How do I import RFP questions from Excel?
RFP360 has the ability to import Excel (.xlsx) files and export them out with their original formatting. The only difference is the exported document will include completed answers previously completed within RFP360.
Watch this 6 minute video or follow the steps below:
To bring in your import, start by creating a new Proposal (Import RFP):
1. Navigate to the Proposals tab and click +.New Proposal in the upper right hand corner
2. Fill out Required Details such as proposal name, point of contact ect. You also must select the account in which you wish to create the proposal.
*Best Practice: We recommend avoiding special characters in the proposal name, as they can cause issues upon export. For example, use "and" instead of "&"
3. You may choose to fill out the Optional Details page if you wish. This includes questions like estimated timeline, product description ect.
4. Click the orange “Choose a Template” button to navigate to where you import your Excel document
5. Choose the Import RFP option on the left of the page featuring the Word, PDF and Excel logos within the button.
4. Click the green excel icon within the Import RFP button and navigate out to your saved Excel spreadsheet/RFP.
5. Finally, click on the orange Create your Proposal button at the bottom of the page to upload your Excel spreadsheet or workbook.
The next page will be a simple outline of the Excel Workbook with its sheets (accessible in the drop-down) and its rows and columns. The Excel Import tool includes ways to map:
- Sections
- Questions
- Responses - Manual/Knowledge
- Headers
For additional help. simply press the Tour button, or see our additional step-by-step instructions on order and navigation.
**Important Note** - one of the most important columns to map is the Response type (either Manual or Knowledge). Even if your Excel source document doesn't have a dedicated column for you to put your responses, the system MUST have those cells provided, otherwise, none of your responses will be included in your Export, which is the whole point, to populate your client's Excel document with your responses.
At any point if you have selected the incorrect cell, simply right click and choose Clear Selected Mappings to delete an individual cell, or multiple cells.
For Response-Manual you will be able to easily identify those cells with the icon from within the cell.
If you place your cursor over the icon within the cell you will be able to see the Data Validation associated with that cell.
You will see your Legend menu to your right as you go along. It will look like this, you can also hide it by pressing the "<legend" text.="text."></legend">
The Legend also has a Help Section tab that will give you links to helpful tips for importing an RFP from an Excel document.
After importing, we recommend doing a "Practice Export" to insure your document exports without any issues. Follow this link to learn how to export your proposal.