How to write an RFP
Writing an RFP is more difficult than it seems. If its done right – you can save yourself and your business thousands of dollars. If its done poorly you can have a project destined to go awry - with hidden costs for you and your vendor.
Most RFPs I see make me want to not bid on a project because they are too vague, which means that the business hasn’t done the legwork of thinking about what they want in detail. Sometimes they ask for so much that I know the business isn’t serious about what they want built – they have a budget number in mind and want to see what they can get for it so they list all their wishes with no reguard for priority.
Not knowing what you want is okay – starting the web development process without figuring that out is not. Too often business have a rough idea of what they want but without essential specifics that define how what they want fits into their goals for the website.
I encourage all my clients to go through a project calrification and specification process. A process that ends with a formal document that defines (at its most basic):
- The goals of the website or web application
- How those goals will be achieved (specific steps)
- How those goals will be measured
- A rough outline of the business logic or functionality that results from the implementation of those goals
These four things will create a better RFP, which will result in a better vendor relationship, and greater satisfaction overall. A clarification and specification process (no matter how brief) before web development begins will bring you to a better understanding of your future site and will help you think clearly about the next step of your website’s growth.
