Setting Up a Tender Sales Funnel in Bitrix24
You won a tender, but the contract got stuck at signing—lost 2 weeks and significant penalties. Sound familiar? It happens when the funnel doesn't reflect the real tender stages. The standard B2B funnel in Bitrix24 doesn't fit: a tender involves three distinct processes—analysis, participation, and execution. We configure a smart process that combines them, automates routine, and provides analytics. Automation reduces bid preparation time by 40% and lowers participation cost significantly by eliminating errors.
Architectural Choice: One Funnel or Several
One funnel with all stages is convenient for reporting, but you end up with 15–20 stages. If overcomplicated, managers stop tracking it carefully. For teams up to 10 people, a single smart process with 12 stages is sufficient—it's 30% more efficient than three separate funnels.
Multiple funnels (smart processes or separate pipelines):
- "Tender Analytics" — new procurements, analysis, participation decision
- "Tender Participation" — bid preparation, auction, awaiting result
- "Contract Execution" — created upon win, separate cycle
For most companies with a tender department of 3–10 people, one smart process "Tender" with 8–12 stages is enough.
How to Set Up the Funnel in 1–2 Weeks?
- Create a smart process via API or interface.
- Add stages according to the template (see list below).
- Configure robots on key transitions.
- Set required fields for critical data.
- Test and train the team.
Complete list of stages
NEW → ANALYSIS → WITHDRAWAL FROM PARTICIPATION * → BID PREPARATION → BID SUBMITTED → AUCTION → AWAITING RESULTS → LOSS * → WIN → CONTRACT SIGNING → EXECUTION → CONTRACT COMPLETED * → TERMINATION *
- terminal stages
Why One Funnel Is Better Than Several?
One funnel simplifies reporting and reduces confusion. Managers handle one deal from analysis to contract closure. This gives a complete picture for each tender. For departments up to 10 people, this is optimal.
How to Automate Tender Processes?
Robots on key stages reduce time spent on routine. On transition to "Bid Preparation", automatically create:
- Task "TOR Analysis" (deadline: 2 days)
- Task "Cost and Margin Calculation" (deadline: 3 days)
- Task "Document Preparation" (deadline: 2 days before bid deadline)
- Notification to tender specialist
On transition to "Bid Submitted", create task "Result Monitoring" (date: result announcement date) and, if needed, send an email to the customer. On Win—notification to management and a task for contract signing (deadline: 10 days). If necessary, create a linked deal "Contract" in a separate funnel.
AddEventHandler('crm', 'OnCrmSmartProcessItemUpdate', function(\Bitrix\Crm\Item $item) { if ($item->getEntityTypeId() !== 183) return; if (!$item->isChangedStageId()) return; $newStage = $item->getStageId(); if (!str_contains($newStage, ':WON') && !str_contains($newStage, 'VICTORY')) { return; } // Win — create execution tasks $taskList = [ ['Sign contract on the platform', '+10 days'], ['Obtain bank guarantee (if required)', '+15 days'], ['Create contract execution plan', '+5 days'], ]; foreach ($taskList as [$title, $offset]) { $deadline = (new \DateTime())->modify($offset); \CTaskItem::add([ 'TITLE' => $title, 'RESPONSIBLE_ID' => $item->getAssignedById(), 'CREATED_BY' => 1, 'DEADLINE' => $deadline->format('d.m.Y H:i:s'), 'GROUP_ID' => TENDER_GROUP_ID, 'UF_CRM_TASK' => ['T' . $item->getId()], ], 1); } }); KPI and Funnel Analytics
Standard metrics for the tender department tracked via CRM:
| Metric | How It's Calculated |
|---|---|
| Participation → Win conversion | (Wins / Submitted bids) × 100% |
| Average bid discount | (NMCC − Our price) / NMCC |
| Reasons for losses | Distribution by 'Reason for Rejection' field |
| Active contract portfolio (total) | Sum of 'Contract Amount' field in 'Execution' stage |
| Overdue deadlines | Number of tenders with overdue 'Bid Submission Deadline' field |
These data are available in standard Bitrix24 reports without modifications—just fill in the fields correctly.
Required Fields for Each Stage
Through smart process settings, we enforce required fields on stage transitions:
- 'Analysis' → 'Bid Preparation': must fill in 'Our Price' and 'Responsible for Preparation'
- 'Win' → 'Contract Signing': must fill in 'Contract Number'
- 'Execution' → 'Contract Completed': must fill in 'Act Date' and 'Contract Amount'
This prevents transitions without key data.
What's Included in the Work
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Create smart process 'Tender' | 12–15 stages with semantics, colors, custom fields (IKZ, NMCC, platform, law, rejection reason) |
| Configure robots and tasks | Automatic tasks and notifications on key transitions |
| Required fields | Control data entry at stage changes |
| Reports and analytics | KPI dashboards, conversion, reasons for losses |
| EIS integration (optional) | Automatic data exchange with government procurement |
| Team training | 2–3 hours of process review and Q&A |
| Documentation and access | Funnel description, access rights if needed |
| Post-release support | 1 month: bug fixes, refinements based on feedback |
Timelines: 1–2 weeks for a basic funnel with fields and robots. 3–4 weeks with EIS integration and full analytics.
For more details on smart processes, see the official documentation: Smart Processes.
We rely on certified Bitrix24 methodology and years of experience. Contact us for an assessment of your project—we will prepare a smart process with robots and analytics in 1–4 weeks. Order a turnkey funnel setup.