Comments on: I’ve looked at RFPs from both sides now…part 2

By: Katya

Katya — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:44:49 +0000

But if not through an RFP how do you approach vendors?

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:54:03 +0000

Well, actually, in the first article, I pretty much do advocate killing the RFP. If you can’t, though, there are steps to take to make the process less painful for everyone, which was the point of the series.

I think RFPs have their place – generally for projects with a lot of very specific, highly technical specs – but in most cases, there are better ways to create the vendor/client match.

By: David M. Patt, CAE

David M. Patt, CAE — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:10:22 +0000

Hey, Elizabeth, I don’t hear you saying “kill the RFP.” What I hear you saying is, “do it correctly.”

The instrument used to procure outsourced help has come to be known as the “RFP.” Unfortunately, it is often treated like a specific product that must be used in a specific way.

It’s really a process for identifying a vendor that can meet a need. The process, not this particular instrument, is what’s important. Perhaps it needs to be called something else.

By: Sally

Sally — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:49:33 +0000

I can attest that Elizabeth did not pay me to say that, and that we have in fact never met! :) But these posts caught my eye because I once had a client ask me about the RFP process in general and I was like “Uhhhhh…” Never again!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:12:31 +0000

Thanks Sally!

(I swear I didn’t pay her to say that.)

By: Sally

Sally — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:07:30 +0000

Elizabeth – both this post and your first post about RFPs contain invaluable information that I will be sure to refer any clients who ask me about RFPs to. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this – it’s the most accessible, understandable, and useful blog post about the RFP process that I have ever seen.