Normalizes and levels bids received for a defined scope. Performs apples-to-apples
comparison across bidders by adjusting for included/excluded scope, allowances,
alternates, and qualifications. Produces the level sheet, the recommended award, the
scope clarification list, and the approval path. Every award opens a gate regardless of
dollar (approval matrix row 9).
Bid leveling norms (allowances, exclusions, alternates posture) differ by trade and
market. Preferred-vendor licensure and insurance freshness drives disqualification at
leveling; stale cert data must refuse preferred status. Overlay defines acceptable
ranges; every numeric threshold is overlay-driven.
Normalizes and levels bids received for a defined scope. Performs apples-to-apples
comparison across bidders by adjusting for included/excluded scope, allowances,
alternates, and qualifications. Produces the level sheet, the recommended award, the
scope clarification list, and the approval path. Every award opens a gate regardless of
dollar (approval matrix row 9).
Bid Leveling and Procurement Review
Workflow purpose
Turn a set of incoming bids into a comparable, defensible award recommendation. Every award opens an approval gate. Vendor licensure and insurance freshness gate preferred status. Scope clarifications are explicit, not tucked into narrative. The workflow produces the level sheet that humans sign off against — and it refuses to recommend an award that cannot be traced to the bidder's actual scope.
Trigger conditions
Explicit: "level bids for project X", "review bids for trade Y", "procurement review", "award recommendation".
Implicit: bid package due date passes; estimator flags leveling-ready; capex project has bids in hand.
Recurring: per project; per trade buyout cycle.
Inputs (required / optional)
Input
Type
Required
Notes
Scope statement
memo
required
authoritative scope basis
Bid submissions
docs
required
per bidder; PDF or structured
Estimator baseline
estimate
required
from workflows/capex_estimate_generation
Approved vendor list
csv
required
Vendor rate cards
csv
required
Vendor license/insurance status
table
required
freshness check
Contingency overlay
csv
required
Approval thresholds
csv
required
Outputs
Output
Type
Shape
Level sheet
table
line items x bidders, normalized totals
Scope clarification list
checklist
open questions per bidder
Qualifications summary
table
alternates, exclusions, allowances, exceptions
Recommended award memo
memo
rationale, risk, comparison to estimator baseline
Vendor verification status
table
license, insurance freshness per bidder
Approval request
request
row 9; row 19 if contract signature
Required context
Asset_class, segment, form_factor, market, and loan context (for covenant sensitivity if the trade is large).
Process
Step 1. Confirm scope basis.
Before leveling, the workflow verifies that the scope statement is authoritative (latest drawings, specs, assemblies). Bidders must be bidding to the same scope. If any bidder is clearly bidding off a different scope, workflow opens a scope clarification line and suspends their normalization until resolved.
Step 2. Normalize each bid.
For each bid:
Extract line items aligned to estimator's assembly structure.
Map allowances, alternates, and exclusions; normalize to a comparable basis.
Apply vendor rate card references where bid is silent on rate.
Surface qualifications and exceptions.
Compute a normalized total assuming same scope.
Step 3. Level sheet compile.
Produce a side-by-side level sheet:
Columns: estimator baseline, each bidder (normalized total), each bidder (as-submitted total).
Rows: line items by assembly.
Variance column per bidder vs. estimator.
trade_buyout_variance computed vs. estimator baseline.
Step 4. Vendor verification (gate).
For each bidder:
Approved vendor list membership.
License and insurance freshness per current overlay.
Prior performance from workflows/vendor_dispatch_sla_review scorecard.
Any bidder with stale licensure or insurance is marked ineligible for award. The workflow never recommends award to an ineligible bidder. (Emergency dispatch exception is not available at bid stage.)
Step 5. Scope clarification list.
Enumerate open questions that must be answered before award:
No bid moves to award recommendation with open red-flag clarifications.
Step 6. Recommended award (decision point).
Rank eligible bidders by:
Normalized total.
Scope completeness.
Schedule fit.
Performance history (scorecard).
Qualifications risk.
Propose a recommended award. The workflow does not "select a winner" autonomously; the recommendation is presented with the level sheet and opens approval_request row 9.
If the recommendation is not the lowest normalized bidder, the memo explicitly justifies (performance, schedule, scope risk, supplier concentration).
Step 7. Contingency and allowances re-check.
Compare the award package's embedded allowances against overlay contingency assumption. Recommend project-level contingency adjustment if buyout consumes more/less than planned.
Step 8. Approval path.
Every bid award opens approval_request row 9. Construction_manager + asset_manager minimum; for majors, add development or executive per overlay.
Contract signature opens row 19 (legal + asset_manager or portfolio_manager).
Nothing is signed or committed until approvals return approved.
Step 9. Scope lock.
On approved award, the workflow writes a scope-lock record. Subsequent scope changes flow through workflows/change_order_review.
Step 10. Confidence banner.
Surface each reference's as_of_date and status. Vendor cert freshness is explicit. Estimator baseline as_of_date surfaced; if stale, the workflow flags but does not refuse (human decides whether to re-estimate).
Scope confirmation. Basis document version 2.3, dated 2026-03-15, referenced by all bidders.
Level sheet. Columns for estimator baseline and three bidders (as-submitted + normalized); variances computed; trade_buyout_variance per bidder.
Vendor verification. Bidder A: insurance and license current, SLA performance above band. Bidder B: license expiring within overlay window (flagged). Bidder C: insurance lapsed (ineligible; disqualified for award).
Scope clarification list. Two open items for Bidder A; one for Bidder B.
Recommended award. Bidder A, pending clarification closure. Rationale: normalized total competitive, performance band, schedule fit. Bidder B is lower on normalized total but license expiry flag; if refreshed pre-award, reconsideration.
Contingency re-check. Buyout consumes less than overlay contingency; project-level contingency adjustment not recommended.
Approvals.approval_request row 9 opened for Bidder A pending clarification closure. Row 19 queued for contract signature.
