The System consists of four separate components: Proposal Builder Large Business, Proposal Builder Small-Business, Proposal Builder Data Entry Utility and Proposal Analyzer applications. The Proposal Builder Data Entry Utility works only with proposals created and maintained by the Proposal Builder Large Business or Proposal Builder Small-Business applications, and is limited to data entry into an Sps-structured proposal. Both the Proposal Builder Large Business and Proposal Builder Small-Business applications prepare files that are fully compliant with the applicable ANSI standards for a contract pricing proposal. The Proposal Builder Large Business application will handle the largest, most complex cost proposals, while the Proposal Builder Small-Business application provides an affordable alternative suitable for small businesses. The Sps Proposal Builder Small-Business (PBSB) application includes all the operational capabilities of the Sps Proposal Builder Large Business (PBLB) application, but has the following limitations:
• The Cost Element table for PBSB, accessed using Menu sequence BuildStructure | Element, is limited to 90 table records. Depending on individual estimating system characteristics, 90 table records will translate into a summary worksheet of about 50 separate cost elements. An Excel workbook is available that shows an example of how 90 table records were used to build a Workbook Worksheet (90 Cost Element Example) that handles 52 separate cost elements, a number that should accommodate the vast majority of proposals prepared by small businesses. The subject workbook example can be opened and viewed via Website Link Sps PBSB Limitations Example.
• The WBS Item table for PBSB, accessed using Menu sequence BuildStructure | WBS, is limited to 125 table records. The Excel Workbook referenced just above contains a Worksheet (WBS Items LB vs SB Comparison) that shows the effects of this limitation on an actual WBS Item structure. The PBSB allows the user to process data by WBS, just not at as low a level as the PBLB. The subject workbook example can be opened and viewed via Website Link Sps PBSB Limitations Example.
• The SOW Item table for PBSB, accessed using Menu sequence BuildStructure | SOW, is limited to 65 table records. The Excel Workbook referenced just above contains a Worksheet (SOW Items LB vs SB Comparison) that shows the effects of this limitation on an actual SOW Item structure. The PBSB allows the user to process data by SOW, just not at as low a level as the PBLB. The subject workbook example can be opened and viewed via Website Link Sps PBSB Limitations Example.
The Proposal Builders and Proposal Analyzer address different aspects of the proposal process and run independently of each other. However, the Proposal Builder Large Business or Proposal Builder Small Business is needed to create the Excel Workbooks that the Proposal Analyzer uses as its data source. All Sps components are licensed, not sold. The Proposal Builder Large Business and Proposal Builder Small-Business are licensed separately and the license for each grants the buyer the right to install and use one copy of the subject component on a single computer. In addition, the license for the Proposal Builder Large Business and Proposal Builder Small-Business includes the right for the buyer to install, use and distribute unlimited copies of the separate, ancillary Proposal Builder Data Entry Utility designed to be used in conjunction with the main Proposal Builder Large Business and Proposal Builder Small Business applications. The Proposal Analyzer is an ancillary utility that uses Excel Workbooks generated by the Sps Proposal Builder Large Business and Proposal Builder Small Business applications as its data source. It's distributed with the Sps Proposal Builder Large Business and Proposal Builder Small Business applications.
The System has been designed to take advantage of the powerful features inherent in Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel, both of which are part of the Microsoft Office Suite.
• The Proposal Builder Large Business, Proposal Builder Small-Business and Proposal Builder Data Entry Utility require that MS Access 2013, either the full or runtime version, be installed on the user's computer. The full version must be purchased separately, if not already purchased for general use. The full version provides the user full use of the MS Access application (i.e., it can be used for purposes other than with the System's Proposal Builder applications). All Proposal Builder operations can be accomplished using either version. However, the full version offers significant, potential advantages to experienced Sps users who regularly work with very large proposals. It can be used to develop custom interfaces that provide seamless integration of Sps and other existing, and future, user cost estimating and cost management systems. The full version also allows the user to access proposal data tables directly without recourse to the Sps user interface. This provides an opportunity to make bulk data changes much faster than by using the subject interface, but increases the possibility of entering invalid data by circumventing data validation processes built into Sps.
• A runtime version of MS Access 2013, that allows the user complete use of the Sps Proposal Builder applications, without having to buy the full version, is available from SysPricer, under license from Microsoft, or can be downloaded directly from Microsoft, at no additional charge.
• The Sps Proposal Builder Large Business and Sps Proposal Builder Small-Business applications can generate an MS Excel Workbook that can be used for proposal validation, real-time sensitivity analysis and as the data source for the Proposal Analyzer. Sps uses the MS Excel xlsm file type (XML Macro-Enabled), introduced in MS Office 2007, as its default file type.
• There is no runtime version of MS Excel that is suitable for Sps purposes. It must be purchased separately, if not already installed on the user's computer for general use.