Request for Proposal (RFP)

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is the subcontractor equivalent of the RFQ. While an RFQ solicits pricing from material suppliers, an RFP solicits competitive bids from subcontractors for defined work packages. The RFP captures the scope of work, site details, and timeline, then circulates this information to multiple subcontractors who submit their proposals. These proposals are compared using a Comparative Statement for Work Orders, and the best offer is converted into a Work Order (WO).

RFP List

The RFP list displays all Requests for Proposal created within the selected date range. Each row shows the RFP code, associated job, offer window, and current status.

Row Actions

Each RFP row provides a dropdown action menu with the following options:

RFP Document (Print View)

Clicking View on an RFP opens the formal RFP document as an SSRS report. This is the document that is circulated to subcontractors for them to prepare their proposals.

The RFP document includes:

• Header — Company name, logo, address, date, and RFP reference number
• Subject / Scope — The offer description summarizing the work package
• Work items grid — Line items from the Work Requisition with descriptions, UOM, and quantities
• Work location — The site or area where work will be performed
• Work date — Expected start or execution date for the work
• Offer window — Start and end dates for proposal submission
• Contact email — Email address for subcontractor queries
• Terms & Conditions — Standard terms governing the proposal process
• Attachments — Drawings, BOQ details, specifications, or scope documents

RFP Header Fields

The RFP header captures the overall proposal request details. Stored in the omni_rfp_header table (17 columns).

RFP Line Item Fields

Each RFP contains one or more line items representing the individual work activities or scope items being solicited. These are pulled from the source Work Requisition and stored in the omni_rfp_detail table.

Creating an RFP

An RFP is created from an approved Work Requisition (WR). The system carries forward the work scope, quantities, and specifications from the WR, ensuring consistency throughout the subcontractor procurement chain.

1. Navigate to the approved Work Requisition — Go to Operations → Jobs → select the job → Work Requisition. Ensure the WR is in Approved status. Only approved WRs can be used to create RFPs.
2. Click “Create RFP” — From the WR detail, click the Create RFP action. The system calls omni_sp_scm_CreateRFP, which creates a new RFP header linked to the WR (wr_id) and auto-populates RFP detail rows from the WR’s line items.
3. Set the offer window — Define the Offer Start Date and Offer End Date to give subcontractors a clear timeline for preparing and submitting their proposals. Allow sufficient time for subcontractors to visit the site and prepare detailed proposals.
4. Enter work details — Specify the Work Location (e.g., “Block C, 3rd Floor, Sector 42”), Work Date (expected start), and Contact Email for vendor queries.
5. Add the offer description — Provide a detailed description of the work scope in the Offer Description field. This appears as the subject on the printed RFP document and should be comprehensive enough for subcontractors to understand the full requirement.
6. Review line items — Verify that all work items from the WR have been correctly carried over. Add any clarifying notes to individual line items as needed.
7. Attach supporting documents — Upload drawings, BOQ breakdowns, technical specifications, site plans, or any other documents that will help subcontractors prepare accurate proposals. Use the RFP_AttachmentFilePath or the DMS integration.
8. Add subcontractors — Switch to the Vendors section and add one or more registered subcontractors who should receive this RFP (see Managing Vendors below).
9. Circulate the RFP — Print or electronically send the RFP document to the invited subcontractors. The SSRS report provides a professional, formatted document suitable for external distribution.

Managing Vendors on an RFP

Subcontractors are added to the RFP through the omni_rfp_vendors table. Each vendor-RFP association is tracked individually, enabling the system to record which subcontractors were invited and when.

Adding Vendors

1. Open the RFP — Navigate to the RFP and click Items to open the detail view. Switch to the Vendors tab.
2. Click “Add Vendor” — The system calls omni_sp_scm_AddVendorToRFP to create a new entry in the omni_rfp_vendors table. Select a registered subcontractor from the Vendor Directory.
3. Repeat for additional subcontractors — Add all subcontractors who should receive this RFP. Each addition is timestamped with the user and date (inserted_by, inserted_on).

Vendor Record Fields

Recording Vendor WO Offers

When subcontractors respond with their proposals, their offers are recorded in the system as Vendor WO Offers. The system uses omni_sp_scm_CreateVendorWOOfferFromRFP to create offer records from the RFP context.

1. Open the RFP — Navigate to the RFP and click Items to access the detail view.
2. Select the vendor — Choose the subcontractor whose proposal you are recording from the list of invited vendors.
3. Create WO Offer — Click the “Create WO Offer” action. The system calls omni_sp_scm_CreateVendorWOOfferFromRFP, which creates a Vendor Work Order Offer linked to both the RFP and the vendor. The work items from the RFP are automatically populated into the offer.
4. Enter pricing details — For each work item, record the subcontractor’s proposed unit rate, quantity, discount (if any), tax components, and any special terms or conditions.
5. Add delivery and payment terms — Record the subcontractor’s proposed timeline, mobilization schedule, payment milestones, and any deviations from the RFP terms.
6. Repeat for all respondents — Record offers from every subcontractor who submitted a proposal. This ensures the Comparative Statement has complete data for evaluation.

Comparative Statement for Work Orders

The Comparative Statement is the central evaluation tool for subcontractor proposals. It presents all vendor WO offers side-by-side in a structured SSRS report, enabling objective comparison and transparent vendor selection. This report is generated by omni_sp_reports_ComparativeStatementWorkOrder.

Report Structure

The Work Order Comparative Statement follows the same structure as the material Comparative Statement but is tailored for work/service pricing:

Evaluation Criteria

When evaluating subcontractor proposals, consider these factors beyond just the lowest price:

Converting Best Offer to Work Order

After evaluating all proposals through the Comparative Statement, the best offer is selected and converted into a Work Order (WO). This is the final step in the subcontractor procurement process.

1. Review the Comparative Statement — Open the Comparative Statement report and evaluate all vendor proposals using the criteria described above. Identify the preferred subcontractor.
2. Select the best offer — Mark the preferred vendor’s offer as “Selected” in the system. Add selection notes explaining why this vendor was chosen. The selection can be at the item level if different work activities should be awarded to different subcontractors.
3. Create Work Order — From the selected offer, click “Create Work Order.” The system creates a new WO header and populates it with the subcontractor details, agreed pricing, quantities, taxes, payment terms, and work schedule from the selected offer.
4. RFP is updated — The RFP header’s wo_id field is populated with the newly created Work Order ID, completing the traceability chain. The RFP status changes to WO Issued.
5. Approve the Work Order — The newly created WO enters the approval workflow. Once approved, it becomes a binding commitment with the subcontractor.

RFP Status Lifecycle

An RFP progresses through the following statuses during its lifecycle:

End-to-End Traceability

The subcontractor procurement chain maintains full traceability from the initial work requirement through to the final Work Order. Every document in the chain links back to its predecessor:

Key Stored Procedures

The following stored procedures power the RFP workflow in the database:

Best Practices

1. Start from an approved Work Requisition — Always create RFPs from properly approved WRs. This ensures the work scope has been validated against the job budget and authorized by the project manager before subcontractor solicitation begins.
2. Provide detailed scope documents — Attach comprehensive drawings, BOQ breakdowns, technical specifications, and site plans to the RFP. The more detail subcontractors receive, the more accurate and comparable their proposals will be. Vague scope descriptions lead to wide price variations and scope disputes during execution.
3. Invite at least three subcontractors — Competitive bidding requires a minimum of three proposals for meaningful comparison. If fewer than three vendors respond, consider extending the offer window or inviting additional subcontractors before proceeding to evaluation.
4. Allow adequate response time — Set the offer window (start to end date) to give subcontractors enough time to visit the site, assess the work, and prepare detailed proposals. For complex work packages, allow at least two weeks. Rushed timelines result in inflated or inaccurate proposals.
5. Document selection rationale — When selecting a vendor from the Comparative Statement, always add selection notes explaining the decision. This is especially important when awarding to a vendor who is not the L1 (lowest) bidder — document the technical, timeline, or quality factors that justified the higher cost.
6. Evaluate beyond price — For subcontract work, the cheapest bid is not always the best. Assess the subcontractor’s technical capability, past performance on similar work, safety record, financial stability, and ability to meet the project schedule. Use the technical approval mechanism to verify capability before finalizing selection.
7. Maintain the traceability chain — Ensure that every RFP links back to its source WR and forward to the resulting WO. Do not create Work Orders without going through the RFP process for tendered work. This preserves the audit trail and ensures all subcontractor commitments are backed by competitive evaluation.
8. Close the offer window before evaluating — Wait until the Offer End Date has passed before generating the Comparative Statement. This ensures all invited subcontractors have had an equal opportunity to submit proposals and the comparison is fair.