by Troy Janisch

A Request for Proposal (RFP) provides the basis for selecting the vendor who will implement your Internet Media project.

An RFP is an evolved version of an implementation plan that includes information that is requested from vendors to aid in vendor selection. If the project scope is well-defined, RFPs need not include a proposed budget -- particularly if budget will be part of the criteria for selecting a vendor.

Information often requested for vendor selection include the following:

• Company Background
  Corporate information including financial details. How long has the company been in business? How many employees does the company have? Of its employees, how many are dedicated to implementing Internet media?


• Vendor Capabilities
  In addition to capabilities associated with the RFP, what other services does the vendor provide? Can the vendor provide representative samples of related work?


• Vendor Qualifications
  How experienced/qualified is the company for the project? Have they completed similar projects? Can they provide a list of previous clients with contact information and relevant URLs?


• Vendor Staffing
  What is the proposed team that will be working on the project? What are their individual qualifications? Can a resume be provided for key members of the proposed team?


• Process
  What is the development process used by the vendor? What are the project stages and milestones? What are their processes for quality assurance and testing? How will the completed project be delivered or implemented? What documents are included as deliverables in the processes used by the vendor?


• Proposed Solution
  How does the vendor recommend implementing the project? What is their proposed technical approach? What changes to the project scope would they recommend? Is their proposed solution scalable? Will it work in cross-platform environments?


• Timeline
  What is their proposed schedule for completing the project? What dependencies are included in the timeline that may influence the anticipated deliver date?


• Budget Proposed by Vendor
  What is the anticipated cost for the project? What variables exist in the budget and what is their process for identifying changes in cost? How do they accept payment? What portion of the payment will be paid to outside suppliers? How are tasks completed by outside suppliers billed? What ongoing maintenance costs does the vendor anticipate after the project is completed?

Selecting a vendor is a three-stage process. The first stage is designed to examine potential vendors and select a short list of companies for consideration. These are companies that will be asked to respond with proposals to your RFP. The second stage is to prepare an RFP for selected vendors. Based on the RFP, vendors will provide proposal for implementing your project. The final stage is to select a vendor. This typically requires a face-to-face meeting with final candidates to resolve questions about the RFP, vendor proposal, and project implementation

Make sure your RFP identifies a timeline for the proposal and development process.