Please someone guide me the steps I am following below are correct or wrong. When a request for quote is received by the company, before sending quote can we start initiation phase with a project charter and identifying stakeholders from RFQ documents. later start planning phase (as per processes in the Guide) and prepare estimates and send project plan (in MS project Document) for approval from management. After submitting the quotes by management adding profit margins etc., and later If we are selected as vendor the execution begins as per plan with baselines schedule updated according to the start date. Saving Changes...
You could, but an RFQ is usually either related to a simple procurement of products or services where there is low uncertainty or the preliminary step in getting a Rough Order of Magnitude estimate before proceeding to a more involved process like an RFP.
As such, the effort in prepping for a deal which either wouldnt require much project management OR would be sufficiently far off that premature planning would be wasted might not be justified.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Dear Kiron,
Thanks for reply...
sir, if it is "request for proposal and response document"
then can i start the initiation phase and other steps as i discussed above
and later after successful in tendering process, will execution phase uses same baselines with updates in dates
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Anto,
in my experience the RfP process and delivery process were different projects, though connected. Even different project managers because designing a solution and selling it requires different skills than implementing it.
For a RfQ, I agree with Kiron, it should be a quick activity providing a price for a fully specified standard solution, not a project and not part of the implementation project. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
I assume you are not getting compensated for submitting a proposal and any/all efforts prior to getting a contract is at your company's cost. That being said you want to keep the effort as low as possible. Preparing a Project Charter will take time and cost money you may not have.
I would invest in an efficient procedure for proposal preparation applicable to all future proposal requests rather than investing in a one-shot Project Charter for a possible non-successful submission.
Typically a RFQ for professional services includes an opportunity to explain your understanding of the assignment and proposed approach to delivery. In that case, use this an an opportunity to advance your methodology and possibly include some Project Charter considerations. It may assist in landing the work. Saving Changes...
An RFP can involve a significant amount of work with no guarantee that you will be compensated. That means you have a risk of losing money so you should determine how much effort you wish to spend on the proposal in order to limit that risk. Meanwhile, sometimes a supplier may be selected because they have a very comprehensive proposal.
A company with mature processes may have a defined process for generating proposals. If not, they can be treated as a small project with the proposal itself as the deliverable. Then that project is closed, and the preliminary planning to generate the RFP is archived.
If the proposal is accepted, there is a new initiation phase with a charter for the project itself rather than the proposal, building on what you learned in the proposal phase. Saving Changes...
