When organizations need new enterprise technology, like a new association management system (AMS), they typically use the request for proposal (RFP) process. 

An RFP is a document that outlines your organization’s specific needs or services and solicits bids from vendors that can complete the project. And a successful RFP is critical to learning how a new technology product can solve your problems.

Most RFPs include a background of your organization, a description of your requirements and desired results, milestone expectations and guidelines for submission. Organizations share RFPs by inviting vendors to respond directly, through industry news outlets or through other online field-specific websites. 

When vendors respond, staff compare the proposals in order to find the most qualified company and product to satisfy the requirements.

[Related: Best Practices and Red Flags for AMS Selection]

The Do’s of a Successful RFP

Let’s take a look at what you should do when creating an RFP.

1. Do Include Detailed Requirements

You want the best product and vendor for your unique organization, so you need to be explicit about your requirements. 

If your requirements are too broad, vendors may interpret them to match the functionality they offer, even if your needs are more complex or specific. Also, vendors may not be able to give you accurate timelines or estimates if they don’t understand the scope of what you need. 

Be clear and precise from the get-go with your requirements, so that you get the best results and can choose the most skilled vendor.

2. Do Prioritize Your Requirements for the Vendor

When thinking about a new system, you of course want the sun, the moon, and the stars! 

It’s fine to include ‘nice to have’ requirements. But be sure to note which requirements are ‘must have’ — usually what your current system does now — and which are less critical. 

And be realistic about this. If you include too many ‘must have’ requirements that are a reach, many vendors will assume they can’t meet your needs and won’t respond at all.

[Related: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire Any Association Management Vendor]

3. Do Provide Additional Information for Unique Needs

If you have unusually complex needs in an area, or if you have firm policies that require a feature to work in an exact fashion, be sure to include additional information about these in your RFP. 

For example, provide diagrams for sophisticated integrations, or provide use cases for a complex workflow, or the limitations on a specific program. Also, highlight which areas of a system are most important for your selection process, and key drivers for why you are looking for a change. 

Don’t be tempted to hide your challenging needs under the rug. Providing this information up front helps vendors determine how well they can meet your needs, and to give you an accurate timeline and pricing, with no surprises later.

4. Do Create a Detailed Scorecard for Staff

When comparing RFP responses, your organization should have a detailed rubric that highlights your priorities, budget, timeline, and implementation expectations, to score each vendor against. 

Everyone involved on your team should be on the same page when it comes to choosing the perfect vendor. 

A detailed scoring rubric will make it easier to clearly differentiate between so-so vendors and ones that can really get the job done and build consensus among your stakeholders with less ambiguity.

[Related: 5 Ways To Reduce Stress and Boost Morale in Your Association]

The Don’ts of a Successful RFP

1. Don’t Treat Vendors Like the ‘Enemy’

We’ve all had experiences with the ‘used car salesman’ type of salesperson. Don’t assume your vendor is like this, or trying to swindle you at every turn. For the most part, your goals and the sales team’s are the same: to make a good match between your needs and their products. 

Sales staff want products that will be successful, on time, and on budget, to create happy, referenceable clients in the future. They are genuinely interested in understanding whether they can meet your needs, the scope of work needed, and providing you with an accurate price that’s fair to both sides. 

Don’t hold vendors at arm’s length — give them the answers they need to do their job well.

[Related: Tech Trends and Predictions for Your Association’s Future]

2. Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations for Vendor Responses

Vendor sales teams typically will spend many hours responding to an RFP and helping you understand their product. 

Make sure you give them at least two to three weeks to respond to an RFP. And give them guidelines to ensure they all provide substantially similar information but try not to be too prescriptive in how they communicate and respond. 

If you require things in a strict format, limit or prevent their ability to ask reasonable questions, or request an excessively long response, they may decide your RFP is not worth the time compared to others they have in hand. 

Don’t limit your options at this stage with procedural details that ultimately won’t impact your project’s success.

[Related: Will Your Next Tech Implementation Be a Success or a Struggle?]

3. Don’t Give Any Vendor an Unfair Advantage

In general, it is not advisable to let vendors know who their competitors are, so that vendors focus their responses on their own products, rather than comparing themselves to others. 

Also, don’t give any one vendor material information about your requirements that could give them a leg up in their proposal. If a vendor asks questions that make you think other vendors might want to know about the answer too, share that information with all the vendors. 

And in staff discussions, note and try to minimize any biases that may arise.

4. Don’t Select a Vendor Based Solely on the RFP

A potential vendor can write a dazzling response to your RFP that seems to meet all expectations on the surface, but don’t select a company based purely on first impressions or flashy writing. 

Ask questions about anything you don’t understand, or that seems unusual or too good to be true. Discuss your more complex requirements and how they will solve those, beyond their written responses. 

Get demonstrations of the product, check references, and use your scoring rubric to ensure that a company really is as spectacular as they seem — and if they are, congrats! 

Contact Dennison & Associates for RFP Guidance

Contact us today for help with your RFP development and defining requirements for your organization. Dennison & Associates is always happy to help associations achieve their goals!

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