December 20198 IN MY V EWUPGRADE YOUR RFP PROCESSBY RAY MOUKADDEM, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SUCCESS CLOUD APAC, SALESFORCE (NYSE: CRM)Over the course of my career, I have been part of many RFP processes. A trend I have noticed is that results of the selection process do not always meet expectations in delivery. Even though the results are inconsistent, many organisations continue to run the same process over and over again. Following a usual process, a long list of functional and non-functional requirements are created. These are used to establish baseline criteria to select the best vendor to fulfil the requirements. This ends up being a grocery list of everything new they have been exposed to, and everything old from their legacy systems. It also forms the basis of shielding from blame if things go wrong. It is thought that a more comprehensive process will result in a reduced chance of mistakes being made. However, does it have to be run with the same framework as the last 20 years? In the quick-moving world of I.T. services, things have evolved. Companies have less to spend, more to buy and have a desire to move faster and transform how they are leveraging technology to meet their goals. With that in mind, the RFP process needs to change. When evaluating a platform and skill level of a consulting firm, the aim should be to operate efficiently and cost-effectively to find the best fit vendor to complete requirements. To better understand what I am proposing to change, I want to review a few of the obstacles to the process when it comes to selecting an I.T. services vendor.One. Not every vendor will reply to the RFP. When a company is reviewing the RFP and qualifying whether they should bid, they will consider a few things. How deeply intertwined is the incumbent? Is the selection process a formality to a foregone conclusion? What are our winning themes across this full stack of requirements? Whom do we need to run the RFP process and what is the effort required? The answers to these and other similar questions will create a barrier of entry and a no-bid decision. Companies that could be a good fit will not bid, meaning you limit your pool before you have even started. Two. Lack of context. In any consulting engagement, the first question is 'What are you trying to achieve with this feature?'. The response will often reshape the requirements. The RFP requirements list is no different, as the vendor addresses each requirement without understanding the broader context or having the ability to challenge and provide an alternative solution. Vendors don't have the opportunity to think more broadly about what you are trying to achieve. This narrows your evaluation process and hides the vendor's potential to transform your program of work. Three. Evaluating similarities. A significant portion of the RFP is spent on functional and non-functional requirements. When each vendor has completed the same lists, this gives you a basis to compare apples with apples, looking for who answered the majority of questions in alignment with your organisation. When you are looking for a partner to consult
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