My point of view: 6 Most Common Mistakes in RFP for IT Services

In the perfect world, you could kick off a new project just with a handshake and encouraging pat on the back. But well, business world is quite far from perfect and you can’t settle on a verbal agreement. Especially in the case of complex and high-level projects you have to put everything on paper to protect your business from any turbulences that may arise.

And that’s exactly why before starting a large project with several stakeholders at each stage, you should check out potential contractors, request bids, and consider your options. Before you hand such a venture to some vendor just because you heard they were the best, think carefully. Take a deep breath, gather your team, and draft an RFP - one of the key documents needed to complete significant projects.

Request for Proposal (RFP) procedures can be a vital step in choosing the best vendor for your business when it comes to IT services. RFPs, however, may also be a source of annoyance and wasted time if not used properly. And any business can’t afford that.?

To help you out in creating a coherent and complex RFP, I wrote down a list of six of the most common mistakes made in RFPs for IT services, and some tips on how to avoid them.?

Why It’s So Important to Make RFP Good

Before we go down to business and discuss the mistakes that can sabotage the effectiveness of an RFP, I want to emphasise the importance of avoiding them in the first place.

First of all, it allows you to pick and choose from many different offers. Thanks to that, you can assess which suppliers are most suited to help resolve your problems or accomplish a strategic goal. A call for proposals encourages an atmosphere of rivarly where potential applicants must concentrate and exhibit their finest qualities and services in order to succeed. By doing this, you can be sure that when potential vendors bid, they will offer their best solution.

Moreover, as I’m sure you know, you must set requirements before you begin developing your future product. Well-written standards establish expectations for the potential service provider and guarantee that only qualified applicants apply, preventing you from wasting time on organisations that cannot complete the task at hand.

Last but certainly not least, a well-written and prepared RFP can save you some money. It enables you narrow down the pool of potential service providers, evaluate their costs, compare and contrast and determine whether their qualifications align with your needs. You can locate a vendor whose fees are within your price range after setting some financial criteria.?

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing RFP

As we already discussed, the stakes are high when it comes to creating a cohesive and exhaustive RFP. In order to make the most of it, make sure to avoid these common mistakes.?

Being too vague in your requirements

One of the biggest and most common mistakes businesses make when responding to RFPs is not being clear and specific enough about their requirements. This could result in vendors presenting bids that don't align with the organization's needs, making the process time-consuming and expensive for both parties. To prevent this, make sure to express your organization's needs in the RFP in a clear and understandable manner.??

Not providing enough information about your organization?

In order to provide correct offers, vendors must comprehend the precise context in which their services will be employed. Vendors could find it difficult to comprehend your criteria and might submit proposals that aren't a suitable fit if your RFP doesn't provide enough information about your organisation, as well as business processes and business value you would like to achieve.?

Not being flexible??

It's critical to remember that your organization's demands and specifications could change as the RFP process progresses. If your requirements are too strict, providers might be unable to offer you bids that totally satisfy your needs. Be open to diverse approaches and prepared to take into account suggestions that might not be what you had anticipated.?

No competition analysis?

Organizations can better understand the market, choose the right vendor for their requirements, and make more informed decisions by conducting a thorough competition study. Additionally, it might help you be more strategic and practical when establishing deadlines, expectations, and the overall budget needed for the project.?

Lack of well-defined business value?

Business value describes the advantages that a company and its customers can anticipate from a specific good or service. It might be challenging for bidders to comprehend the organization's and client's specific needs and adjust their proposals accordingly when an RFP does not clearly specify the desired business value.?

If you don’t have your requirements set, then do not ask for a product valuation. Instead, it’s advisable to ask for a professional business analysis, on the basis of which you will be able to make a valuation of the software development process.?

Not involving the right people?

If you fail to include the right stakeholders in the RFP process, it can lead to a lack of alignment between the proposed solution and the organization's goals. To ensure a more comprehensive view, it's crucial to include stakeholders from all departments that will be affected by the IT solution either directly or indirectly.?

Final Thoughts?

The RFP is essential to closing deals on both ends. It's crucial to secure quality work on major projects with appropriate timetables and costs for the employing organization. And when it comes to vendors, it specifies and outlines the requirements and gives an action plan.?

Even though writing a comprehensive and clear RFP is no easy task, it’s totally worth it. If you put your time and efforts into it to create the most complete image of your company and its specific needs and goals, you will save yourself problems in the future.??

Need some advice on how to write a comprehensive RFP? Make sure to check out my article that will lead you through all the intricacies of the process.