Exception to FOC handling is now available. You can now designate an RFQ as including supporting services (Lot 6) and/or requiring an exception to fair opportunity to be considered (FOC), and all of the justifications and approvals will be handled on-line via this ECS III system. Refer to the on-line tutorial (link is provided under the Quoting System heading on the ECS III home page) for use instructions and an explanation of process flows. Another new feature allows you to specify a single vendor for an RFQ when the total dollar amount will be less than $2,500.

December 29, 2005. The list of open RFQs displayed upon logging in with a Vendor account had included all RFQs that had never been converted to an order. As this list continued to grow, the time it took to display this page also grew. To alleviate this problem the Vendor Open RFQ List now shows only those RFQs that have not passed the deadline date. To view older RFQs, a new report has been added to the RFQ drop down menu, titled RFQs Not Converted To Orders.

October 6, 2005. NITAAC is currently in the process of reworking the on-line procedures for ordering Lot 6 items. Until this process is completed, RFQs containing Lot 6 items should be submitted through the Create New Lot 6 RFQ menu option on the RFQ drop-down menu. You must also download and complete the Pre-Award Checklist Form (pdf) (word) and fax a signed copy to (301) 402-2431. Additional instructions are provided on the Create New Lot 6 RFQ page. Click the Click here for instructions on using Lot 6 link to see them.

August 16, 2005. Attachments included with RFQs can now be viewed by the Vendors receiving the RFQs and by the Customer that sent the RFQ. Please note that this enhancement will only be able to show attachments to RFQs created from today forward.

August 16, 2005. In accordance with Contract Mod 2, RFQ notifications will now be sent to a single designated central e-mail address for each Vendor.

December 8, 2004. In an effort to streamline the RFQ process and increase the ease with which both Customers and Vendors can use the ECS III Quoting System, we have made several improvements. The RFQ process has been improved to reduce unnecessary e-mail traffic to both our Vendors and our Customers.

Vendors will now receive e-mails only for RFQs which contains items from Lot Numbers that they are authorized to provide. This will save Vendors from having to respond with a No Bid on RFQs they cannot fulfill. In addition, if a Vendor does not receive an e-mail for an RFQ, the RFQ will not appear in the Vendor's list of RFQs requiring a response, reducing the amount of clutter on that screen.

Customers will now receive only three e-mails for each RFQ placed, instead of one for every Vendor response. This will help to prevent the Customer's mailbox from being flooded with e-mails from the ECS III system. These e-mails will now also include summary data from the RFQ response(s). The improved RFQ system will send the first e-mail when a Customer receives the first Vendor's response. The second e-mail will be sent after the close of business two days before the RFQ closes. The third e-mail will be sent after the close of business on the day the RFQ closes, with a notice that Customers can now make their Best Value decision. A link is provided within the e-mails back to the ECS III Quoting System for easier access when a Customer wants to review the details of the responses.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader