Developing Successful Internet Request for Proposals

Step 1 – Plan the RFP Project and Form a Team - Identify the basic requirements to launch the RFP effort, identify affected departments, assemble the RFP team, and layout the basic outline of the RFP document.

Step 2 – Define Business Needs, Scope & Objectives - Conduct a competitive analysis, develop a mission statement, identify affected business processes, define desired outcomes, identify critical success and risk factor, and develop an initial scope or statement of work.

Step 3 – Develop Technical Requirements - Identify specific information systems technical requirements, current systems configurations (software and hardware), and performance standards.

Step 4 – Establish a Preliminary Budget - Establish a budget for the planned Internet project and a revenue model if required, and begin the effort to develop the associated ROI (Return on Investment) models.

Step 5 – Develop Potential Vendors List - Research, initiate contact, and eliminate potential vendors leading to a final list of qualified vendors for your Internet project.

Step 6 – Write the RFP - Pull together all the RFP components into a final document.

Step 7 – Send the RFP - Provide the RFP package to your vendors.

Step 8 – Proposal Review Process - Review responses from the vendors with the goal of eliminating all but the top contenders.

Step 9 – Select The Final Vendor and Negotiate A Contract - Select the final vendor and negotiate a contract.

Step 10 – Post RFP Project Process Review - Review the RFP teams performance to identify how to conduct future RFP efforts more effectively.

Reduced time/cost to generate RFPs – A clear path or framework is defined for all stakeholders from the start of the RFP process to its completion.

Reduced overall project cost – Most companies follow a methodology that begins with a discovery process. That process is often used to define business/technical objectives and to generate a clear project scope of effort. A clearly defined RFP will dramatically reduce the time and cost of the vendors’ effort to understand your company’s business and the specific goals of a web project. It acts as an aid to prevent scope creep as deviations from the approved scope become more obvious.

Reduced risk – All aspects critical to any projects’ success are reviewed before development efforts begin.

Predictable outcomes – With clearly defined objectives, there is a better chance to ensure a complete and successful outcome.

Repeatable and effective process – A repeatable process promotes learning and allows continual refinement.

Flexibility – Adjustments to project goals early on in the process will minimize the resulting cost impact.

Management buy-in – When management clearly understands the benefits to customers and to shareholders/stakeholders of a well-defined project with credible goals, outcomes, and cost, then buy-in is more easily achieved.