- Tender Following: Receive Instant Notifications for Important Updates

Introduction

The tender following feature is a powerful tool that allows you to stay constantly informed about any updates that occur on tenders important to you. Instead of manually reviewing tenders repeatedly, you'll receive automatic notifications via email when any change or new addition occurs.

What is the Tender Following Feature?

Tender following is a smart notification system that monitors tenders you choose and sends you instant alerts when:

• Tender Information Updates: Changes in basic details
• New Attachments Added: Uploading files or documents
• Specification Updates: Technical specification modifications
• Evaluation Criteria Updates: Changes in evaluation criteria
• New Inquiries Added: New questions from competitors
• Quantity Table Updates: Modifications in quantity tables
• Proposals Added: Publishing competitor proposals (after opening)

How to Follow a Tender

Step 1: Find the Tender

You can follow any tender from any tender table in the platform:

• Main tenders page
• Favorites page
• Reminders page
• Advanced search results
• Agency analysis page
• Activity analysis page

Step 2: Click the Follow Button

In the actions column of the tenders table, you'll find the follow button:

The button appears as follows:

• Bell icon 🔔
• Blue color
• Small size

How to Use:

1. Identify the tender you want to follow
2. Click the bell button in the actions column
3. The follow settings window will open automatically
4. The button will change to "Manage Follow" button

Important Note: If you don't have an active subscription, you can only follow two tenders. For more, you must subscribe to one of the plans.

Step 3: Customize Follow Settings

After clicking the follow button, a popup window will open to customize notification types:

Follow Settings

1. Notification Topics

You can choose the types of updates you want to be notified about:

Tender Information Updates

• When Sent: When any basic tender information changes
• Examples: Deadline change, estimated price modification, status update
• Default Setting: Enabled ✅

Attachment Updates

• When Sent: When attachments are added or updated
• Examples: Uploading tender document, adding clarification files, updating documents
• Default Setting: Enabled ✅

Specification Updates

• When Sent: When technical specifications are modified
• Examples: Specification updates, adding new requirements
• Default Setting: Enabled ✅

Evaluation Criteria Updates

• When Sent: When evaluation criteria change
• Examples: Weight modifications, adding new criteria
• Default Setting: Enabled ✅

Inquiry Updates

• When Sent: When a new inquiry is added or answered
• Examples: Question from competitor, answer from agency
• Default Setting: Enabled ✅

Quantity Table Updates

• When Sent: When quantity tables are updated
• Examples: Quantity modifications, adding new items
• Default Setting: Enabled ✅

Proposal Updates

• When Sent: When competitor proposals are published (after envelope opening)
• Examples: Price publication, winner announcement
• Default Setting: Disabled ❌

Why disabled by default? Because proposals are published after the tender ends, and may not be important for immediate follow-up.

2. Global Settings vs. Per-Tender Settings

Global Settings

Global settings are the default settings automatically applied to all new tenders you follow.

How to Access:

1. Go to Settings → Follow Settings
2. Or click the gear icon ⚙️ in the manage follow window

Benefits:

• Save Time: No need to repeat same settings for each tender
• Consistency: All tenders start with same settings
• Easy Modification: One change affects all new tenders

Per-Tender Settings

You can customize follow settings for each tender individually, allowing you to:

• Enable Additional Notifications: For very important tenders
• Disable Certain Notifications: For less important tenders
• Complete Flexibility: Each tender according to your needs

How to Customize:

1. Click "Manage Follow" button (filled bell with arrow)
2. Enable or disable notifications as desired
3. Changes are saved automatically

Note: When customizing settings for a specific tender, the message "Per-Tender Settings" will appear instead of "Using global settings".

Managing Followed Tenders

Manage Follow Button

After following a tender, the follow button changes to "Manage Follow" button:

Difference from Follow Button:

• Filled bell 🔔 (instead of empty)
• Contains downward arrow ⌄
• Opens settings window when clicked

Unfollow

To unfollow a tender:

1. Click "Manage Follow" button
2. At the bottom of the popup window, click the red "Unfollow Tender" button
3. All notifications for this tender will stop
4. You can re-follow anytime

How Notifications Work

Email

When an update occurs on a followed tender:

1. Automatic Detection: System detects update instantly
2. Settings Check: Verifies your settings for this type of update
3. Send Notification: If enabled, sends email
4. Update Summary: Email contains update details and direct link

Email Content

The email includes:

• Tender Name: Complete tender name
• Reference Number: For quick reference
• Update Type: What exactly changed
• Update Details: Brief description of change
• Direct Link: To navigate to tender page

Practical Examples

Example 1: Follow Important Tender

Goal: Follow medical equipment supply tender to receive all updates

Steps:

1. Open tenders page
2. Search for required tender
3. Click bell button 🔔 in actions column
4. In popup window, ensure all notifications are enabled
5. Close window

Result: You'll receive instant notification for any update on this tender

Example 2: Follow Tender with Limited Notifications

Goal: Follow secondary tender with attachment notifications only

Steps:

1. Click follow button for tender
2. In popup window, disable all notifications except "Attachment Updates"
3. Close window

Result: You'll receive notifications only when attachments are added or updated

Example 3: Modify Settings for Followed Tender

Goal: Change settings for already followed tender

Steps:

1. Click "Manage Follow" button (filled bell)
2. Enable or disable notifications as desired
3. Changes are saved automatically
4. Close window

Result: New settings apply instantly to this tender

Example 4: Set Global Settings

Goal: Modify default settings for all new tenders

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Follow Settings
2. Enable or disable notifications according to preferences
3. Click "Save Changes"

Result: All new tenders you follow will use these settings

Example 5: Unfollow Multiple Tenders

Goal: Unfollow completed tenders

Steps:

1. Open tenders page
2. Filter tenders to show followed tenders
3. For each tender you want to unfollow:
   • Click "Manage Follow" button
   • Click "Unfollow Tender"
4. Repeat for other tenders

Result: All notifications stopped for unfollowed tenders

Tips for Effective Follow Feature Usage

1. Follow Important Tenders Only

• Don't follow every tender: Focus on directly relevant tenders
• Review Regularly: Delete completed or cancelled tenders
• Clear Priorities: Follow tenders you intend to bid on

2. Use Global Settings Wisely

• Start with Balanced Settings: Enable only important notifications
• Try and Adjust: Monitor notifications and adjust settings as needed
• Avoid Excessive Notifications: Too many notifications may lead to ignoring them

3. Customize Settings for Very Important Tenders

• Strategic Tenders: Enable all notifications
• Secondary Tenders: Enable specific notifications only
• Complete Flexibility: Don't hesitate to modify settings

4. Review Email Regularly

• Check Daily: Don't miss important updates
• Use Filters: Create special folder for tender notifications
• Take Action: When receiving notification, review update immediately

5. Utilize Direct Links

• One Click: Link in email takes you directly to tender
• Save Time: No need to search for tender
• Quick Review: View update immediately

Integration with Other Features

1. Favorites

• You can follow favorite tenders
• Full integration between both features
• Unified management from one place

2. Reminders

• Followed tenders can have reminders added
• Automatic notifications + manual reminders = comprehensive tracking
• Don't miss any important deadline

3. Tender Management System (TMS)

• Followed tenders can be added to TMS
• Comprehensive tender tracking from start to finish
• Professional tender management

4. Analytics

• Analyze followed tenders
• Update statistics
• Valuable insights for decision making

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tenders can I follow?

Depends on your subscription type:

• Without subscription: Only two tenders
• With subscription: Unlimited

Can I temporarily disable notifications?

Yes, you can disable all notifications for a specific tender without unfollowing. Simply disable all notification topics in follow settings.

What happens if a followed tender is deleted?

If a tender is deleted or cancelled from the official source, notifications will stop automatically. You can manually unfollow to clean your list.

Do notifications arrive instantly?

Yes, the system detects updates and sends notifications within minutes of the update occurring.

Can I follow tenders from different sources?

Yes, you can follow tenders from all supported sources (Etimad, Forsa, etc.). Settings work the same way for all sources.

How do I know a tender is followed?

The follow button changes to "Manage Follow" button (filled bell with arrow). Also, you can filter tenders to show only followed tenders.

Can I export the list of followed tenders?

Currently, there's no direct export feature. However, you can use filters to display followed tenders and copy information manually.

Conclusion

The tender following feature is an essential tool for anyone dealing with government tenders. By using this feature, you can:

• Stay Informed: Receive instant notifications for any updates
• Save Time: No need for repeated manual reviews
• Miss Nothing: Automatic notifications ensure no important update is missed
• Complete Customization: Precise control over notification types for each tender
• Professional Management: Organized tracking of all important tenders

Start using the tender following feature today to improve your work efficiency and ensure you don't miss any important opportunity!