Managing Tender Opportunities

Creating a Tender Sales Job

Open the tender Sales Job workspace in Pams when you receive a new tender invitation, request for proposal, or bid request. A tender Sales Job gives your team one place to keep the tender title, customer details, Bid Due Date, supporting documents, Contacts, Activities, and related Offer records.

1. Open Market Projects and select New Tender Sales Job.
2. Enter a clear tender title in Title. Include the customer name, tender subject, or reference number where this helps your team identify the Sales Job in lists.
3. Select the customer or contracting organization in Client or Account. Use the existing company record rather than entering a different spelling of the same organization.
4. Set the initial Status to Draft while you are collecting the tender information. A Draft tender can be saved before the commercial and technical response is complete.
5. Assign the internal Owner or Responsible person who will coordinate the tender. This person should be able to follow the Bid Due Date, obtain pricing, prepare documents, and record important updates.
6. Click Save to keep the tender Sales Job open for further work, or select Save and Close if you want to return to the tender list.

Use the Description field to record a short explanation of the Sales Job. For example, describe the requested project, the main product or service scope, and any important commercial context already known. Keep this summary brief enough that a colleague can understand the tender without opening every attachment.

Do not wait for every document or pricing detail before creating the tender Sales Job. Saving the Draft record early ensures the Bid Due Date and ownership are visible in Pams while the bid is being prepared.

Recording Tender Requirements and Bid Deadlines

A tender Sales Job is only useful when the bid team can see exactly what the contracting organization expects. Record the tender requirements in Pams as soon as you review the request documents, then update them whenever a clarification, addendum, or revised Bid Due Date is issued.

1. Open the tender Sales Job and go to the Requirements section.
2. Record the requested scope, required deliverables, quantities, technical conditions, and commercial conditions. Use Description, Technical Notes, and Commercial Notes where these fields are available.
3. Enter the official submission deadline in Bid Due Date. This is the external deadline stated by the contracting organization and should reflect the latest confirmed tender document.
4. Review the requirement notes against the attached request documents before sharing the tender internally. Make sure mandatory submission conditions, such as required forms, technical documents, or delivery conditions, are clearly captured.
5. Create internal follow-up work through Tasks, Activities, or Calendar reminders when the team needs earlier preparation dates. Keep the contractual submission date in Bid Due Date rather than replacing it with an internal target.
6. Click Save after each meaningful update.

When a tender clarification changes the scope, document the change in the requirement notes and add an Activity explaining what changed. Include the clarification date, the source document, and the effect on the bid. For example, note whether the change affects the requested Items, delivery expectations, technical response, or pricing.

Use the most recent written requirement as the working version. If an earlier document contains information that is no longer valid, retain it as an Attachment for reference but clearly note in the tender record which issue or date is current.

A complete requirements section prevents the team from preparing an Offer based on outdated assumptions. Before moving into pricing or proposal preparation, confirm that the scope and Bid Due Date in Pams match the current tender invitation.

Adding Tender Contacts and Supporting Documents

Tender work often involves several people at the customer or contracting organization, along with a large set of request documents. Add the relevant Contacts and Attachment records to the tender Sales Job so questions, clarifications, and submission instructions remain connected to the same bid.

1. Open the tender Sales Job and locate the Contacts area.
2. Add the contact person who issued the tender, receives clarification questions, or receives the final bid. Select an existing Contact when one is already available in Pams.
3. Verify the selected contact’s Full Name, Email, Phone, and related Account or Client details before relying on the record for tender communication.
4. Use the tender Note or Description to state which person is the primary tender contact when several contacts are listed. This makes the correct communication route clear to all team members.
5. Add each tender document as an Attachment. Choose From PC for documents stored on your computer or From Cloud for documents available from connected cloud storage.
6. Click Save after adding Contacts or Attachments.

Attach the documents that define how the bid must be prepared and submitted. These may include the request for proposal, specifications, drawings, addenda, pricing schedules, bid forms, delivery instructions, and submission requirements. Keep the original files attached even when your team also extracts key details into the Requirements section.

Name uploaded files so that the current issue is immediately recognizable. Include the document subject and issue date or revision identifier in the file name where available. This helps the team distinguish an original request from a later clarification or replacement document.

If a revised document replaces an earlier version, keep both Attachments but update the tender Notes or Activity record to identify the document the team must use for the current Offer. This preserves the tender history while avoiding confusion during final review.

Preparing and Comparing Tender Offers

Create an Offer when the tender response is ready to move from requirements gathering into commercial and technical preparation. Keeping each Offer linked to the tender Sales Job allows your team to review the bid details alongside the Bid Due Date, tender documents, Contacts, and Activity history.

1. Open the tender Sales Job and create or open the related Offer.
2. Confirm the Offer Date, Offer Type, Currency, and Validity Period before entering the proposal details.
3. Add the proposed Items, quantities, Unit Price, and Total Price. Check that the commercial response covers the tender requirements recorded in the Sales Job.
4. Use Technical Notes for technical response details and Commercial Notes for payment terms, delivery conditions, exclusions, or other commercial points relevant to the tender.
5. Save the Offer and return to the tender Sales Job to confirm that the proposal remains associated with the correct tender record.
6. Before the bid is sent, review the tender Bid Due Date, the current Attachments, the selected Contacts, and the Offer details together.

Use Revision when the tender requires a revised response or when the team updates the proposal after a clarification. The Offer Number, Offer Date, and revision information help distinguish an earlier proposal from the current version. Do not overwrite an earlier proposal without preserving the information needed to understand what changed.

When comparing possible responses, open each related Offer and review its Items, Offer Price, Validity Period, and Notes against the same tender requirements. This is especially important if the team has prepared alternative commercial or technical responses.

The final Offer should match the latest tender documents. If the requirement scope, requested delivery date, or submission condition changes, update the tender Sales Job first, then revise the Offer so both records remain aligned.

Tracking Tender Progress and Activity History

Keep the tender Status and Activities current throughout the bid process. This makes it possible for the Owner, sales team, and management to see whether the tender is being prepared, has been submitted, has been awarded, or has been closed without searching through emails or separate files.

1. Open the tender Sales Job whenever a meaningful event occurs.
2. Update Status or Stage to reflect the current position of the tender. Use the available status values consistently across your team.
3. Add an Activity for important events, such as a clarification request, a customer call, a tender meeting, a document amendment, bid submission, or award notification.
4. Choose the appropriate activity type, such as Call, Meeting, or Visit, and complete fields such as Subject, Activity Purpose, Due Date, Assignee, and Comment.
5. Record the outcome of the event in Comment, Description, or Note so another team member can understand the decision or agreed action.
6. Click Save after updating the tender or its Activity record.

Use the tender activity history to capture the facts that matter to the bid. For example, record when a clarification was requested, which document was amended, whether a deadline was extended, and when the final Offer was submitted. If the tender is awarded, record the award notification and any next action required. If it is not awarded, record the available reason in the tender notes or Activity details.

Review Last Modifications, Created By, and Last Modification By when you need to understand who changed the tender record. These details, together with the Activities and Attachments, provide a clear working history for the Sales Job.

Update the tender promptly after external communication. A current Status and meaningful Activity entries help prevent missed deadlines, duplicated follow-up, and uncertainty about the latest customer instruction.

Resolving Missing Information Before Bid Submission

Use the tender Sales Job as the final review point before sending a bid. Missing scope details, unclear deadlines, incomplete Contacts, or absent Attachments can lead to an Offer that does not meet the tender conditions. Resolve these gaps in Pams before the bid is submitted.

1. Open the tender Sales Job and review the Requirements section. Confirm that the scope, requested deliverables, mandatory conditions, and any technical or commercial instructions are recorded in Description, Technical Notes, or Commercial Notes.
2. Check Bid Due Date against the latest tender Attachment. If the date is unclear or a revised date was issued, update Bid Due Date and add an Activity or Comment explaining the clarification.
3. Review the Contacts area. Confirm that the tender includes the person responsible for clarification questions or bid submission, and identify the primary contact in the tender Note when several contacts are listed.
4. Open the related Offer and verify the Items, Offer Price, Currency, Validity Period, and Notes against the tender requirements.
5. Check the Attachment area for the current request document, specifications, addenda, required forms, and submission instructions.
6. Click Save after correcting any missing information.

Use the following review points to identify what is incomplete:

If the team cannot confirm a requirement from the available tender documents, do not treat an assumption as a confirmed condition. Record the open point in an Activity or Comment so the Owner can obtain clarification and preserve the response in the tender history.

Overview

Tender Sales Jobs in Pams provide a focused workspace for managing a bid from initial tender receipt through preparation, submission, award, or closure. Each tender Sales Job brings together the details that are most likely to change during a competitive bid: the Title, Client or Account, Bid Due Date, requirements, Contacts, Attachments, related Offer records, and Activities.

Use the tender Sales Job as the shared source for the bid team rather than keeping deadline updates, customer questions, and document versions in separate places. The Requirements section captures the requested scope and mandatory submission conditions. Bid Due Date records the customer’s formal deadline. Attachments keep the request documents, specifications, and addenda with the Sales Job. Contacts identify the people involved in tender communication.

The related Offer is where the team prepares the commercial and technical response. Offer details such as Items, Offer Price, Currency, Validity Period, Technical Notes, and Commercial Notes should be reviewed against the tender record before submission. When the bid changes, use Revision and retain the earlier proposal details so the tender history remains understandable.

The tender Status, Stage, and Activities give the team a current view of progress. Record calls, meetings, clarification requests, document amendments, submission events, and award notifications using Activities and Comment fields. Use Last Modifications and the activity history when you need to check what changed and who made the update.

Tender management supports the work that happens before a project moves into detailed delivery and purchasing activity. When an awarded Sales Job becomes a project with cost tracking needs, use Tracking Project Job Costs to manage the job-costing work separately from the tender preparation history.

Prerequisites

Before creating a tender Sales Job, gather the tender information that you can confirm from the invitation and its supporting documents. Pams allows you to save a tender as Draft before every detail is available, but the following information will help you create a useful record from the start:

• A recognizable tender name or reference to enter in Title.
• The customer or contracting organization to select in Client or Account.
• The official tender submission date for Bid Due Date.
• The tender request, specifications, instructions, addenda, or other source documents to add as Attachments.
• The contact person or people involved in tender communication, including their Contact Name, Email, and Phone where available.
• A basic understanding of the requested scope, deliverables, technical requirements, commercial conditions, and required bid documents.
• The internal Owner or Responsible person who will coordinate the tender response.
• Any available pricing information needed to prepare an Offer, including proposed Items, quantities, Currency, Unit Price, and Validity Period.

If the customer or contracting organization already exists in Pams, select the existing Client, Account, and Contact records. This keeps the tender connected to the company’s previous sales activity and avoids duplicate contact information.

Keep the original tender invitation available when entering the record. Use it to confirm the Bid Due Date, identify mandatory tender forms, and compare the final Offer against the customer’s stated requirements. When the invitation includes later clarifications or addenda, attach them to the same tender Sales Job and record the change through an Activity or Comment.