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Process documentationPrequalification of Suppliers

 

You use this process to evaluate potential suppliers before allowing them to respond to an RFx. This allows you to limit bidding to those suppliers who are best suited to your requirements. Suppliers submit a prequalification questionnaire (PQQ) that is evaluated based on the predefined evaluation criteria. Only those suppliers whose PQQ is accepted are allowed to create RFx responses against the RFx.

You can customize questionnaires to meet your organization's criteria. A prequalification questionnaire can contain questions about, for example, standards compliance, support of relevant business practices, or logistical capabilities. For more information about creating prequalification questionnaires, see Customizing for SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) under Start of the navigation path SRM Server Next navigation step Procurement for Public Sector Functions Next navigation step Application Settings Next navigation step Questionnaire End of the navigation path.

Evaluating PQQs

You can either manually evaluate PQQ responses or let the system automatically reject or accept them. When a supplier submits a PQQ, the system compares the supplier's answers against the criteria defined in Customizing. Based on the weighting factor defined for each question, the system calculates a total score for the questionnaire. If you want to use automatic evaluation of PQQ responses, you must activate the option in the RFx and specify a threshold value. The threshold value is the minimum score required by a supplier to qualify. The system compares the supplier's total score against the threshold value and automatically rejects or accepts the PQQ response. If you choose to evaluate the responses manually, the purchaser accepts or rejects the responses manually.

Resubmitting PQQs

You can allow suppliers to resubmit a PQQ if it was rejected before the submission deadline.

Prerequisites

You have activated the business function SRM, Cross-Industry Functions (SRM_CROSS_INDUSTRY_1). Note that you can only use this business function in conjunction with the business function SRM, Procurement for Public Sector (SRM_PUBLIC_SECTOR_1). In other words, you must activate both business functions.

You have done the following:

  • You have activated prequalification questionnaires for the required transaction and publication type in Customizing for Supplier Relationship Management under Start of the navigation path SRM Server Next navigation step Cross-Industry Functions Next navigation step Application Settings Next navigation step Tendering Next navigation step Define Tendering Options End of the navigation path.

  • You have created the questionnaire in Customizing for Supplier Relationship Management under Start of the navigation path SRM Server Next navigation step Cross-Industry Functions Next navigation step Application Settings Next navigation step Prequalification Questionnaire End of the navigation path.

  • You have specified the default PQQ for the transaction type and any optional PQQ settings in Customizing for Supplier Relationship Management under Start of the navigation path SRM Server Next navigation step Cross-Industry Functions Next navigation step Application Settings Next navigation step Prequalification Questionnaire Next navigation step Define Basic Data for Prequalification Questionnaires End of the navigation path.

Process

  1. The purchaser creates an RFx, selects a prequalification questionnaire for the RFx, and enters a submission deadline.

  2. If required, the purchaser specifies that the suppliers' PQQ responses should be evaluated automatically and specifies a threshold value.

  3. The purchaser publishes the RFx.

  4. The supplier views the RFx in SAP Bidding Engine and decides to submit an RFx response.

  5. The supplier fills out and submits the PQQ in SAP Bidding Engine.

  6. The system calculates the supplier's score based on the weighting factors defined in Customizing.

  7. One of the following takes place:

    • The purchaser evaluates the PQQ responses by viewing each PQQ response and manually accepting or rejecting the PQQ.

    • If automatic evaluation has been selected, the system automatically rejects or accepts the PQQ based on the threshold value.

  8. The system notifies the supplier of the decision.

Note Note

The standard prequalification process is not supported if you have activated the SRM, Supplier Collaboration (SRM_SUCO_1) business function and the Customizing switch RFx Response Submission Outside Firewall (SRM_701_SUCO_BIDDER_DECOUP). If you want to implement this process, you can establish an RFC connection to enable the data exchange between the purchaser's system and the supplier's system outside the firewall. For more information, see consulting note 1446109Information published on SAP site. The implementation of this note is a customer enhancement.

End of the note.

Result

Suppliers whose PQQ was accepted can now view the complete RFx and create an RFx response.