Request for Proposal Process

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS
Abstract
Many large companies have resorted to the use of a request for proposal to trigger responses from
potential vendors to supply them with desired technologies. An effective request for proposal outlines
clearly what the clients is looking for in the market and specifies the evaluation criteria to be followed
while assessing the suppliers’ proposals. It therefore follows that a proposal will be chosen based on its
ability to conform to the RFPs specifications and not simply because it is cheap. This paper covers a
simplified path to explain the process of designing a typical RFP.

Introduction
A request for proposal (RFP) is a project-funding announcement posted by a business to solicit
proposals often through bidding to procure a commodity, service or valuable assets from potential suppliers
(Clemens, 2017). RFPs are important especially if an organization is seeking an integrated solution that can
be realized through technology mix, vendor variations, or difference in technical configuration (Parmar,
2016). They may also be used to drive down the cost of an item since most vendors use price as a tool for
competition.
Creating the RFP
The process of designing a Request for Proposal begins with the preparation of the Request for
Information (RFI). This strategy is to ascertain the number of companies that have the capacity to provide
the needed solution. The RFI posts certain questions that are specified in accordance with the requirements
of the firm (Falkner et al., 2019).
Step two involves issuance of the RFP with the following details:
Proposal administration information such as; Dates for each activity, when the RFP will be released,
when the RFP team will be available to answer technical questions and the date when the proposal will be
expected.
A brief description of the problem to be solved in the form of an introductory letter to address the
needs of the company that issued the RFP.
It gives an insight into technical problem and expert requirement that the supplier wishes to provide.
This is where the services to be performed are described as well as the software and resources needed in the
process (Liu, Wang, & Wilkinson, 2016).
It provides information about proposal coordination and implementation procedures. Here, who
does what and at what time is specified to ensure smooth running of the process.