RFPs are a double-edged sword for many vendors. In the first article, we looked at the challenges with layout and content. In this second installment, we look at the challenges vendors experience in the process from the point they are made aware of the RFP to the submission of the bid.
Have you ever thought about the RFP process from the other perspective--the potential vendor who responds? An RFP response is more than just a proposal to supply products and/or services; in many cases it is an opportunity to showcase a potential vendor to the procuring organization. But when some vendors reply to RFPs, you have to wonder what they thought that they were bidding on. In this article, we flag some of the things vendors should consider.
Although the 71st anniversary of Operation Dynamo, which took place during the second World War, was celebrated earlier in the summer, we can still continue to celebrate its achievements in the extraordinary results that the use of "crowdsourcing" in projects can deliver.
This two-part article will provide you with some insight into some of the most frustrating aspects that vendors experience when they attempt to decipher the hieroglyphics found in the proposal documents. The first part will focus on the content of the RFP.
Some RFPs are bad…really bad. It makes you wonder how clear the purchasing organization is on what they are trying to achieve. Here, we look at the process that an organization goes through in preparing and issuing an Request For Proposal--and identify some best practices.
Where evolving procurement requirements come from, and why, is in reality no different than how requirements evolve in any organizational area. The challenge is that they compound themselves, layering restriction upon constraint upon requirement. What can an organization do to improve its procurement efforts? What can be done to make procurement work in support of projects rather than be a barrier, roadblock or black hole?
There’s more to vendor management than deliverables and deadlines. Let's look at a few basic concepts that will help PMs avoid some of the biggest pitfalls.
The relationship forged with strategic providers can make the difference between success and failure within the organization. Here, the value proposition they represent is often based more on their service and support levels than price. In essence, SPs become de facto stakeholders with the organization--and thus require special consideration in terms of how the relationship is cultivated and managed.
The use of supplier relationship management (SRM) can be considered symbiotic in nature, since the mutually beneficial aspects of having such a two-way dependent/supportive partnership can make each party’s success tied to the other’s. Can we relate?
Does the use of agile project management require new contract models in order to be successful? Can agile project management be used with traditional fixed-price contracts? Does agile project management require a new type of contract (and if so, what kinds)? Furthermore, wouldn’t a new type of contract discourage the use of agile PM?