In the age of the Internet, AI, and Social Networks, traditional Requests for Proposals waste valuable time for both the preparer and the responder.
Avoid creating an RFP when possible. RFPs sap an organization's scarce resources and provide, at best, a marginal return.
Time is the scarcest of organizational resources. It can't be replenished.
Organizations prepare Request for Proposals (RFP) solicitations primarily for three reasons:
Here's the paradox.
Organizations with overly bureaucratic procurement policies that restrict discussion, communication, and discovery between business users and vendors during the RFP process further constrain knowledge flow.
So, considering the time and effort most RFPs require, where's the value? It's expensive, time-consuming, and results in less-than-optimal decisions.