About sealed bids

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Important

This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3

This feature is available only if eProcurement in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 is installed.

Sealed requests for quotation (RFQs) and sealed bids promote fair procurement practices. By using sealed bids on an RFQ, the details, such as costs and quantities, are masked or hidden for confidentiality until the purchasing agent unseals the RFQ after it expires. Vendors can see their own bid details at any time. If the purchasing agent receives any bids on the RFQ through other methods, such as mail, email, or fax, they can be entered in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 only after the electronic bids are unsealed in AX 2012 R3.

Note

Vendors can use sealed bid functionality with the Vendor portal on Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX only, this functionality is not available in Sites Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP.

Sealing an RFQ

You can enable vendors to submit sealed bids, by selecting Sealed in the Request for quotation details form, in the Bid type field.

RFQ replies that you receive will be hidden until the RFQ’s expiration date, when you open the RFQ and start bid tabulation.

Warning

After an RFQ is sealed, it cannot be unsealed before the expiration date and time, and the bid type cannot be changed.

For more information, see Create a request for quotation.

Opening a sealed bid

When the expiration date and time for a sealed RFQ passes, the purchasing agent can unseal the bids that have come in reply to it, by clicking Unseal bids, on the Action Pane, in the Request for quotation reply form.

Warning

When one bid on a sealed RFQ is unsealed, all bids for the RFQ are unsealed; lines and quantities in the bids then become visible, and can no longer be resealed or hidden.

For more information, see Compare bids and award a contract.