Clear communication is key to a smooth tendering process. In this section, we’ll guide you through the Question Management feature in Mercell Tendering, where suppliers can submit inquiries about your tender.
Suppliers can use the supplier portal to send questions to the procuring entity in relation to active tendering processes. Questions requesting additional information can be sent until the deadline specified by the procuring entity on the procurement notice.
Once your notice is published, suppliers may submit questions that require your attention. To manage these questions, navigate to the Additional information questions tab on the notice dashboard. This will show a list of all received questions.
If there are unanswered questions related to an active tendering process, a white question mark will be shown before the name of the tendering process. The creator will also be informed by email of every question that is sent.
Unanswered questions are also listed on the notice information page. From there you can click Go to question management to open the section to review and create your reply.
Additional information questions for full question management
Question management enables received, in progress and answered questions to be managed and new questions/ answers to be created.
Received
The view shows a list of the received, unanswered questions
To Answer
Click Answer, then complete the form:
Answer: Enter an answer to the question in the field
Links: A link can be added to the answer
Attachments: An attachment can be added to the answer. The document file size cannot be larger than 100 megabytes, but there is no limit to the total number of attachments
Recipients: Show recipients' e-mail addresses
Additional recipients: In this field, enter the email addresses of people to whom you would like to send answers; one address per line. The answers will be sent automatically to all of the people who have reviewed the call for tenders
Save and publish: An email with the answer will be sent to the email addresses entered into the recipients field, as well as to all of the people who have reviewed the call for tenders.
When you have filled in the fields, the information can be saved without sending by clicking on Save. After saving, the question will be transferred to the In progress tab. Return unanswered deletes this answer and returns any questions that have been bundled with this question back to the received.
Bundle the selected questions into a single question
You can bundle the desired questions into a single question by selecting the desired questions and clicking Bundle the selected questions into a single question.
Select the desired questions individually or select all of the questions by clicking Select all.
The question will then open in a similar window to the Answer view. Detailed instructions on processing questions can be found in the section in question.
In progress
The view shows a list of the questions that have been started answering, but answers aren't published yet.
Edit
Then question will open in a similar window to the Unanswered, answer now view. Detailed instructions on processing questions can be found in the Unanswered, answer now section.
Send selected answers
This function enables you to send several answers in a single email.
Select the desired questions individually or select all of the questions by clicking Select all.
Recipients:
In this field, enter the email addresses of people to whom you would like to send answers; one address per line. The answers will be sent automatically to all of the people who have reviewed the call for tenders
Show recipients displays a complete list of the people who have reviewed the call for tenders.
Edit enables you to edit the answer before you send it.
When the answers are ready, send them by clicking Send selected answers as a single email
Create new question/answer
New questions/answers can be created in the “In progress” section. The same functions are available for creating new questions as for questions in progress. See more detailed instructions on creating new questions in the “Answer” section.
Answered
The Answered tab lists the questions that have been answered. The same functions are available for answered questions as for questions in progress. See more detailed instructions on managing answered questions in the In progress section.
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