Questions to Ask Before, During, and After Receiving an RFP

Summary

What to Ask Before, During and After the Request for Proposal Process

The Request for Proposal (RFP) is a critical phase in the sourcing process. This tool should outline what you as the client need and want from a prospective vendor. RFPs also help vendors understand how to demonstrate that they are excellent candidates for the project. As a company, you need to know what questions to ask before you start an RFP and during the drafting process. You should also be aware of the questions vendors may ask after receiving an RFP.

The right questions can guide the RFP process and ensure its success — from initial planning to vendor selection. These inquiries help clients plan and put together a strong request for proposal. At the same time, vendors gain a greater understanding of what to expect from the negotiation process with a client. Too few questions? You may not have the information you need to proceed. Too many questions? Qualified vendors may pass on offering a proposal.

Here are some questions you should ask to effectively navigate each stage of the RFP journey. We've also included sample RFP questions and how each query benefits the process.

Questions to Ask Before Starting the RFP Process

Before reaching out to vendors, you must thoroughly understand your project and its specific requirements. This information includes where your company stands, what it needs from a vendor and what it's looking to get out of the response.

Here are some questions your team should ask before starting the RFP process.

1. What Is the Problem?

Outline the problem your company is facing, including the particular pain points you encounter and areas where there is room for improvement or growth. Next, consider where you want your company to go and the steps needed to get you there.

Having a thorough understanding of the problem will help you see which vendors are suggesting a feasible solution.

2. What Are Your Goals for the Project? Do They Align With the Goals of Your Company?

The goals your project hopes to achieve shouldn't contradict or interfere with the overall goals or mission of your company. Before you begin putting together an RFP, make sure the objectives of the project are in line with your business's overall objectives.

Consider what you want the project to achieve and what steps you need to take. For example, let's say the only way to accomplish the project's goals goes against your company's mission or values. In this case, you may need to restructure the project or its goals.

3. What Are Your Requirements?

What are you looking for from vendors, or more specifically, what do vendors need to have for your company to even consider working with them?

The more details you can provide when it comes to explaining your company's requirements, the better. For example:

What are your company's expectations when it comes to the security protocols your vendors use?
What technical requirements do you have?

It's also worth considering the references a vendor might supply you with during the RFP process. How will you evaluate references? Remember, it's better to compare apples to apples rather than apples to oranges. When you ask for references from a vendor, it's important to specify those references come from organizations and projects that are similar in scope and shape to your project.

4. What Is the Scope of the Project?

Outline the goals of the project to include:

A timeline for deliverables.
What needs to be completed first.
How long you expect each part of the project to take.
Responses you expect if any part of the project needs adjustment along the way.

Defining the project scope and setting the priorities for scope will give vendors the opportunity to present you with a workable plan for implementation.

5. Does the New Solution Integrate With Existing Systems?

Vendors need to know if they are working on a standalone solution or if your company plans on working the solution into existing software or other existing programs or protocols.

Take time to outline what systems, if any, the solution will work with and how they will play together. It's also a good idea to provide full details on existing systems, such as how they get maintained and updated.

Project Budget

6. What Is Your Budget?

Figuring out your company's budget for the project means more than examining how much money you have to spend. It also means:

Researching market rates.
Determining what companies have paid for similar projects.
Contacting vendors to find out what they typically charge for projects similar to yours.

Budget research can help your company determine how much it should spend on the project and vendor services to achieve the desired result.

Setting a budget also gives your vendors an idea of what you're looking for and can help them shape their proposals to your needs. Specify your budget early on to help vendors quickly determine if their rates are within your budget. Doing so saves both parties a lot of time and effort.

7. What Is Your Timeline?

You want to give vendors a deadline for the proposal and any other material submissions. You also want to give vendors a "know-by" date — a date by which you expect to make your decision.

It's also a good idea to include a timeline for the project itself. For example:

When do you expect the project to go live?
When would you like to receive certain parts or components of the project?

Giving vendors an idea of what you expect during the project implementation will allow them to confirm they have the bandwidth and ability to work with you.

8. Who Is the Point Person on the Project?

Vendors are likely to have questions about the RFP. So, it's important for your company to designate who is responsible for responding to any questions that come up.

Choose someone with expertise on the subject to serve as the point of contact. Tap into anyone on your team who could provide additional information and expert advice as needed. Be sure your point person knows whom they can turn to for answers to specific questions that might come up during the RFP process.

9. Who Are Your Key Stakeholders? Do They Have Adequate Representation and Input?

Getting your stakeholders involved is especially critical when they will be selecting vendors. Identify not only who will be affected by the purchasing decision but also who will bring the most value to the RFP process. Stakeholders should understand that this is an opportunity for them to be involved and make their needs understood — not an obligation that will take up a lot of their time.

You'll get better outcomes if you focus on specific criteria and state them clearly. Ensure stakeholder interests and needs are considered, but don't get overwhelmed with stakeholder wants. Create proper context and set expectations for vendors and stakeholders.

Questions Clients Should Include in an RFP

When writing an RFP, several questions need to be included to ensure you understand a vendor's suitability. The vendors receiving the RFP will answer these questions to the best of their ability. The RFP is your chance to get as much information as possible from potential vendors.

The following are questions a client may consider presenting in their RFP.

1. What Are Your Policies on Price Volatility?

Prices change based on a variety of factors. Price volatility is especially likely when a contract will last multiple years. In an RFP, it's important to ask a vendor what their policies are, including:

What cost-of-living adjustments will they allow for?
What will they do if prices rise or fall unexpectedly?

2. Can You Suggest Relative and Effective Alternatives?

Vendors who have been in a particular industry for a while might be able to offer clients insight into ways to meet specific requirements for a lower cost — without giving up on quality or otherwise compromising. A client might consider asking vendors to share case studies or examples of instances where they were able to save their customers money.

3. How Long Does Your Company Take to Respond to Issues?

What happens if a client is in the middle of using the vendor's product or machines, and something goes wrong? A client needs to know how long it will take for someone from the vendor's company to respond to the issue. Ask these questions:

Are support personnel available on-site to correct any problems as they arise?
Does someone have to travel from the vendor's headquarters out to the client?
Who handles and pays for repairs?

It's also important to find out what availability the vendor offers — do they have someone available at all times or only during business hours?

4. Does the Vendor Own and Service the Products and Equipment It Sells? Or, Is It a Third-Party Broker?

A client should understand how much of the work a vendor performs will be its own and how much of it will be outsourced. That includes the ownership and use of equipment. Does the vendor have full control over machinery or vehicles, or is it working under a contract with another company?

As a client, you want the complete picture to fully understand what to expect from a vendor.

5. Is Your Company a Registered Woman-, Diverse- or Disabled Veteran-Owned Company?

Working with diverse vendors, whether they are woman-, disabled veteran- or diverse-owned, can help improve a client's clout and status. A client may increase customer loyalty or land new customers by working with more diverse vendors. Some clients may also make it a point to only work with diverse-owned vendors and suppliers.

Whether the vendor is diverse-owned might not be a significant consideration when choosing a supplier to work with, but it may be a factor that tips the scales in a vendor's favor. At the very least, it's good information for the client to have on their end.

6. Why Should Our Company Choose Your Business Over Other Competitors?

Asking why a client should work with a particular vendor over others gives a company a chance to illustrate why it's different from the rest. The question allows companies the chance to cover any specifications that weren't addressed elsewhere in the RFP.

It can also reveal a vendor's unique services or benefits. Asking this question allows clients to find the best in each potential vendor while answering it allows vendors to show off their unique value propositions.

7. Does Your Company Have Any Pending Acquisitions? If So, How Will This Change Your Business Model?

A client needs to know if anything about the vendor might change shortly. For example, a company doesn't want to choose one vendor over another, only to find a larger business has purchased the vendor's company and they will no longer be offering some services or products.

This question helps clients gain a complete picture of a vendor and fully understand what they're agreeing to. The answer can also help prevent any misunderstandings, delays and frustrations.

8. Does Your Company Have Any Legal Issues or Constraints That Could Impact the Performance of Your Products or Services?

This question also helps paint a full picture of a potential vendor. A client needs to know about any issues or concerns that could in some way affect the relationship between vendor and client. Asking this question can give clients the necessary information to make a decision and help them anticipate issues that could result in delays or timeline disruptions.

9. Can You Provide a Detailed Implementation Plan — Including a Timeline for the Startup and Transition Process?

If a client were to choose your company as the vendor/supplier, how would you get the project started, what timeline can the client expect from you and so on? The response to this question can influence a client's ultimate decision.

For example, Vendor A might charge a lower price but include a timeline that requires six months from start to finish. Vendor B might charge more, but promise to complete the project in half the time. In some cases, it might be more cost-effective to choose Vendor B over Vendor A.

10. How Will You Monitor Progress and Performance on the Account?

There must be continued communication and monitoring of the project between vendor and client. Clients should ask vendors to outline how they plan to monitor and review the process to ensure they address any issues and implement improvements when available.

11. How Does Your Company Correct Discrepancies Between Requisition and Items Delivered?

Services should be performed on time, and items should be delivered as promised. In cases when that doesn't happen, a supplier or vendor should have a plan in place to correct any issues quickly and smoothly. Clients should know what a vendor will do in certain situations to know what to expect if issues arise. The last thing a client wants is to be left in the dark when things don't go according to plan.

Questions Vendors Should Ask Before Responding to an RFP

Once a vendor receives an RFP, it's their turn to direct questions toward the client. These inquiries ensure a vendor can adequately respond to an RFP to demonstrate they clearly understand the client's needs.

It's also worth asking a client the most important criteria when submitting a proposal. Knowing what the client wants will help a vendor shape the proposal.

Here are some questions that can help vendors understand the client and respond effectively to the proposal.

1. Do You Have a Scale or Grading Tool to Use to Evaluate the RFP?

How will the client evaluate the proposals it receives from vendors? If they are using a scale or another tool to grade each proposal, what criteria will they examine? For example, a client might weigh how well a vendor's proposal matches its needs versus the vendor's proposed pricing model. Or, it might compare the plan for implementation to the overall price charged and use that information to influence its final purchasing decision.

2. Why Did You Choose Our Company?

Asking this question will give a supplier or vendor a better understanding of why a client decided to include it in the RFP, including what the client already knows about a vendor and where it ranks that vendor among the competition.

Finding out what a client sees in a potential vendor can help the vendor tailor its response to highlight this connection effectively. For example, if a client approaches a vendor because they share business values, the vendor can use this information to connect with the client through its RFP response.

3. What Will Happen to Competitive Responses Once the Proposals Are Submitted?

How long will it take for your company to find out if it's moved to the next phase of the RFP process, and will you get notified of any developments along the way? It's also a good idea to find out the timeline for the proposal process, including the date on which the client plans to make a final decision.

4. Who Reviews Proposals and How?

Knowing who will read your proposal can influence the tone you take and the type of details you include.

Will employees at the client's company read over each proposal?
Or does the company plan on having an external team evaluate each proposal?

Vendors might also want to find out how proposals get reviewed.

Do evaluators look at the proposals blind?
Or is the name and other identifying information about the vendor included with each?

The Next Step, RFP Analysis

Once vendors and clients have had their questions answered and the vendors have submitted their proposals, it's time for clients to analyze and evaluate each one.

Before that happens, though, it's essential for a client to have a plan in place for analyzing and evaluating proposals. That plan should include an objective way to score and measure each proposal. Weighted scoring allows a client to determine which proposal factors are the most important, then assign each factor a numeric score.

For example, a proposal might be able to earn a maximum of 100 points. Up to 50 can be based on how well the overall proposal met the RFP requirements outlined by the vendors. Up to 10 points can be from the price quoted by the vendor, and so on. So scoring 10 out of 10 on price but 25 out of 50 on requirements might lead to a lower rank than a 1 out of 10 on price and a 40 out of 50 on requirements.

Need Help With Your RFPs?

Companies aren't on their own when it comes to developing an RFP and analyzing these business documents. Dryden Group offers indirect RFP management to ensure your company's RFP is well-constructed and seen by qualified vendors. We can help you craft an RFP that asks for the right information.

Dryden RFP Services

For nearly two decades, Dryden has worked with vendors of all kinds. Our in-depth knowledge of indirect procurement gives us the experience to provide outstanding RFP management services, including:

Creating the right questions: RFP formation is an art form — one we are adept at. We begin the RFP process by helping you know which questions are the right ones to ask prospective vendors.
Inviting the right vendors: Your next step is to find the right vendors to include in the RFP process. We can make recommendations so you have confidence that you're inviting the right prospective vendors to respond.
Analyzing the RFP: Once you've received the proposals, Dryden can help support RFPs by analyzing the potential savings from various plans and scoring proposals based on specified criteria.
Recommending vendors: We can also make recommendations so you get a vendor that best fits your needs.
Negotiating contracts: We can even help negotiate contracts once you've narrowed the selection, getting you a deal favorable to your company.

Reach out to Dryden Group for Assistance With Your RFP Needs

Dryden Group offers expertise and support throughout the RFP process. From crafting effective RFP questions to analyzing proposals and negotiating contracts, our in-depth knowledge and experience ensure a tailored solution that achieves your procurement objectives efficiently.

Have a request for information? Our comprehensive RFP services and procurement teams are here to help you from beginning to end. To learn more about our RFP consulting services, contact us today.

Essential RFP Questions