September2010: What's in the breeze Writing web content for several different companies Proofreading a technical user manual for a client Writing articles on the industrial sector for a client on a pay-per-month basis Writing white papers for a client in the knowledge management industry Writing news articles for a client on a daily basis Developing content for corporate case studies for a client Providing services of an editorial assistant on a per month basis Providing services of a research assistant on an hourly basis Repackaging web content for a client... and more
Check out sample articles written by writers from our network.
Writers, use the writers' contact form to get in touch with us.
Jim, a newly hired brand manager at CafeBucks muttered to himself, “Yet another document?” as Sue, VP - Marketing, assigned him the task of finding a vendor who could build “Make-your-own-coffee” kiosks across their 200 outlets in the country. “Draft a simple specifications sheet”, Sue had said. Jim set about his task informally, searching for vendors on one hand while gathering the needs and wants from all the stakeholders such as what flavors of coffee, sizes and processes involved on the other. As simple as it sounded to have all the specifications communicated in a few words, he found himself pouring through dozens of e-mails in response to his queries only to realize it was going to be a nightmare without a systematic approach.
Jim realized a “simple” specification sheet was not really going to communicate the complete intent of their needs and a RFP was the right way to provide all the requirements. In reality, the requirements of a project such as the above or a system to track the nuts and bolts of an A380 airliner can grow into a thousand page document. The document detailing the specifications of a service or product required by an organization is an RFP or Request for Proposal. It is published by companies to invite vendors to bid on a project.
Now, why do you need an RFP?
RFP scores over other traditional practices of choosing and negotiating with a supplier in a number of ways:
It is a formal and systematic approach of sourcing that requires an organization to define its needs first and then start the selection process.
It creates a level playing field to measure the offerings and cost effectiveness of various vendors, thus providing a cost advantage to the buyer. Other parameters can be used in this stage to compare and evaluate suppliers such as quality process (SEI CMM certified or Six Sigma), past experiences of executing similar projects and a track record of delivering within accepted deadlines. In short, it brings out the best.
There is no standard template that caters to all industries, companies or projects. At best, an organization can choose to have a standardized format for a RFP for all its projects, the sections of which can be tailored to suit the individual project needs.
What an RFP must have:
The key sections and constituents of a good RFP document are listed below: 1.Introduction – This section must have a brief introduction about your business and business processes, the current problem area for which the RFP has been initiated and what you intend to achieve - the goal. Highlighting the benefits of the project on completion will provide a good objective for bidders. The introduction section may also explain in brief the evaluation process and the selection criteria for short-listing the suppliers.
2. RFP process: Proposal Instructions and Conditions
Describe the steps potential bidders must follow to complete the RFP process.
Outline the communication protocol indicating the number of copies required, format (hard copy or electronic or both) and the date within which the proposal must be submitted, contact details of the person responsible for clarifying queries and the address to which the proposals should be sent.
If you intend to have a vendor meeting before proposal submission, share the meeting’s objective and provide details of time and place where the meeting will be held.
Cost of developing the proposal is usually incurred by the suppliers. Though it is understood and is a commonly followed industry practice, it is recommended that you specify this clearly.
Some organizations ask all bidders to sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep the entire RFI process confidential. If it applies to you, then the same should be addressed here.
Share the schedule for the various events that will ultimately lead to the selection of a supplier. Let the suppliers know the response evaluation period and on what date the vendor will be selected.
Except for copyrighted material, communicate to the vendors that you will have exclusive rights to the proposal documents once submitted.
If you intend to have a presentation or a demonstration of the product of all the short-listed vendors before the final selection process, then keep the vendors informed that the same will be held at a mutually agreed venue and time.
In some large offshoring contracts before making the final call, a physical visit to the facility might have to be arranged to inspect the quality of infrastructure. Keep your vendors appraised of this.
3.Evaluation and Selection Criteria - The selection criteria can be elaborated here based on the parameters that you have decided such as price, duration, quality, flexibility, reliability, innovation etc. These terms can vary from project to project. Accepting a response for a RFP does not mean you have to award the project to the bidder. This is not a contract and you have the right to reject. Educating bidders on this clause is equally important as the selection criteria. Following the selection, a contract should be made for the actual project.
4.Proposal Response Format – To facilitate the analysis of responses to RFP, you can ask vendors to prepare the proposals in a specific format which can be outlined in this section. List the Table of contents in a tabular format with what each section should contain in a few words. An example would be to expect Executive Summary, Responses to RFP requirements section wise, Cost Quotations and finally, Terms and Conditions. Highlight the points that would make a response to be considered complete with stress on clarity of content and accuracy of information provided.
5.Requirements – distinguish between must-haves and nice-to-haves. This is the most critical section of any RFP and can be divided into general and specific requirements based on the size and complexity of the project.
Do your homework before starting on this section. Schedule a series of meetings with all the stakeholders and ensure you understand all their requirements. Once the requirements are drafted, verify with them if it is worded right and conveys what they want.
Describe the requirements in simple language avoiding jargons. Use words such as “will”, “must” for must-have requirements.
Any application can have a number of nice-to-have features. Prioritize your requirements and communicate the same. For instance, an online encyclopedia site without search functionality is incomplete. This is a must-have feature whereas, “did-you-mean” is a nice-to-have feature.
To avoid ambiguity, explain with examples wherever possible. If there is an existing system, then cite examples from the same to stress your pain areas.
If you are not clear on all the needs of end users, include a RFI (Request for Information) phase by circulating questionnaires or conducting interviews before commencing on the RFP process.
Categorize your requirements into different categories if applicable such as hardware, software, application, performance, support, pricing etc.
If there are any terms and conditions for executing the project and a preferred mode of account management or project execution, then state the same. Or if this is one of the factors based on which you will be evaluating the different vendors, highlight that.
Examples of specific requirements could be developing an application that will conform to the ADA (American Disability Act) which will enable visually handicapped users to use it with ease.
6.Appendix – This section may contain all the document templates if any, your business processes referenced from Introduction section, details of cost quotation breakup etc.
Issuing and sending the RFP: Once the RFP has been drafted, get it reviewed by all the stakeholders and send out the same to the sales team of preferred vendors in your geographic region by e-mail or by any mode that works best for you.
The RFP process promotes a healthy and competitive way of conducting business and provides buyers with enough information before analyzing the responses. It ensures that buyers do their homework and evaluate vendor RFP responses in a quantitative manner that ensures all responses are reviewed in a consistent, objective, unbiased manner. In short, if done correctly a RFP can become a mission critical tool for the successful planning and subsequent kickoff of any project or initiative.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...
—About our writer:
Lakshmi writes for chillibreeze.
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:
Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:
Explore our writers’ section using the links on our left-hand side menu. IMPORTANT! Don’t forget to
About Chillibreeze
Chillibreeze offers content writing services to customers from all over the globe. We also leverage our experience in the content industry to publish ebooks about niche topics.
.gif)
Writing 
