Settings - Projects - Project Message Status
Updated
Suggested Prior Reading
Project Message Status
This section is used to setup and maintain statuses and their settings to manage the Bidding process. Status is also referred to as Project Message Status on this form.
There are two different kinds of Project Message Statuses maintained in the list:
- Status set during the Bidding Process - This represents the status as it moves through the Bidding process. This appears in the Status column on the Bidding Messaging List. There are multiple types of this status and different functionality.
- System Controlled Status - This is a separate status from the one above and reflects information about the email status and the download status. This status is automatically set by the system and there are multiple statuses of this type. These Status(es) displays in the Info column on the Bidding Messaging List.
Although both kinds of Status are maintained in this list, they are separate status types and display and are maintained in different columns on the Bidding Messaging List (as outlined above). Therefore, to get the full picture of what is going on, both the Info column and the Status column are viewed. See Bidding - Managing for more information.
Status set during the Bidding Process
The following describes the different types of statuses that can be set for Bids as they move through the Bidding process:
- System Predefined Status - that is not changeable:
- Pending
- System Predefined Status(es) - that are changeable but can't/shouldn't be deleted:
- Accept
- Decline
- Bid Received
- Awarded
- User Defined Status(es) - the organizations can create to represent their specific Bidding process.
This status appears in the Status column on the Bidding Messaging List (see Bidding Messaging List - Overview).
The system initially assigns a default Status (Pending), but then the Estimator or Sub-Contractor can change this status.
A Bid can only be assigned to one of these statuses at a time (to reflect its progress through the bidding process).
The following applies to all the Statuses Except for the Pending Status:
- Depending on where the Status is changed, they can automatically cause the Status of the Parent item to be updated as well (see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Impact on Parent Items).
- Each of these statuses can be assigned a color. When a Bid has a status, it will be color coded for easy identification. The Status text will display on this list in the color applied and the Bid on the Bidding Messaging list will be highlighted in this color (see Bidding Messaging List - Overview).
- Each of these statuses can be set to be included as an option on an RSVP response (See Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - RSVP)
- Each status can be assigned an Activity Score. An Activity Score is used to help rate Bidding Participants. For example, the higher along a Bidding Participant is in the process, the higher the score. See Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Activity Score for more information.
System Predefined Status - Not Changeable: Pending
There is one Bidding Status that is built into the system and can not be changed or deleted by (and therefore does not appear on this list), which is Pending.
This is the default status assigned for new Bids and is assigned automatically by the system after a Bidding Participant is added.
This status is usually left as Pending while the Bidding Participant is reviewing the information, but prior to the Bidding Participant making a decision on whether they are bidding or not.
This status is then changed by the Estimators/Project Manager (whomever is managing the Bidding process) and/or by Bidding Participants (to reflect whether they are accepting the bid, declining the bid, have submitted the Bid or some other action (if applicable).
The Pending Status is not color coded or may appear as grey on some status bars. The Status text will display as gray on this list.
The order of the Pending Status in drop down lists can not be changed. It always appears first in the list.
System Predefined Status(es): Accept or Decline, Bid Received, Awarded
There are four statuses which are prebuilt into the system and can not/should not be deleted. However a user who has ADMIN permissions on project can change other information about them can be changed, see
- Accept - The Contact has accepted the bid and is expected to respond (User set status)
- Decline - The Contact will not bid (User set status)
- Bid Received - The Bid Participant submitted a Bid
- Awarded - the Contract is awarded to this Bid Participant
Accept and Decline
Accept and Decline are Statuses which can not be deleted as they form the base functionality for Bids. These are used in conjunction with the Pending status. A Bid starts as Pending but then the Contact either Accepts the Bid (as they intend to submit a bid) or they Decline to bid (these are the general bidding process steps).
The Bidding Participant can change a Bid to one of these Statuses and/or the Estimator/Project Manager can change a Bid to this status as well.
A user who has ADMIN permissions on project can change the name, color and activity score.
- If they are renamed, the name should reflect the base functionality that these represent (for example accept and decline could be changed to yes or no, bidding or not bidding).
- The RSVP settings can be changed but it is highly recommended not to do that as their is functionality associated with that.
The order of the Accept and Decline Status in the drop down lists can not be changed. They are always first and second.
Accept and Decline appear by default on the Invitation to Bid email (see Bidding - Send Project Message) and the Bidding Participant Dashboard (see Project Message - Set the Response Type).
Bid Received or Awarded
Bid Received or Awarded are also setup by default as they are part of all bidding processes. Bid Received and Awarded can be deleted by Administrators but it is highly recommended not to delete these as they are a standard part of the process and there is functionality related to them:
- If a Bid is set to Awarded, the Bidding Participant is automatically sets them up as a Project Contact.
- If a Bidding Participants submits a bid, the status is automatically set to Bid Received.
A user who has ADMIN permissions on project can change
- All the information about these Statuses. Note, if they are renamed, the name should reflect the base functionality that these represent.
- The order these Statuses display in Status drop down lists (see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Display Order).
User Defined Statuses
Administrators can setup organization specific statuses to represent their bidding processes.
User Defined Statuses can also be set to appear as an option that a Bidding Participant can set (see Viewing the Bid Response Status on the Dashboard for more information).
Estimators or Project Managers can also set a Bid to this status.
For more information on functionality associated with these statuses, see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Impact on Parent Items.
A user who has ADMIN permissions on projects can:
- Add, edit or delete User Defined Statuses
- Change the order these Statuses display in Status drop down lists (see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Display Order).
System Controlled Status(es) - (Viewed or Downloaded)
Viewed and Downloaded are controlled by system functions and represent the status of what the Bid Contacts have done in regards to an invitation to bid being sent and the Bidding Participants actions in regards to that. This is set automatically. This status appears in the Info column on the Bidding Messaging List (see Bidding Messaging List - Overview).
These types of statuses can not be deleted or changed except for assigning an Activity Score. A user who has ADMIN permissions on projects can:
- Change or set the Activity Score
- Change the order these Statuses display in this list only, however since they don't display in the drop down lists the order they are in this list has no impact (see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Display Order).
These status are set by the system depending on what has happened and they are separate from the Status on the actual Bid, in that they are maintained separately and display in a different columns. For example, a Bid can have a Pending Status and one or both of the Viewed/Downloaded status - as they are maintained separately.
Although the System Predefined Status(es) happen independently of the Status (of the bid itself) column, generally, the Status would be Pending, while contacts are downloading and viewing documents (but does not have to be).
Next Steps
Review how to set the Display Order of Statuses in drop down lists, Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Display Order.
Review how changing a child items status, impacts the parent items status, Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Impact on Parent Items.
Review how the RSVP function works, so that a Bidding Participants can see and set a Status, see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - RSVP.
Review how colors can be set for a status, see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Colors.
Review how to use an Activity Score (if required, this is an advanced setting), see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Activity Score.
Add, edit or delete Statuses, see Settings - Projects - Project Message Status - Add/Edit/Delete.
