Computer system and method for facilitating and managing the project bid and requisition process

1. A project-work risk-management documentation method comprising:

configuring an electronic temporary-laborer risk-management document library;

wherein the step of configuring the temporary-laborer risk-management document library comprises:

specifying a plurality of temporary-laborer risk-management documentation types, the plurality of documentation types being representative of documents that may need to be executed or provided by a temporary laborer;

specifying a plurality of temporary-laborer types such that a temporary laborer is classified into a single one of the plurality of temporary-laborer types; and

mapping the plurality of temporary-laborer types to the plurality of temporary-laborer risk-management documentation types to determine, for each temporary-laborer type, which ones of the plurality of document types must be provided or executed by temporary laborers belonging to the temporary-laborer type;

configuring a plurality of bid templates according to at least one project services type, the plurality of bid templates being usable for creation of buyer bid requests;

wherein the configured plurality of bid templates comprise a plurality of pre-specified bid items associated with specific types of information to be solicited from a vendor, the plurality of pre-specified bid items comprising the specified plurality of temporary-laborer types and the plurality of temporary-laborer risk-management documentation types mapped to the specified plurality of temporary-laborer types;

responsive to a bid request for a particular project based on a particular bid template in the plurality of bid templates, receiving, from a vendor, a temporary-laborer record corresponding to at least one of the plurality of pre-specified bid items, the temporary-laborer record representing a particular temporary laborer who is to be engaged for the particular project, the particular temporary laborer being of at least one temporary-laborer type from the plurality of temporary-laborer types;

wherein receipt of the temporary-laborer record is conditioned on approval by at least one pre-configured approver, the approval being based, at least in part, on a pre-defined appropriate vendor response to at least one bid item of the particular bid template;

receiving at least one temporary-laborer document from the particular temporary laborer, the temporary-laborer document corresponding to a documentation type mapped to the at least one temporary-laborer type in the mapping step and included as at least one of the plurality of pre-specified bid items;

administering a temporary-laborer agreement from the risk-management document library to the particular temporary laborer, the temporary-laborer agreement being mapped to the temporary-laborer type in the mapping step; and

wherein the step of configuring the temporary-laborer risk-management document library, the step of configuring the plurality of bid templates, the providing step, and the administering step are implemented by a computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pre-configured approver is pre-defined according to user roles and characteristics of the at least one bid item on which approval is based.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of specifying risk-management temporary laborer documentation types comprises: defining bid-template-based temporary-laborer executable agreements; and

configuring bid-template-based temporary laborer executable agreement content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the at least one temporary-laborer document comprises providing pre-defined bid-template-based agreement and documentation requirements to a temporary laborer in accordance with the mapping of temporary-laborer types to temporary-laborer documentation types.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

verifying that each of a plurality of documents of the provided pre-defined bid-template-based agreement and documentation requirements has been properly executed;

storing data regarding the effective date of each of the plurality of documents; and

setting a tickler date for any of the plurality of documents that will need to be renewed in the future.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of administering the temporary-laborer agreement comprises:

systematically storing and tracking temporary-laborer resource-documentation transactional data; and

based on the stored and tracked temporary-laborer resource-documentation transactional data, periodically determining whether temporary-laborer resource-documentation requirements are being met.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the storing and tracking step comprises administering temporary-laborer resource system access and right-to-work permission based on the determining step indicating that a previously provided temporary-laborer document is no longer valid or needs to be renewed.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the project services type comprises at least one of consulting, staff supplementation, and project services; and

bid items included within a given bid template of the plurality of bid templates are selected in light of the project services type applicable to the given bid template.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of prespecified bid items comprise at least one mandatory bid item that comprises at least a project-services-type identifier.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, provided pre-defined approvals are obtained, any bid item may be added to or removed by a buyer soliciting bids using a bid template of the plurality of bid templates.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the project services type is selected by the buyer from a pre-established plurality of project services types.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the project services type is selected from the group consisting of consulting, staff supplementation, and project services.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each bid template is segmented into a plurality of project sector types, the plurality of project sector types defining a technical or professional discipline of project work to be performed pursuant to the bid template.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each project sector type is segmented into a plurality of project family types, the plurality of project family types for each project sector type comprising a plurality of the following:

enterprise-resource solutions;

e-business solutions;

telecommunications;

technical-integration solutions;

network-management solutions;

custom software development;

business-strategy/planning solutions;

human-resource solutions;

audit/assurance solutions;

financial advisory solutions;

tax solutions;

risk-management solutions;

real-estate services;

legal services;

engineering services;

building/construction services; and

product development.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bid items contains displayed default data.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pre-specified bid items are included within a given configured bid template according to project services type, project sector type and project family type.

17. A project-work risk-management documentation method comprising:

configuring an electronic temporary-laborer risk-management document library;

wherein the step of configuring the temporary-laborer risk-management document library comprises:

specifying a plurality of temporary-laborer risk-management documentation types, the plurality of documentation types being representative of documents that may need to be executed by a temporary laborer;

specifying a plurality of temporary-laborer types such that a temporary laborer is classified into a single one of the plurality of temporary-laborer types; and

mapping the plurality of temporary-laborer types to the plurality of temporary-laborer risk-management documentation types to determine, for each temporary-laborer type, which ones of the plurality of document types must be executed by temporary laborers belonging to the temporary-laborer type;

configuring a plurality of bid templates according to at least one project services type, the plurality of bid templates being usable for creation of buyer bid requests;

wherein the configured plurality of bid templates comprise a plurality of pre-specified bid items associated with specific types of information to be solicited from a vendor, the plurality of pre-specified bid items comprising the specified plurality of temporary-laborer types and the plurality of temporary-laborer risk-management documentation types mapped to the specified plurality of temporary-laborer types;

responsive to a bid request for a particular project based on a particular bid template in the plurality of bid templates, receiving, from a vendor, a temporary-laborer record corresponding to at least one of the plurality of pre-specified bid items, the temporary-laborer record representing a particular temporary laborer who is to be engaged for the particular project, the particular temporary laborer being of at least one temporary-laborer type from the plurality of temporary-laborer types;

wherein receipt of the temporary-laborer record is conditioned on approval by at least one pre-configured approver, the approval being based, at least in part, on a pre-defined appropriate vendor response to at least one bid item of the particular bid template;

receiving at least one temporary-laborer document from the particular temporary laborer, the temporary-laborer document corresponding to a documentation type mapped to the at least one temporary-laborer type in the mapping step and included as at least one of the plurality of pre-specified bid items;

administering a temporary-laborer agreement from the risk-management document library to the particular temporary laborer, the temporary-laborer agreement being mapped to the temporary-laborer type in the mapping step; and

wherein the step of configuring the temporary-laborer risk-management document library, the step of configuring the plurality of bid templates, the providing step, and the administering step are implemented by a computer system.