Apr
12
Written by:
Michael Wilkes
4/12/2008
The fix is in for RFP's.
No, I don't mean that what was broken has now been repaired. I mean that the Request for Proposal process is "fixed," as in "rigged," as in Newman and Redford are involved and unwary vendors will get stung if they respond. At least this is how 60% of the professionals we recently surveyed responded to our question "Why do qualified suppliers ignore RFPs?".
The wording varied, but the underlying thought was the same: RFP's are not a professional, objective buying instrument. They are corrupt. Here are some of the comments from the survey:
- "...the winner is often decided before the RFP even goes out." ~ J. Hile
- "...you can assume a presumptive winner has been chosen." ~ M. Holman
- "...often RFPs are all but awarded when they go out." ~ T. Maurer
Given the majority feeling that your RFP is a big con job, is it any wonder that potential vendors don't respond? This leaves legitimate buyers in a pickle. Their reputation is sullied by those who issue bogus or pre-won RFPs. So how do you get on the radar of capable suppliers? How can you prevent the hard work of your RFP from being greeted by the lonely silence of an uninterested vendor community?
Sometimes just being aware of the problem gives you a solution. Knowing that vendors have this negative perception, you can take steps to remove their fears by including some simple statements in your RFP. Here are two content suggestions:
- No internal competition -- State openly that this is not a fishing expedition for your internal I.T. department to get ideas and strategy.
- No external influence -- Declare that no suppliers participated in the formation of the RFP.
Now, this doesn't guarantee that you'll get an enthusiastic response from the best suppliers. You will, however, remove two of the chief fears that they have about you as a buyer. Anything that you can do to raise the vendors' trust level will encourage them to respond.
Tags: