About alternate responses to event lines

Suppliers can indicate that they can provide a different item or service than the one indicated on the original event line.

Setup

The buyer can allow for alternate responses on event lines by selecting the Allow Alternate Responses field on the event or event line.

Creating an alternate response

A buyer can create an alternate response on the Alternate Line Responses tab on Update Event LIne Response.

For suppliers, when a supplier responds to an event line item, there is a message on the response for indicating that alternate responses can be created if the event line allows alternate responses. Once a response for the line item is created the supplier creates the alternate response by selecting the Add link that displays under the Alternate Responses column on Supplier Line Responses.

Response analysis and awarding an alternate

Note: 

Access Response Analysis by selecting the View link in the Responses column from the tabs on the Buyer Page.

The Response By Supplier tab on the Response Analysis form displays an alert in the Supplier column if any alternate responses exist. Review alternate responses on the Responses By Line tab. The Response Analysis compare form also indicates if alternate responses exist.

If the buyer awards an alternate response, the process works the same as for the event line item response. The item number that is used for the purchase order or agreement or contract is determined from the vendor item entered on the Event Line Response. A value for item number only has to be entered if the output is an agreement or contract and the vendor item is not in the system and the item group requires manual entry of item number. Before a final award can be performed, the total quantity awarded between event line and alternate items must equal the quantity on the event line. When output is created, alternate items that are awarded will be combined onto purchase orders, contracts, and agreements under the same rules that event line items are combined. There may be multiple output lines created from a single event line for the same supplier.