This feature allows the users to set up default email messages for bid invitations, bid awards, rescind bid awards, and bid rejection notices. When the bid manager is ready to send one of the notices, the default message will be displayed giving them the opportunity to modify it before sending it to the subcontractor(s). The default messages do not need to be set up at the specific project level since they can be modified before being sent.

The next four sections of the page allow the Bid Manager to set up default email messages for four of the five types of messages supported by the system (there is no default content for the Broadcast Email message). The messages may be modified before they are sent. Any of the place holders can be used with any of the four messages. See the individual page for each of the messages to see the business rules that will be applied when the message type is being sent.

• Bid Invitation Email - This email format is used by the bid manager to send out the invitations to bid.

• Bid Award Email - This email format is used by the bid manager to notify bidders that they have been awarded a bid for the project.

• Rescind Awarded Bid Email - This email format is used by the bid manager to rescind a previous bid award.

• Bid Rejection Email - This email format is used to inform bidders that they were not awarded their bid for a project.

To manage the master email formats:

1. Enter an email message for each email format, using the text Place Holders. Refer to the Place Holders section below for details on each Place Holder.

2. Use the email formatting toolbar to format your email message. Refer to the Email Formatting Tools section below for details on each formatting tools.

3. After you finish entering/editing each email message, click the Update Email Formats button at the bottom of the page. This saves all your changes.

Place Holders

The place holders may be used in any field in any of the email formats. When BidConnect creates the email messages to send to the bidder, it will substitute the corresponding information from the project database for the place holder.

• %cost codes% - Using this place holder will cause the cost codes the bidder is associated with to be substituted into the email message. As an example, if a bidder has been set up to submit bids for 3 cost codes, when the invitation is sent, the name of the three cost codes will be inserted into the body of the email message in the spot where the place holder has been entered. Thus the bidder will only receive 1 invitation to bid instead of 3.

• %project contact% - This place holder will be replaced with the name of the primary contact for the project

• %project name% - This place holder will be replaced with the bid project name

• %subcontractor% - This place holder will insert the bidder's name into the email message

• %today's date% - This place holder will cause the date the email is created to be inserted into the email message

Email Formatting Tools

The message box holds the body of the email message. Users may use any of the following controls when keying in the content in the message box.

• Cut - Cut the highlighted text from the message.

• Copy - Copy the highlighted text.

• Paste - Paste external information into the message at the cursor position.

•   Paste from Word - Insert information from a MS Word document at the cursor position.

• Left Justify - Left justify the highlighted text.

• Center - Center the highlighted text.

• Right Justify - Right justify the highlighted text.

• Bold - Bolds the highlighted text.

• Italic - Italicizes the highlighted text.

• Underline - Underlines the highlighted text.

• Numbered List - Inserts a numbered list at the cursor position.

• Bulleted List - Inserts a bulleted list at the cursor position.

• Indent Text - Indents the text at the cursor position.

• Outdent Text - Moves the text back to the left of the cursor position.

• Text Font - Select the font face (Arial, Courier, Times Roman, etc. - Arial is the default).

• Text Size - Select the font size (1 - 7) with 1 being the default.

• Create Link - Add a hyperlink in the body of the message. The user can add some text, highlight the text and then click on the Create Link icon. A pop-up window will be opened to enter the URL and the type of link (http: or https:).

• Horizontal Line - Place a horizontal line in the body of the message.

• Normal Mode - View data in normal text mode.

• HTML Mode - View data in HTML format.