Project Description

Bayen Group developed a cloud-based tool for the Northrop Grumman Global Supply Chain to receive quotes, perform price cost analyses, and aid in negotiations and supplier selections when creating new contracts with the capacity to streamline and ensure an unbiased vetting process across multiple departments.

Client Summary

  • A global aerospace and defense technology company with over 90,000 employees
  • Departments within the Global Supply Chain tasked with creating contract proposals
    • Supplier Management who receives quotes
    • Business Management who performs analyses on quotes
    • Procurement who handles negotiations and finalizations

Business Need

The company needed a comprehensive automated system that would allow the Global Supply Chain to create proposals from start to finish. This tool would manage the process flow of documents and information related to obtaining requests for quotes (RFQs), developing proposals, requesting pricing delivery information (PDIRs), receiving price cost analyses (PCARs), and negotiating contract quotes. It was essential for this process to work seamlessly across three different departments, enabling them to assess bids without bias. Additionally, a data-capturing form system was required to retain information from all parties, allowing for efficient auditing. The solution needed to support both classified and unclassified programs with separate platforms depending on the project type and provide a centralized platform to navigate the entire process from start to finish.

Solution

Utilizing SharePoint, the Bayen Group developed a centralized dashboard for the Global Supply Chain team, streamlining the contract proposal development process. The system, deployable to a secure network for classified programs, supports all involved departments, ensuring a seamless and unbiased workflow from RFQ creation to final contract negotiation.

The system incorporates tools for all teams involved in the contract development process:

  • Proposal Analyst:
    • Proposal analysts can use built-in RFQ creation and an integrated PDIR form, which sends automated requests to assigned buyers.
  • Buyer/Subcontract Administrator:
    • After reaching out to suppliers for quotes, buyers and subcontract administrators can determine if the quote exceeds the government-determined threshold. If so, the system allows the buyer to create a PCAR, which automatically alerts and assigns the task to a price cost analyst.
  • Price Cost Analyst:
    • Once the threshold is met and the price cost analyst is assigned, the analyst runs a price cost analysis to determine the contract’s true value. Upon completing the analysis, it is sent back to the buyer within the system. Negotiation may occur at this stage before the contract is finalized.

SCIPS streamlines the complex process within one integrated system to simplify tasks and automate approvals, assignments, and alerts. All forms capture data for auditing and accountability across all three departments, providing feedback on areas needing improvement for increased efficiency.