The RFP Process

1
The RFP Process

• Getting what you want!

2
Contents

• Identify Expected Outcomes
• Selecting Vendors
• Creating the RFP Document
• Evaluating the Responses
• Selection and Negotiations
• Communicating the Decision

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Identify Expected Outcomes

• The surest way to miss a target is to not aim at
  it

4
Identify Expected Outcomes

• What do you want from the vendors?
• Best technical solution
• Best price / financing
• Long term relationship
• Best warranty / support
• Training
• Customized solution
• Most user friendly
• Product/Manufacturer reputation
• Freebees

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Identify Expected Outcomes

• Prioritize your requirements and give weights to
  them
• Best price / financing 5
• Best technical solution 4
• Long term relationship 4
• Best warranty / support 3
• Training 2
• Product/Manufac. Reputation 2
• Most user friendly 1
• Freebees 1
• Customized solution 0

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Selecting Vendors

• Lots of vendors lots of options
• Lots of vendors lots of responses to read

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Selecting Vendors

• Focus in on the vendors you really want to do
  business with
• Some products must be purchased through resellers
  send RFPs to both
• Dont focus only on Industry leaders
• Do treat all vendors the same until the process
  is complete

8
The RFP Document

• Make it clear and concise

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The RFP Document

• Introduction
• Explain why youre doing it
• Background
• Introduce your school to them
• Proposal Guidelines
• Whats your goal
• What are the rules (due date, how to ask
  questions, what to include with it)
• Where how to send response

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The RFP Document

• Evaluation Criteria
• Tell them what youre looking for (be specific).
  You will find out who wants to work with you and
  who simply wants to sell you a product
• Proposal Format
• Tell them what form you want it in. Be specific
  and be complete. Responses will be much easier
  to evaluate if theyre all in the same format
• Project Schedule
• Show them a high level schedule of the entire
  project (not just the RFP phase) so they can get
  the big picture

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Handling Vendor Questions

• The serious respondents will have lots of
  questions

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Handling Vendor Questions

• Have an open question and answer meeting at least
  several weeks before the responses are due
• Set-up a list serve and let them sign-up
• Publish all questions asked via the list
• Resist the temptation of answering questions over
  the phone everyone needs to hear the questions
  and answers
• Dont play favorites!

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Evaluating the responses

• If you go it alone, youll never get it right!

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Evaluating the responses

• Select a small committee to help you
• Faculty
• Staff
• Administration
• Technical people
• Create an evaluation matrix based on your
  criteria
• Your criteria weighting may change based on what
  you read in the responses
• Dont try to force a winner
• Narrow down to top 3 and select 1 finalist
• Get buy-in from everyone on the committee
• This will help immensely during implementation

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Selection and Negotiations

• The finalist is not the winner until negotiations
  are complete

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Selection and Negotiations

• Build negotiation time into the schedule
• Once selection is made, conclude final
  negotiations as rapidly as possible
• Dont accept anything less than what was offered
  in the proposal
• Make it clear that this process is just the
  beginning of a lasting partnership

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Communicating Final Decision

• The way you handle this could affect future
  business

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Communicating Final Decision

• Call everyone who sent a response
• Tell them who the winner is and why its not them
• Be prepared to give specifics but make it clear
  that the process is completed
• Remember - they probably put a lot of time and
  resource into preparing their response. The
  feedback you give them takes only a little effort
  on your part but provides valuable information
  for them.

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Things to remember

• Take your time and get it right

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Things to remember

• You are asking vendors to invest time and effort
  give something in return
• You are in charge, not the sales reps (or your
  board of trustees)
• If your boss has a favorite, tell him (or her)
  that there are no guarantees
• Keep everyone on a level playing field
• This is only the first step in a lasting
  partnership, integrity is crucial
• If done right, you will eliminate many future
  project speed-bumps

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Questions