How To Build a Request for Proposals (RFP)

So, you’ve been tasked with building a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an employee experience platform (EXP). Congrats! It’s like planning a wedding – only for software. You’re working on a big, exciting project that requires careful planning and tight collaboration.

This RFP is your project’s foundation, and you’re going to be strategic about it. Dedicate time to be sure you identify the ideal vendor that aligns with your distinct needs and goals.

Ready to walk down the aisle? We’re here to guide you through this process step-by-step.

Meet the bride: What is an RFP?

An RFP is a document that outlines your project's vision, expectations, and needs, and asks potential vendors to provide proposals detailing how they can fulfil them. This document is crucial for an informed selection process. By defining your requirements and scoring criteria, you provide a basis for evaluating proposals that allows you to objectively compare features, pricing, and qualifications.

A great RFP is clear, detailed, visual, and realistic. Take your time to get it right, and you’ll find a partner that fits perfectly; one that offers a productive working relationship and the best outcomes possible.

Hurry up, get it wrong, and you might end up with a mismatch, wasting your time and money on a product that doesn’t fit you.

Harnessing AI for effortless vendor selection

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? Fear not, because I’ll explain how you can use AI for this mission.

FYI, the latest AI tools can help you analyze industry trends, understand employee sentiment, shortlist vendors, and even score proposals objectively, leading to a happily-ever-after result.

Cue riding horseback into the sunset as romantic music plays.

Assembling your dream team

No one should have to plan a wedding alone, and the same goes for building an RFP.

To create a comprehensive RFP, involve experienced representatives from all relevant departments: HR, IT, internal communications, and procurement.

This diverse group of stakeholders will help you cover all bases and ensure you don’t miss anything crucial. Some might even have experience crafting their own RFPs.

Plus, it's more fun to plan with your bachelorette gang by your side, right?

Understanding your needs

Your first task as a team is to understand why you need an employee experience app. Are you aiming to boost employee engagement, streamline communication and collaboration, or just improve your company culture?

Run a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, gather your team, have a brainstorming session, and write down all the reasons you think an employee experience app is necessary.

Then, leave the Zoom room and interview your colleagues.

After all, they are going to be the end users of this platform, and it’s a good idea to engage them with this project from an early stage.

You can also conduct surveys or invite colleagues to focus groups to gather their insights and preferences.

After you gather the data, try this AI prompt: ‘Analyze employee feedback from our internal surveys and highlight common pain points and desired features for our new employee experience platform’.

Think of this as the beginning of your love story, if you will.

Defining your requirements

This is the fun part, where you get to dream big! Now that you understand your problems and have collected intel on needs from various teams, departments, and stakeholders, you get to suggest what features you want in your app.

A user-friendly interface? Seamless integration with existing systems? Automatic translation that leaves nobody behind? Live streaming of company updates? Badges and awards that celebrate individual and team accomplishments? Document storage to build a single source of truth? Advanced reporting and analysis?

You can use an AI tool to generate a list of features with the highest user satisfaction and proven impact on employee engagement.

Try this prompt: ‘Identify the top features that have demonstrated the highest levels of user satisfaction and proven impact within software applications, platforms, or tools designed for enhancing employee experience, engagement, productivity, collaboration, and overall workplace experience. Your output should be a ranked list of the top 20 most impactful features, accompanied by a brief description of each feature and its specific benefits. The list should be concise, well-organized, objective, and data-driven’.

Create a spreadsheet, group your needs into must-haves (non-negotiable requirements tied to core objectives) and nice-to-haves (that add value), and attach this document to your RFP.

Think of this as your wedding registry – what do you absolutely need, and what would be a nice bonus?

Researching potential vendors

Now that you know what you want, it’s time to find the right supplier to provide it. Not every vendor will fit your project goals. Do some market research to identify potential vendors and assess their product fit, known clients, implementation approach, pricing models, and support structure.

There’s no Tinder for vendors… so, ask for recommendations from your network, find review websites for software comparisons, search for analyst reports, read customer reviews, and check out their websites.

Look for blog posts, case studies, or even social media mentions where companies discuss their experience with employee experience apps. Find out which employee experience apps your competitors are using. (Your manager is going to love hearing this!)

AI tools can help you shortlist vendors by scanning vast amounts of data quickly, providing you with up-to-date market insights, competitor analysis, and emerging trends, saving you hours of manual research.

Here’s a prompt you can copy and paste into your favourite AI tool: ‘In a chart format, list the top 10 employee experience platforms considering the following factors: target company size (small/medium/enterprise), core functionalities (performance management, recognition, communication, etc), integrations, and starting price (if available). Additionally, highlight any unique strengths or considerations for each platform that might be relevant to an RFP evaluation process’.

Think of this as checking out the social media profiles of your potential partners.

Drafting the RFP document

It’s time to draft the RFP document!

This is where you clearly define terms, requirements, and evaluation criteria. Add strong visuals like charts and tables to clarify your needs.

Remember: a well-done RFP leads to better proposals, seamless work relationships, and the outcomes you desire.

Here's a breakdown of the essential elements.

Executive Summary: This is your chance to set the tone and give a high-level overview of what you're after. Briefly describe the project, its objectives, and what you expect from the vendors.
Company Background: Give potential vendors a quick intro to your company and your unique EX goals. This helps them understand the context and tailor their proposals accordingly. Include information about your company’s size, industry, and any relevant info.
Project Scope and Objectives: Spell out exactly what you're looking to achieve with this new platform. Be specific, but don't go overboard with the details just yet.
Detailed Requirements: This is where you get specific! Outline your must-have functionalities and features like a user-friendly interface and seamless integrations. Don’t forget to include some bonus features that would make the app truly shine. Clearly differentiate between mandatory requirements and optional, nice-to-have features.
Implementation and Support: Let the vendors know what kind of support you'll need during the implementation process and beyond. This is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition and ongoing maintenance. Ask about the vendor’s implementation methodology, timeline, and the level of support they offer post-implementation.
Budget and Pricing: Be upfront about your budget constraints (if any). This will help weed out any proposals that are way out of your price range. Provide a range if exact numbers aren’t available and indicate whether the budget includes initial implementation and ongoing costs.
Evaluation Criteria: Define how you'll choose your perfect match. This includes factors like functionality, budget, and the level of vendor support offered. Be transparent about the scoring or weighting of each criterion to guide vendors in tailoring their proposals.
Vendor Qualifications: Request information about the vendor's experience and qualifications. This might include case studies, client references, certifications, and any other relevant credentials that demonstrate their ability to meet your needs.
Legal and Compliance Requirements: Include any legal or compliance requirements that vendors must adhere to, such as data privacy laws, security standards, or specific industry regulations.
Timeline: Set clear deadlines for submission, evaluation, and decision-making. This helps keep the process on track and avoid any unnecessary delays. Include key dates such as RFP release, Q&A period, submission deadline, shortlist notification, and final decision announcement.
Principal Point of Contact: Identify the project leader and team members involved. Provide contact information.
Submission Requirements: Outline the format and method for proposal submissions. Specify any templates or forms to be used, the preferred file format, and how vendors should submit their proposals.

Don't be afraid to inject a bit of personality into your RFP. After all, you're not just looking for a new platform – you're looking for a partner that understands your company's culture and values.

And here’s a bonus: our RFP template to help you get started! Use it to inspire your own creation, or download and edit it for added convenience.

Sending out the RFP

Send your RFP to the selected vendors and wait for the proposals to roll in. Give them a reasonable deadline and be open to answering any questions they might have.

This stage might feel like the period after you’ve finished sending out your ‘save the dates’ – the excitement is building, but there’s more work ahead.

Reviewing proposals

Once you’ve received the proposals, it’s time to carefully review them with your team. Evaluate each proposal against your criteria and shortlist the top contenders based on their capabilities and alignment with your needs.

Use AI to assess the vendors’ understanding of your needs and priorities as expressed in the RFP, to identify any potential misalignments that require clarification.

Prompt Example #1: ‘Evaluate the received proposals based on our scoring criteria and rank them accordingly, providing a detailed comparison of their strengths and weaknesses’.

Prompt Example #2: ‘Perform a risk assessment for each vendor proposal, identifying potential implementation challenges and mitigation strategies’.

It’s like selecting a venue. Try to picture your most precious moments in each one!

Vendor presentations

Invite the shortlisted vendors for presentations and demos. This will give you a better idea of what they can offer and a vision of how well they understand your needs. Prepare a list of questions and don’t hesitate to dig deep to gain precious insights into each vendor's capabilities and fit for your project.

This step is just like meeting the parents… we’re getting serious here!

Making your decision (AKA tying the knot)

After the presentations, gather your team and discuss the pros and cons of each vendor. Consider all factors, including price, functionality, and vendor support.

Again, you can recruit your favorite AI tool for the analysis.

Prompt Example: ‘Analyze vendors’ responses. Identify common themes and key differentiators across their proposals. Create a comparison chart highlighting each vendor's strengths and weaknesses in functionalities, integrations, pricing, security, and support. Recommend a shortlist of the top 3 vendors for further evaluation based on our RFP criteria’.

Once you’ve made your decision, say ‘I DO’ – notify the chosen vendor and begin contract negotiations.

RFP pro tips

Here are some common RFP mistakes to avoid.

Already decided on a vendor? Then you don't need to build an RFP. The RFP process is meant to explore options, not validate a decision that's already been made.
Vague requirements: Don’t leave vendors guessing about your needs. Ambiguity can lead to misunderstandings and sub-par responses.
Ignoring end-user input: Failing to involve your end-users (employees) in the RFP process can result in selecting a platform that doesn't meet their needs.
Deadline drama? Set realistic deadlines for both your team and the vendors. Rushed timelines can lead to incomplete proposals and overlooked details.
Ignoring scalability: Consider the future growth of your company. Choose a platform that can scale with your organization.
Money, money, money: Be upfront about your budget constraints. This ensures that vendors can tailor their proposals accordingly and within your price range.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you'll be better positioned to create an effective RFP that attracts the right vendors and leads to a successful selection process – and a long and healthy partnership!

Celebrating your success!

By following these guidelines and leveraging the power of AI, you can create a comprehensive and effective RFP that attracts the right vendors and sets the stage for a successful work partnership.

The end result will be worth it: an EXP that enhances engagement, improves communication, and elevates your company culture.

Building the perfect RFP takes time and effort, but it's a critical step in making sure you find the best match for your needs.

Remember, this journey, much like planning a wedding, requires careful planning, collaboration, and a bit of creativity. So, take a moment to celebrate your hard work and dedication. You’ve set the foundation for a transformative employee experience.

Happy planning!

A Request for Proposals: The Ultimate Guide to Building your EXP RFP