We have a dilemma in my office. I want to make all Request for Proposals as a separate project. Then, once the vendor is selected and the contract is executed, a new project is opened for the implementation of the software. Others in my office want to include the RFP and the implementation of the selected software as one big project. Can anyone tell me what the industry best practices are and where I can get confirmation to take back to my team. Please help us to come together on a unified way of working with our procurement partners. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Catherine, in our construction projects, tendering, including RFPs and subtrade selection, is treated as a single phase or project. We view them as two interconnected parts of the same process, rather than separating them.
Thank you for your input. It is appreciated. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Either approach is valid, so the decision how to proceed comes down to the reasons each party favors its particular approach. Have the two sides voiced why they prefer their approach? Have the pros and cons of each approach been discussed? Personally, I lean toward making an RFP its own project. I recently worked on a project with an integrated RFP. The RFP was delayed for several months for one reason after another; this caused difficulties related to status reporting as the RFP's issues caused the entire project to be delayed, and resource planning spent valuable time and effort rescheduling people in response to the delays. If we had created a project after the RFP was successfully concluded we would have avoided much wasted effort.
I'd suggest keeping them separate but if the effort involved in the procurement project is significant, there might be benefit in bundling the two projects into a program and having a business case supporting the rationale of delivering both using a higher confidence estimate for the procurement project and a rough order of magnitude estimate for the implementation project.
I believe having the RFP's and Implementation as two separate projects allows more clarity especially since the stakeholders who will be the decision makers may be different for both. The separation allows for tailored communication and involvement strategies. For example : The RFP approval may involve higher management like CTO and SVP for selecting the vendor based on various parameters laid out , whereas implementation of the project may involve more involvement from IT managers and Business stakeholders to certify the outcome is as expected. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
After working for more that 40 years in different industries but mainly in software I could say it is a hard question to ask. In my personal experience, perhaps I always work in companies which was in the top of technology with things that time after were the tendence in technology, most of the times companies request our help to understand "what is about this?". So, technically this is RFI but to be honest we work with them to create a RFP. In some cases, the initiative was not assigned to us. My recommendation is request a RFI and after that request a RFP for one or three providers, evaluate that, and go forward. It is critical to include the business analyst role in this type of things. Saving Changes...
Crystal GonzalesProject Manager| HCUHutchinson, Ks, United States
At one point, our organization treated the RFP process and implementation as one project however, after having gone through a few, realized the benefits with treating the RFP as a separate project from the actual implementation. Several reasons for doing so such as the project team for the RFP is not usually the project team needed for the implementation, the length of time and work effort that goes into the RFP process, and finally, what came out of the RFP would quite often significantly alter the scope of the project which meant a domino effect of changes such as budget, scheduling, etc. Saving Changes...
SOBHARANI CHITTILAProject manager | SEH AmericaVancouver, Wa, United States
Our organization typically treats RFPs as part of the same project, primarily within the planning phase. This approach allows us to streamline the process, as the scope of work, business requirements, and vendor evaluations often involve the same stakeholders. Including the RFP process within the project ensures alignment and continuity.
If delays occur due to vendor selection or challenges in acquiring resources or products—such as budget constraints—these are clearly communicated in project updates and reflected in the overall project plan. This method helps maintain transparency and ensures that the RFP process supports the project’s objectives effectively
The RFP is included in the procurement process of Project Management, so it should be considered a document that is part of the project, and not a project itself.
RFP allows the Project Manager to get detailed proposals from vendors and facilitate the selection of the best option for acquiring a solution, like a product or service.
During the procurement activities that are part of the project, you can send an RFP as an official proposal document to various qualified candidates. A specialized procurement team should elaborate on the RFP document. Saving Changes...
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