What's really behind a prospective vendor's door?
RFPs historically were used to gather information from a vendor. Decades ago, the Internet didn't exist, and vendors closely guarded their customer lists. RFPs were the primary option for gathering vendor information to make an informed decision.
The Internet and AI provide extensive information on vendor marketplaces and products. The decision-maker's dilemma has shifted from no information source, except the vendor, to information overload and clutter.
Use one of two vendor evaluation and selection approaches.
An enhanced traditional approach that values a stage-gated process leveraging procurement organizations as intermediaries with vendors. Early diligence is centered on software requirements. Evaluation stages progress linearly until a final vendor recommendation.
Learn More A partnering approach that leverages ongoing capability team research and networking activities is heavy on interactive dialogue and is lighter on paper and intermediaries to accelerate and optimize your vendor decision.
The JITDE™ approach, aka Brief-based approach, emphasizes early in-depth needs, vendor and peer organization diligence, and a strong focus on vital versus many trivial needs.
The comprehensive diligence results in two or three of the most viable vendor candidates receiving an RFP or Brief (a trimmed version of an RFP.)
An accelerated evaluation and selection process leveraging an intensive 3-day, onsite vendor summit results in a final vendor recommendation.