What is an RFP?
RFP stands for Request for proposal. A request for proposal is a document that an organization posts to attract bids from potential vendors for IT solutions. It specifies the needs of the customer and establishes evaluation criteria for assessing proposals.
Why should I issue an RFP?
When making a large transition, it is beneficial to use an RFP to see whether multiple vendors are needed and who will make this complex project easier. Also, some organizations, such as the US Government, require these for fair and open competition.
What should I include in an RFP?
1. Include background information on your organization and explain the project and your goals for the project.
2. Specify the target audience for your RFP.
3. Explain why you’re publishing the RFP and what you hope to achieve from it.
4. Specify what solution you’re looking for.
5. Explain the evaluation criteria for how the proposals will be graded.
6. Include the due date!
A couple of things to keep in mind when writing your RFP:
1. Don’t be too vague. Give enough information for the bidder to create a complete solution for the problem.
2. Allow room for creativity in solutions! A problem that organizations may find themselves having is that creativity is limited, not allowing for innovative solution ideas to be brought in by vendors.
How does DCatalog enhance your digital RFP?
1. Security – make publications private or require passwords for maximum protection on your RFP
2. Analytics – gives you access to data such as number of visitors, time spent on each page, keywords searched, links clicked and more to give you more insight into how vendors are interacting with your RFP
3. Available Offline – a CD, DVD or USB version are available to use for access to the RFP offline
4. Multiple Languages – DCatalog’s platform offers most languages, making it easier to communicate with international vendors or vendors with a stronger native language
5. Cloud – protects against data loss, application errors and infrastructure failures while making your RFP viewable from any web browser or mobile device
6. Bookmarks and Notes – to make the RFP more user interactive and easy to navigate and give the users a more efficient way to work with your RFP
7. Enhancements – add videos/images to enhance the publication and make it more visually appealing.
Plus so many more progressive and easy to use features! For more information about how DCatalog can further strengthen your RFP: https://wordpress-260628-883055.cloudwaysapps.com/rfps
By: Liya Land/ Content Writer