What is a BidTable and when should I use one?

What are BidTables?

The process of managing a line item bid project would typically have consisted of you receiving Vendor documents on a USB, in a Word or Excel file, or even as a paper copy. As a Project Owner, you would have to pull all the data from every Vendor submission and manually compile it all into one spreadsheet. This process could be tedious and prone for error.

Bonfire's BidTable feature makes this process much easier; you are able to build and provide your Vendors with a template that they can fill out and upload directly onto your portal. Bonfire will then consolidate all of the Vendor line item details and present all bids in a side-by-side view for easy evaluation! Our BidTables module is full of useful features and tools that will make the analysis of your multi-line item bid opportunities easy, efficient, and stress-free!  

When should I use BidTables?

If you are running a simple project with five or less items, using a BidTable may be excessive, as there are quicker and easier ways to run such projects (for example, using Requested Information slots). However, if you find yourself approaching 10 or more items, creating a BidTable may be the best choice to efficiently carry out your project.

Vendor Experience

Project Owners and Buyers can create, view, amend, and score BidTables within Bonfire. Vendors must complete BidTables using Microsoft Office Excel 2006 or newer. 

Here's is the BidTable from the Vendor's perspective:

Vendors can input their data directly into the Excel template, then upload it as part of their submissions. Data can include but is not limited to pricing, quantity, brand, etc. For more information about the Vendor experience, please read How do I fill out a BidTable?

Minimum Information Required for BidTables

Items

Items are the initial building blocks of your BidTable; you can think of Items as the line items in your project.

Baskets

Baskets are organizational tools used to categorize and work with Items quickly. For example, if you have a project where you may have different types of items, you can categorize those items into groups. In the above Food Services example, you might choose to categorize perishable vs. non perishable items. This makes it easier for Buyers to quickly work with groups of line items, instead of having to make changes individually.

Columns

Columns can be considered categories of information for the listed Items. For example, Project Owners can create Columns for Vendors to input specific information, such as lead time, quantities, or other information as requested by the Project Owner. Columns can also be used to apply additional values to BidTables or to work with formulas for easier evaluations.

Further Reading

• Creating a BidTable
• How to Evaluate a Project with a BidTable
• How do I make a BidTable or Questionnaire available to my vendors?
• Why do I need a password to fill out BidTables and Questionnaires?