Better control over RFPs publication timelines - Release note 11.68 (June)

This update to the LittleBig Connection platform includes the implementation of the publication sequencing feature for Time and Materials (T&M) Requests for Proposal (RFPs). This new module will enhance the way client users manage and publish their RFPs to suppliers.

Within this article

• Presentation of publication sequencing feature
• Publication sequencing activation
• Management of publication sequences
  • Create publication sequences for the entities
  • Manage sequences
• Using publication sequences in RFPs 
  • Publish your RFP with a sequence
  • Draft, template and duplicate RFPs with a sequence

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Presentation of publication sequencing feature activation

Publication Sequencing gives complete control and autonomy to clients over the visibility of Time and materials Requests for Proposal (RFPs). Thanks to this feature, you can make your RFP progressively visible to your different preferred suppliers lists according to the referencing agreements you have with them, and to LittleBig Connection marketplace.

This feature offers a more strategic and controlled approach to RFP publication. By leveraging it, you can ensure your RFPs are published to the right suppliers at the right time, optimizing your supplier engagement process.

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Publication sequencing activation

To activate the feature for your client account, please contact your Customer Success Manager. 

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Management of publication sequences

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Create publication sequences for the entities

After activation on the company account, Administrators can independently set up RFP publication sequences for entities within the platform. To do so: 

1. Go to the Entities tab and click on Preferred supplier management 
2. Make sure you are in the Publication sequences tab and click on the Create a sequence button
3. In the window that will appear, you will need to add the following information:
   • Name of the publication sequence
   • Entities affected by the sequence: select the entities and sub-entities for which this sequencing will be applicable when creating a Time and Materials (T&M) RFP

4. Then, you can define each sequence step (the first one always starts on the first day of publication of the RFP). For each step, you need to determine the time interval and supplier by using the following fields: 

• • From: use the drop-down list to select the number of days after which this step applies.
    Example: if you select 10, the RFP will become visible to the selected suppliers 10 days after the initial publication, so on day 11 (interval + 1)
  • Open the RFP to the following groups: select the group(s) of suppliers to which you wish to open the RFP when the sequence step is reached. You can select (depending on selected entities' options):
    • Preferred suppliers lists
    • The service providers from LittleBig Connection marketplace
    • Freelancers from LittleBig Connection marketplace

5. Click on Add a step

6. If you need more steps in the sequence, you can repeat step 4 as needed (max. 8 steps). 

7. Once you have created all the steps, you can click on the Save button. The created sequence will be displayed with the Inactive status. 

8. To activate the created sequence, open its action menu and click on Activate

The publication sequence will now be available to the Operational managers and RFP creators from the selected entities when they create a new RFP. Thanks to this feature, you can therefore ensure that the publication process remains compliant at every stage.

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Manage sequences

Once you have created a publication sequence, you can manage it thanks to the action menu:

• Activate/Deactivate: any change in the availability of the sequence won't be retroactive (on created and published RFPs) and will only apply for newly created RFPs
• Edit: any change won't be retroactive and will only apply for newly created RFPs 
• Duplicate: by default, when duplicating an existing sequence, the copy will be inactive 
• Delete: deleting a sequence won't apply to ongoing RFPs (created or published) but only for newly created ones

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Using publication sequences in RFPs

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Publish your RFP with a sequence

Once Company Administrators have set up and activated publication sequences for your entity, as an RFP owner, you will be able to select one in the Publish step of the T&M RFP creation form. To do so: 

1. Go to the Publish step of the RFP creation form (last step)
2. Activate the toggle button next to Use a publication sequence.

   Good to know

   This publication criterion is exclusive. You can either publish with a sequence or publish to preferred supplier lists, marketplace or targeted recipients.

3. In the drop-down list, select the sequence relevant to your RFP
   • Within each step of the sequencing, you can unselect some suppliers if needed, but there should be at least one supplier per step.

Once your RFP is published, the publication sequencing settings can't be changed anymore when editing the RFP. And, you can easily follow the progress of the visibility to the different audiences in the Publication dashboard tab of the RFP view page with the following information: 

• Publication sequence: name of the chosen sequencing
• Step: steps set up in the sequence with the time and the visibility settings associated to them
• Status:
  • Opened: ongoing step
  • In queue: upcoming step
  • Closed: finished step
  • Canceled: step not started because the sequence has been stopped (in case of an appointed proposal for instance)
• Opening day: date or number of days from which the step applies

You will be notified when the RFP's visibility has reached a new step of the sequence, and suppliers included in this new step will be notified as well that a new RFP has been opened to them. 

Once you have appointed a proposal, the publication sequence is stopped and the next steps are not executed so that other suppliers are not solicited.

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Draft, template and duplicate RFPs with a sequence

For draft, template and duplicate RFPs where the original one included a publication sequence, the corresponding information will be retrieved:

• If the sequence is still active and has been edited since the initial RFP, changes will be retrieved and a warning message will be displayed
• If the sequence has been deactivated or deleted in the meantime, user will need to make new selection