The RFP Process

The selection process used for RFP results should be determined prior to the RFP being released. This will prevent questions and concerns about unfairness, bias and other issues from becoming a problem. Ultimately the selection of a winning submission for an RFP should be about achieving the best result for the company.

One of the more important issues of the selection process is determining the selection criteria, and their relative weights. Often the first stage of this is the determination of a set of minimally acceptable criteria. These would be the items that need to be met by any vendor before detailed evaluation and consideration are given. This might include criteria such as meeting all, or most, of the requirements, pricing, a suitable vendor company financial situation, or other such items. If no proposal meets these minimum criteria, then it is time to re-look at the need, the expectations, and the RFP document.

After the preliminary screening, more detailed criteria are considered and the relative merits of the proposals are weighed against each other. This may be done on a formal or informal basis, depending on the requirements of the company, the time available, and the people involved in the selection process.

Just as it was important to get a broad cross section of interested people involved in the requirements determination, it is equally important that all are represented in the selection process. If people are involved, it is far more likely they will accept, and support, a decision. This can make a substantial difference in the project's success. Likewise, one of the least expected can have insights crucial to making the best selection.