Market Review

• RFP/RFQ/RFT document

1. Contact the selected vendors and identify the person who will likely handle the request.
2. Gain their agreement to participate.
3. Forward the document.

• Vendors responding to the request

It is important to find the right person in the organisation. Typically this will be a Sales Manager. If there is difficulty locating a person, make it known that you are approaching them about a request and need to quickly locate the right person to ensure they are included.

An organisation may decide they are not willing to respond. Sometimes they believe they have little chance of success, and the effort involved - which is usually substantial - is not warranted. Thank them for their efforts and move on to the next company.

In order to give everyone an equal chance, you may need a number of days to make phone contact with all the companies before forwarding everyone the document. Allow two or three days to make contact. If they have already responded to an RFI, you will have much of the information. Make it clear that you are not looking for the same information again. The request document may be amended to remove information already gathered. The requirements section will be more comprehensive, and this is the focus of the second approach.

It may be suggested that rather than just receive written responses, the vendor makes a personal presentation. It is better to have studied the response before meeting the people involved. You will be better placed to ask relevant questions. Inform the vendors that the ones who make it through this stage will be asked to undertake a demonstration and presentation at the next stage.

In spite of your good efforts, there will be questions from each Vendor regarding an interpretation of the requirements. It should be made clear that answers to one vendor will be circulated to all vendors. The questions and response can be anonymous but each vendor should have the same information.