Overview

This Quick Reference Guide (QRG) is intended for Buyers who need to create a large procurement Request for Proposal (RFP) Double Envelope and Triple Envelope sourcing projects in the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA). It shows you how to create an RFP solicitation from creation to sending out your published solicitation. RFPs typically involve solicitations worth over $50,000 and involve purchasing services or a combination of products and services.

This QRG is broken down into 9 sections:

Create an RFP Double Envelope Solicitation
Add Team Members
Create a Sourcing Project Schedule
Add Documents
Select Vendors
Prepare Solicitation – Setup
Prepare Solicitation – Attachments
Prepare Solicitation – Pricing
Notify Vendors and Publish Solicitation

NOTE: For best results, use the Google Chrome browser to access eMMA.

If you need help at any time, please reach out to the eMMA helpdesk at emma.helpdesk@maryland.gov.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Create an RFP Double Envelope Proposal

NOTE: This QRG uses diagrams with specific callouts to show required and optional fields in forms. A yellow callout with a red border null indicates a required field, while yellow callouts with a black border null indicate optional fields. Letters within the callouts correspond to the explanations below the diagram.A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

Access eMMA at https://emma.maryland.gov and log in with your credentials.

NOTE: Depending on your agency, you may only need to click the State SSO Login (Secure Auth) button or the MDOT SSO Login (MSAzure) button and log in with your credentials.
Click the Sourcing tab at the top of the screen and select Create Project from the drop-down menu that opens.

Enter information in the General Information section of the form. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field. The diagram below shows required fields described in more detail below.

NOTE: Additional fields may display depending on your selections.
1. Alternate ID: This field is an additional identifier. If you have a Financial Management Information System (FMIS) number, external project number or an internal contract number, enter it here. If not, then skip this field.
2. Is a template (checkbox): Click this checkbox if you plan to make this sourcing project a template for other projects.
3. Project Type (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the RFP: Double Envelope Proposal (LP) or RFP: Triple Envelope Proposal (LP) project type.
4. Project Start Date (*): Click this field to select a date on which to start the project. If no date is selected, eMMA will default to the date you are creating the sourcing project as the Project Start Date.
5. Linked Business Requests: Click this field to search for a Business Request if you need to link one to your new sourcing process.
  
  NOTE: Clicking See All opens a window in which all Business Requests are listed. Search for a term in the Keywords field and click the Search button to return relevant results. Select a business request from this list. The business request populates in the field.
6. Project Title (*): Enter a title for your RFP in this field.
7. Project End Date: Click this field if you know the date your project will end.
8. Main Category (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select one main category for your project or click See All at the bottom of the menu.
  
  NOTE: Clicking See All opens a window in which all categories are listed. Search for a term in the Keywords field and click the Search button to return relevant results. Use the plus and minus icons to the left of the category groups to expand and collapse them. Select a category from this list. The category populates in the field.
9. Other Commodities: Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select one or more additional categories for your project or click See All at the bottom of the menu. Selecting more commodities means you will get a broader scope of responses from vendors who can meet your project’s needs.
  
  NOTE: Clicking See All opens a window in which all commodities are listed. Search for a term in the Keywords field and click the Search button to return relevant results. Use the plus and minus icons to the left of the commodity groups to expand and collapse them. It is imperative that you select as many and as detailed commodities as applies to your project. This ensures vendors from a wide range of commodities can find and bid on your solicitation. Select one or more commodity(ies) from this list and close the window. The commodity(ies) populates in the field.
10. Initial Funds Certification Availability: This field is system generated. No further action required here.
11. Issuing Agency/Sub-Agency/Site (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select appropriate Issuing Agency/Sub-Agency/Site for this project or click the See All option at the bottom of the menu.
  
  NOTE: Clicking See All opens a window in which all Agencies are listed. Search for a term in the Keywords field and click the Search button to return relevant results. Use the plus and minus icons to the left of the agency groups to expand and collapse them. Select an agency from this list. The selected agency populates in the field.
12. Other Organizations: Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select one or more additional organizations related to your project or click the See All option at the bottom of the menu.
  
  NOTE: Clicking See All opens a window in which all organizations in your agency are listed. Search for a term in the Keywords field and click the Search button to return relevant results. Use the plus and minus icons to the left of the organizational groups to expand and collapse them. Select one or more organization(s) from this list and close the window. The organization(s) auto-populates in the field.
13. MITDP Award? (checkbox): Click this checkbox only if you have a Major IT Development Project Award.
14. Procurement Officer/Buyer (*): This field auto-populates with your information. If this information is incorrect or needs to be changed, click this field to open the drop-down menu and select an option from the list. Click See All at the bottom of the menu to search through a list of all Procurement Officers/Buyers.
  
  NOTE: Clicking See All opens a window in which all Procurement Officers are listed. Search for a term in the Keywords field and click the Search button to return relevant results. Select a name from this list and close the window. The selected Procurement Officer/Buyer auto-populates in the field.
Enter information in the Additional Information section. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field. The diagram below shows required fields described in more detail below.

NOTE: Additional fields may display depending on your selections.
1. Federal Funding? (*): Does your project have federal funding? Click this field and select Yes or No.
2. SBR Designation (*): Does your project have a Small Business Reserve (SBR) designation? Click this field and select Yes or No.
3. Project Estimate: If you have an estimate of your project cost, enter it in this field.
4. Project Cost Class: Click this field and select a cost class for your project.
5. MBE Goal? (*): Does your project have a Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) goal? Click this field and select Yes or No.
  1. If you select Yes, two more fields display.
    1. MBE Participation (%): Enter the percentage for your MBE goal in this field.
    2. MBE Sub-Goal?: Does your project have MBE sub-goals? Click this field and select Yes or No.
      1. If you selected Yes, five new fields display. Enter the appropriate percentages in the respective fields as they apply to your project:Native American MBE Participation (%)
        African American MBE Participation (%)
        Asian American MBE Participation (%)
        Hispanic American MBE Participation (%)
        Women-owned MBE Participation (%)
6. VSBE Goal? (*): Does your project have a Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) goal? Click this field and select Yes or No.
  1. If you select Yes, one more field displays.
    VSBE Percentage (%); Enter the percentage for your VSBE goal in this field.
7. Grant Funding? (*): Does your project have grant funding? Click this field and select Yes or No.
  1. If you select Yes, one more field displays.
    Grant Funding Amount ($) (*): Enter the dollar amount for your grant funding.

Enter information in the Apparent Awardee Approver Criteria section. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field. The diagram below shows required fields described in more detail below.
1. Fiscal Officer Approval? (*): Does your project need approval by a Fiscal Officer? Click this field and select Yes or No.
2. Legal Approval? (*): Does your project need Legal approval? Click this field and select Yes or No.
3. Agency Head Approval? (*): Does your project need Agency Head approval? Click this field and select Yes or No.
4. Procurement Leadership Approval? (*): Does your project need Procurement Leader approval? Click this field and select Yes or No.
Click the Save button at the top of the page.

Add Team Members

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to add Team members to your sourcing project.

Click the Teams tab on the left-hand side-panel and click the ellipsis (three dots) button. The Browse Users window opens and displays a list of users in eMMA.
Use the fields and filters to search for team members. Click the checkbox to the left of a team member you want to add. Repeat this step for each user on your Team and close the Browse Users window. The Team members you selected display on the Team page.

NOTE: Team members can have more than one profile in eMMA. You can click on the team member’s name to view information about their eMMA profile.
(Optional) To remove an added user from your team, click the X to the left of the user’s name.
Click the field to the right of a user’s email address, in the Profile(s) column, to open a drop-down menu.
Select a profile role for the user from the drop-down menu. By default, each user is assigned a role. Added users are assigned the SME (Sourcing Project) role, while the Procurement Officer is designated the Responsible (Sourcing Project) role by default. Profile roles and permissions are further defined below.

NOTE: You can assign multiple roles but only one Responsible profile role for the Team.

Profile roles are defined as:
1. Responsible (Sourcing Project):
  1. This role is by default assigned to the Procurement Officer but you can change it.
  2. This is the Owner of the Sourcing Project.
  3. They have read, view, and edit access to the project.
  4. All Vendor communications come to the person with this role.
  5. You can only assign one user the Responsible role per project. However, you must have at least one Responsible role assigned.
2. Contributor (Sourcing Project):
  1. They have view access to the project and response activity.
  2. They can edit information on the Project Information, Team, Schedule, and Documents tabs
3. SME (Sourcing Project):
  1. The Subject Matter Expert (SME) and default role assigned when you add a team member.
  2. This member can be assigned tasks in eMMA.
  3. They can receive email notifications (Forum messages).
  4. They can respond to Requirements Gathering questions or Evaluate/Score when assigned the task.
(Optional) To remove a user’s profile role, click the X to the right of the role in the respective field in the Profile(s) column.

NOTE: If you remove the user’s only role, it resets to the SME (Sourcing Project) role by default.
When you’ve completed adding your team members and assigning profiles, click the Save button at the top of the page.

NOTE: You must remember to click the Save button. If you don’t, you will lose your progress on this tab.

Create a Sourcing Project Schedule (Optional)

This process is optional, however your organization may require it in your solicitation. Please check with your supervisor. This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to create a schedule for your sourcing project. You can view the pre-populated schedule for the RFP and/or add and modify tasks and schedule items. You can also assign tasks to Team members, if you have added them in the Teams tab.

Click the Schedule tab in the left-hand side-panel to display the Schedule page. For Requests for Proposals (RFPs) Double and Triple Envelope, you will need to create your own schedule tasks due to the complexity of RFP development and issuance.
Steps 16-21 include instructions to create a new task for your schedule. If you do not need to do this, skip to Step 22.
(Optional) Click the Edit (pencil) icon to the left of a task you want to change.
(Optional) Click the Delete (trashcan) icon to the left of a task you want to delete.
(Optional) Click the Add a Task button at the top of the Schedule page. The Edit Task window opens. You may need to scroll horizontally to see all the sections.

NOTE: Once you create a new task and save it, the task moves to the end of the list.
Enter information in the fields of the Information section. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
1. Task Label (*): Enter a label for your new task in this field.
2. Type (*):Click this field to select a type for this task.
  1. Action (the default type)
  2. E-Mail Sent
  3. Event/Workshop
  4. Mail Sent
  5. Phase
  6. Phone Contact
  7. Meeting

Task Code (*): This field lets you select the order sequence for a single task. Click this field and enter the letter “T” and a number for the row in which you want the task to appear. For example, you want the Specification Drafting task to be the 5^th task on the list. You would enter “T5” in this field.
Description: Enter a brief description for the task.
Status: Click this field to select a status for this task.
1. Scheduled (the default status)
2. Not Started
3. In progress
4. Complete
5. Close
Manager (*): This field auto-populates with your information. Click this field to open a drop-down menu and change it to another member of your team, if necessary.
Assigned to: Click this field to open a drop-down menu and select a member of your team you want to assign this task to.
Progress: Enter a numerical value to update the schedule as to how much of this task is complete.
Estimated Workload: Enter the number of workdays you estimate to complete this task.
Updated/Actual Workload: Enter the actual number of workdays it took to complete this task.
Parent Task: Click this field to open a drop-down menu and select a parent task for this task.
Sourcing Steps:Click this field to open a drop-down menu and select an option from the menu.
1. Vendors
2. Open General Envelope
3. Reverse Auction
Previous Task: Enter the last task to take place before your task.

Enter information in the fields for both the Dates Management and Comments sections. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

Initial Dates (*): Click the Initial Start Date (*) field and select a date on which to start your task. Click the Initial End Date (*) field to select an end date. Enter a Duration (optional) period (in days) if desired.
Comment: Enter comments in this field for your task.
Click or Drag to add files: Click the Click or Drag to add files button to add a file from your device or drag a file to this button to add it.

NOTE: Added uploaded files cannot exceed 300,000 KB.

NOTE: You cannot edit documents directly in eMMA, but you can upload new files.

Click the Save & Add New button at the top of the Edit task window and repeat Steps 16-21 until your schedule is complete. Click the Save & Close button when you are finished adding tasks.
Click the Save button at the top of the Schedule page to save your schedule. Scroll to the bottom of the Schedule page to view the Gantt chart of your schedule. Hover your cursor over one of the blocks to see a detailed pop-up about that block.

Add Documents

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to add documents to your sourcing project.

NOTE: You can only add documents to sourcing projects of which you are the owner, and only your sourcing project Team members can view them. Vendors can view your documents if you grant them permission. Documents stored here can be copied to the solicitation and shared with Vendors later when you publish the solicitation, if desired.

NOTE: The uploaded document or file size must not exceed 300,000 KB.

NOTE: You cannot edit documents directly in eMMA, but you can upload new files.

Click the Documents tab in the left-hand side-panel to display the Documents page. Existing documents, if any, display in the Sourcing Project Documents pane.
Click the Create Document button in the Sourcing Project Documents pane. The Sourcing Project Documents pop-up window displays.
Enter information in the form fields. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
1. Title (*): Enter a title for the document.
2. Version (*): Enter a numeric value for the version of the document. The application will suggest the next version increment for each new revision.
3. Summary: (Optional) Enter a brief summary of the document. Once you click this field, text editing options appear above it.
4. Status: This field indicates the current status of the document. You don’t need to do anything here.
5. Click or Drag to add files (*): Click this button to choose a file from your device or drag and drop the file on this spot to add it. The added file displays below this button. Click the X to the left of the document to remove it.
  
  NOTE: The uploaded document or file size must not exceed 300,000 KB.
  
  NOTE: You cannot edit documents directly in eMMA, but you can upload new files.
6. Sourcing Project: This field indicates the sourcing project associated with this document. No further action is required here.
You have three options to move forward:
1. Save as draft: Click this button to save the document as a draft. The Sourcing Project Documents window now shows the document listed (in the Information pane), tracking info of the document (at the bottom), and a Delete button (at the top) to remove the draft.
  
  NOTE: Other users cannot see documents in Draft status. Changing the Status to Approved makes it visible to others (see Step 26c). The image below shows a document in Draft status in eMMA. An orange background displays behind the title of the document in Draft Status.
2. Save & Close: Click this button to save the document as it is shown and close the Sourcing Project Documents window.
3. Publish: Click this button to publish or “Approve” the document and make it visible to others. The Sourcing Project Documents window now shows the document status as “Approved,” a New Draft button to create a new draft of the document (at the top), a Delete button to remove the document (at the top), and tracking information (at the bottom).
Unless you chose option b (Save & Close) click the Save & Close button at the top of the window.
Click the Save button at the top of the Documents page. Your document is listed on the Documents page along with version info, who created the document, the creation date, and the date last modified. Remember to click the Save button after making any updates or changes to your document.
Click the Edit (pencil) icon to the left of the document Title to edit the document (upload a new version).

NOTE: Once you add a document, you cannot edit a document directly in eMMA, but you can upload new versions.
Click the Delete (trashcan) icon to the left of the document Title to delete the document. .

Select Vendors

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to add vendors to your RFP sourcing project based on identified criteria and requirements.

NOTE: For solicitations requiring a longer period, the list of vendors receiving notifications may need to be updated/refreshed to capture newly registered vendors for a specific category code.

Click the Vendors tab in the left-hand side-panel.
Click the ellipsis (three dots) button in the Consulted Vendors section. The Browse Vendors pop-up window opens and displays a list of Vendors based on the sourcing project’s main commodity.
(Optional) If you have a specific Vendor in mind that may not be on the commodity list but can provide the required service, enter their name in the Keywords field, delete the Commodity Code from the Commodity field and click the Search button.
1. Select the checkbox to the left of the Vendor and close the Browse Vendors window. That Vendor displays on the Vendors page.
2. Click the ellipsis (three dots) icon to continue to Step 34.
Click the Commodity field to open a drop-down list and click the See All option at the bottom. This list lets you add more commodities that are relevant to your sourcing project to get a broader selection of vendors. You can add as many commodities as you want in this field.

NOTE: It is a best practice to select as many commodities as possible to obtain a thorough vendor list.
The Select Commodities window opens with a full list of commodities. Use the plus and minus icons to the left of the commodity groups to expand and collapse them. Select the checkboxes to the left of the commodity(ies) you want to add and close the window. NOTE: Selecting a commodity level next to a plus icon or minus icon only provides vendors that are registered for that exact commodity, and NOT any sub commodities below that level.

The selected commodities display in the Filters section of the window, below the search fields and above the list of vendors.
Click the Search button at the top of the Browse Vendors window. A list of Vendors displays relevant to the commodities you selected.
Select the topmost checkbox to the left of the column headers to select all vendors on that page in the commodity.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Vendors list and click the next page in succession. A list of unselected Vendors displays.
Repeat Steps 37 and 38 until the Vendors on all pages are selected.
Close the Browse Vendors window. The Vendors are listed in the Consulted Vendors section.
Click the Save button at the top of the page.

IMPORTANT: You must make sure you click the Save button or you will lose your progress to this point.

Prepare Solicitations - Setup

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to set up your solicitation for your RFP.

Click the Prepare Solicitation tab on the left-hand side-panel. The Setup subtab displays a form.
Enter information in the fields on the left side of the form. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

NOTE: Depending on your selections in the fields, more fields may display.
1. The Status, Round #, and Lot # fields are system generated. You do not need to do anything in these fields.
2. Solicitation Title (*): The title of your solicitation auto-populates here.
3. Template (checkbox): Select this checkbox if you want to make a template from this solicitation to use in the future.
4. Solicitation Type (*): Click this field and select the appropriate type of solicitation from the drop-down menu that opens; RFP: Double Envelope Proposal (LP), or RFP: Triple Envelope Proposal (LP).
5. Summary: Enter a brief introduction and summary for your solicitation.
6. Additional Information & Instructions: Enter any additional information and instructions in this field.
7. Alternate Link: Enter the link to the bid board on which this solicitation is posted, if applicable, i.e. BidExpress.
8. Pre-Bid/Proposal Conference? (checkbox): Click this checkbox if you intend to have a Pre-Bid/Proposal conference for this solicitation. If you selected this checkbox, new mandatory fields display.
  1. Pre-Bid Conference Date (*): Click this field and select the date of your pre-bid conference.
  2. Pre-Bid Conference Details (*): Enter the details of your pre-bid conference, like when, where, how to register, what Vendors need, etc.
Enter information in the fields for the Response Dates and Public Visibility sections on the right side of the form. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
1. Publish Date: IMPORTANT!! If you want vendors to start submitting a response immediately, leave this field BLANK. Select a date only if you want vendors to start submitting responses at a future date.
  1. If you select a date for this field, make sure you check the Auto opening checkbox (b).
2. Auto opening (checkbox): Select this checkbox ONLY if you selected a future date for your publish date. If selected, your bid period will publish automatically on the date you chose.
3. Due/Close Date (*): Click this field and select the date that vendors can no longer submit responses.
4. Auto closure (checkbox): The option to close the solicitation on the due date is selected by default and cannot be changed. You do not need to do anything here.
5. Due/Close Date (EST): This field populates after you click Save. You do not need to do anything here.
6. No end date: Do you prefer to have an open-end date? Click this field and select Yes from the drop-down menu. No is the default selection.
7. Public Portal Publish Date: Click this field and select the date that you want to publish your solicitation in the public portal. Leave this field blank if you want to publish immediately.
8. Public Portal Archive Date: Click this field and select the date that you want to unpublish your solicitation in the public portal.
Click the arrow to the left of the Advanced options section below the Response Dates and Public Visibility.

NOTE: Some checkboxes are selected by default and some cannot be changed because of the nature of your project type.
Review and make selections necessary to your project. Options include: Solicitation Visible to Public, Sealed Responses, Vendors must Acknowledge & Identify intent to Respond, and Bid Holders List Visible to Public.

If the option for Bid Holders List Visible to Public is not selected, then click the checkbox to the left of it to select it.
Click the Save button at the top of the Prepare Solicitation page.

Prepare Solicitation - Pricing

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to set pricing for your RFP solicitation.

Click the Pricing subtab in the Prepare Solicitation page.
Enter information in the form fields to create a line item within the pricing grid for each item for bid. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field. A (V) to the right of the heading indicates values that are visible by vendors and the public, if you opted to make this a public solicitation.

NOTE: The following diagrams are broken into halves for easier viewing; left, and right. The top image is an overview and shows the entire pricing grid.
1. Item Code (V) (*): This item code auto-populates. You do not need to do anything here.
2. Item Type (V) (*): Required item is the default selection in this field, but there are additional options in this drop-down menu, if needed.
  1. Required Item
  2. Price Adjustment
  3. Optional Item
  4. Additional Fees

Item Label (V) (*): Enter in the name and brand of the item in this field.
Detailed Description: Enter a detailed description of your item in this field.
Commodity: Click this field and click the See All option at the bottom of the menu. The Select Commodities window opens. Enter a term for your commodity in the Keyword field and click the Search button for relevant results. You may need to click the plus and minus icons to expand and collapse commodity tiers. Click the checkbox to the left of the commodity that applies to your item and close the Select Commodities window.
Items’ groups: Leave this field blank. Some functionalities of eMMA are not in place yet.
Quantity (*): Enter the quantity needed for your item in this field.
UoM (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select a unit of measure for your item. (Optional) Click the See All option at the bottom of the menu to select from a more detailed list.
Reference Price: Enter the price of the item for one unit on the market. This is the market value or previous value of that line item from other contracts.
Target Price: Enter the amount you calculate the item should cost.

Click the Save button at the top of the Prepare Solicitation page. A new line is created in the pricing subtab and displays at the top of the list. Your first item is entered and displays below the empty line-item fields in the Pricing subtab.
(Optional) Repeat Steps 49 and 50 to add new items, if necessary.

Prepare Solicitation - Attachments

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to attach documents to your RFP solicitation.

Click the Attachments subtab in the Prepare Solicitations page.
(Optional) Click the Create a Document button to add a new document to your solicitation.

NOTE: Uploaded documents cannot exceed 300,000 KB.
1. In the Content Editor window that opens, click the link that best describes your document.
2. Enter information in the document window fields and add the document (Click or Drag to add files button).
  
  NOTE: Make sure you change the document status to Approved so that both team members and vendors can view it.
3. Click the Save & Close button at the top of the window. Your added document displays below the Attachment subtab.
(Optional) Click the Attach Existing Document button to add a document that exists in the Documents tab of your project. The Sourcing Project/Documents window opens and lists any documents you added to the Documents tab.
1. Select one or more checkbox(es) to the left of the document(s) you want to attach and click the Save & Close button at the top of the Sourcing Project/Documents window. The selected document(s) display in a list on the Attachments subtab.
  
  NOTE: You may need to go back and approve documents. Documents in Draft status will not be visible to vendors. The Type column for your document will be orange and read “Technical Documents (Drafted)”.
Click the Save button at the top of the Prepare Solicitation page.

Notify Vendors and Publish Solicitation

This process continues from the last step in the previous process. It shows how to notify vendors of your RFP solicitation.

Click the Invited Vendors sub-tab and scroll to the bottom of the selected Invited Vendors list.
Click the next page number of Vendors.
Scroll to the top and click the checkbox to the left of the Invited Vendors column header, if not already selected. This selects all Vendors listed on that page.
Repeat Steps 57 & 58 until all your vendors are selected.
Click the Save button at the top of the page.
Click the Send button at the top of the Prepare Solicitation page. A new window opens with your selected vendors.
(Optional) Select the Solicitation Attachments checkbox if you have added attachments for this solicitation and you want them sent in this notification.
Click the Send and close button at the top of the Solicitation window. This notifies the vendors you selected in the Vendor tab. Two prompts display. Click OK for both.
Click the X in the corner of the Solicitation window to close it.
Click the Notify Commodity Vendors button at the top of the Prepare Solicitation page. This sends a notice to all vendors with this solicitation’s specific commodity codes listed in their profiles. A prompt displays. Click OK.
Click the Publish Notification button at the top of the Prepare Solicitation page. A prompt displays. Click OK.
The Workflow subtab in the Prepare Solicitation tab shows that your message has been sent to your vendors.