The electronic procurement cycle begins at a DoD facility or anywhere the military has a requirement for goods or services. A contracting officer prepares a requirements document like a Request for Proposal or Request for Quote (RFQ) outlining the services needed and instructions for submitting a bid/proposal. The contracting officer sends this information electronically to a supporting Gateway. An electronic Gateway is a system of hardware and software which translates routine business data into a standard electronic format known as ANSI X12. For example, the RFQ document sent by the contracting officer is translated into ANSI X12 standard transaction set #840. Gateways also provide network archiving and security and are the point of access to the Federal Acquisition Computer Network (FACNET). Move to Stop Sign # 3.