How to Guide. I felt that having it in the title would make it clear this is a guide – think the best way approach for your RFP that you will either blast out to vendors (the most common way folks do it – and IMO the worst way) or select a few vendors or multiple vendors (no more than ten on numerous, and no more than five on select).
This does not cover my template or use my template.
This is your own RFP.
The one you designed.
The one you labored over.
The one you griped internally to yourself.
The one you had full control over or had to send to a bunch of people who think they are more brilliant than you (be honest – I mean Mike over in HR knows more about learning and training than you, even though Mike is head of HR and doesn’t focus on your department).
Maybe you have the luxury of a committee of people who, while some are nice and respect you, others deep down think they have the power.
You either agree to do what they ask or listen to them, get insight from them, and then ignore them (I did this all the time).
Another way to do it?
It is to take control of the committee and sway them to your side.
Trust me, it is very doable.
Especially with member committees in an association.
The worst way, by far, is to get all these folks’ ideas and what they want in the RFP, and then they send it to you, and you just put it into the RFP, ignoring that a lot of it is duplicate, unrealistic, or just downright ignorant.
I’d love to say that the above doesn’t happen, but it does a lot.
I’ve seen RFPs in which the information sent from numerous departments was just shoved into them without the person overseeing the process paying any sort of attention.
By the way, if you have more than 20 questions about security, go to whatever server farm they are using—AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Farm of Magic—and bounce into the security information.
Because that is where it starts.
Then they will tell you that they have never been hacked (I know of only one vendor who was, and then they never told their clients).
Next, they will go through their own procedures and, if you ask—rarely do folks do—their approach to maintenance, updating, and how often the data gets sent over to the server itself.
Be aware it is not immediate for a chunk of vendors. It could be 24 hours.
Privacy is another important item to inquire about—from GDPR (which they all support) to the California Consumer Privacy Act, which many vendors have no clue about. It is only relevant if the vendor makes more than 10 million a year, has X number of people, and does business in the state.
I’d want to know their privacy policies around AI and how they handle all the different regulations globally. Not one country or state (in the US) has the same policy regarding AI regulations.
There are states that have the AI regulations active—as of today. Way too many people think that these policies won’t be active until 2025. That just isn’t accurate.
The EU has policies that are constantly changing.
This is very relevant information in your RFP.
I suspect nobody is asking that question or questions.
The vendor may say, yes, we maintain that. Okay, how?
Do you use a 3rd party who handles that (and they do exist)?
Do you have a team that spends all their time reviewing and updating these regulations to ensure the system complies?
These regs will change often as AI develops and can do more.
It’s crucial to include specific details in your RFP. While a vendor may not currently have AI, they can indicate this and explain why. However, if a vendor plans to implement AI in 2025, it’s important to ask about this, as it may not have been considered.
VPN questions are highly relevant, especially in the current work-from-home environment. Any vendor who claims to have no issues with VPNs should be asked to explain their approach, as it’s a key aspect of their service.
I know the How-to Guide hasn’t fully started yet, but it has with some of the items listed above—think of those as tips.
The How To Guide – Part A
Regardless of your organization’s size, type of business, number of active users, or whether it is for employees or customers, this area needs to be part of your RFP.
Some people believe that their RFP has to be different for an LXP, LMS, or Learning Platform.
They don’t.
RFP, LMS, and learning platforms are ubiquitous to each other.
They will argue that an LMS is traditional (it is not), while their system, an LXP, is far different.
Ditto on the learning platform tends to be vendors who do not see themselves as an LMS – I’m happy for you; I mean, I don’t see candy that sticks to my teeth as being the same as candy that sticks to my teeth, either.
Even if a system is 100% skills-focused, it will still share common elements with other systems. These commonalities are important to identify, as they ensure that the system meets basic requirements.
They have to. Otherwise, it is an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) – which is old school.
Or SharePoint, which is a boring version of FTP that plenty of large companies still think is the way to go for learning or training, despite experts in SharePoint saying it is not.
How to Guide Part B
The first items you need to put in your RFP guide – and I mean the first thing any vendor will see are the following (and as they say, make it simple and right to the point)
It’s important to clearly identify the person or persons who will be responsible for receiving the RFP. This includes providing a direct contact for any vendor questions. If this person is you, there’s no need to explain why, as this information is often overlooked.
How do you want to be contacted, and when are you available? Do you prefer e-mail, a call, or both?
If you are on WhatsApp – is that your preference? What times will you be available?
If it is by e-mail, state that you will respond within 24 hours during regular business hours – and state clearly what those hours are and what time zone.
The time zone is very relevant. Add location here. Example:
9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Wednesday.
I am located in London, UK. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. GMT and whatever else you stick there.
Refrain from basing it on where the company is if you are working remotely.
It is where you or the POC is based.
The above is for phone calls.
For e-mails or other methods, you will note that you will review the questions within 24 hours, during regular business hours – and then state those hours and time zone/location.
Never assume that someone will know where Calgary is, either in the time zone or in Berlin, Germany.
If you say Plymouth, for example, is it in Massachusetts or England?
The rock in Plymouth, MA, differs from the one they landed on. However, it is a good tourist attraction.
When is the RFP due?
Be specific.
If the RFP is due on a specific date and time, such as Tuesday, March 15th at 2 p.m., it’s crucial to communicate this clearly. This includes specifying the time zone and location to avoid any confusion.
Again, make sure they know the time zone and location where you are.
Why the specificity?
It identifies whether or not this vendor wants your business and/or advances to the next round because they still really want it.
Think in these terms: You have trainers, and they are doing an ILT session. The session starts at 9 a.m.
Your policy, however, stipulates you want your trainer(s) to be there by 8.15 a.m. to ensure everything is working, the net is acceptable, materials are ready to go, and so on.
That is the way to approach this.
Applying a clear deadline to the mechanisms and policies you have implemented for your training or learning is crucial. It helps you stay organized and in control of the process.
For those in HR, marketing, or sales, for example, you still have deadlines in your area, don’t you? And if the person or person(s) does not hit that deadline, are you happy about that?
What is your responsibility, significantly if it impacts the business line or your department?
Another reason for the due date and time cutoff :
I know vendors who wait until the last minute to get the RFP retorts back. I hate that. If a vendor can’t send this back a few days or even a week before, what does that tell you about them?
Are they lazy? Do they want the business?
Are they go-getters? Do they want to be part of your entity?
Personally, I never was a fan of vendors who waited until the last minute or pulled this ploy. Can they get an extension?
No. It is pretty simple here – I set a deadline, you ignore it, and then I should reward you with extra time.
Setting the Time
Give a vendor at least three weeks to respond. Do not say, “One week,” because that suggests that you waited until the last minute and are now in a rush.
You must, I stress you must have a game plan, or think plan/journey to how you want to get the RFP done and sent in correlation to when you want to see the system, or if you need another viewing of the system with additional folks – after you have already seen the system,
Then, decide on which system to go with, start the negotiation process, have legal or just if yourself – if you have the power and it is not needed to go through legal or, you say, a training consultant or a one-person shop – after the contract is sent.
Sign the contract, set up a project plan, identify the point of contact for that vendor, sign off on the project plan, begin implementation, and finish implementation.
The vendor and you test to make sure everything is working. Next, start adding your content (if you have any), migrating or adding users, setting the system up, and finally, finally, activating the system.
I always referred to it as “Rock n Roll.”
Oh, and at the same time, this is going on, start implementing your strategy for getting folks excited about being on the system, whether it is via some cool marketing ideas or just a blast email that half the people ignore.
Whew.
I always knew my timeframe – ahead of time – just because after you do one, you know for the next time.
A strategic approach is a must in RFP processes. It ensures a systematic and efficient execution.
Because it isn’t just one thing.
How do I get there?
Backtrack. You want to go live by January 31, 2025 (always know the date).
Maybe you want the system live but are fine with some stuff still being added, like humans or content, or you have no content—which, uh, you don’t want to do.
Maybe you want to roll out the system only to X people, X departments, or X user groups.
Then, you may have multiple flex dates.
You also need a strategy for your administrator or yourself because you or they need to be trained to use the system.
Testing is a crucial step in the process. It ensures that the system is working correctly and provides a sense of reassurance and thoroughness.
Testing and validation are crucial in the RFP process. Even if a vendor can have the system up and running in one month, it’s essential to test and validate that everything is working.
They are the worst.
I’d have dated gum from a pack of baseball cards that tastes like cardboard. And for those who haven’t experienced it, think of the gum you found in your car that you believe is still good until you taste it.
This is why, not the gum angle, giving enough time to get the RFP back is relevant.
One week will push the vendor because they may have – and usually do – multiple RFPs to complete.
Again, think of how it feels when you have multiple items to complete and have one day or one week to do them.
If you want to ensure its accuracy and quality, you will not shove it out and wing it.
I always looked at it that way.
I think of how I would feel, what kind of pressure that would be upon me, and if you are not a person who takes stress easily, then you know what I am talking about. It stinks.
Two weeks is an equal push.
Let’s say your RFP is more than 20 pages long. Could you create a proposal that is more than twenty pages long and answer each question with details, along with whatever else is needed?
When I was working on a doctorate, I had a paper that was a minimum of ten pages and due every Monday.
When did we get the assignment?
On Wednesday.
I experienced the same thing from a professor when I was getting a Master’s degree – his announcement?
Always on a Thursday.
How Long Should It Be?
At most, ten pages.
Preferably at most five pages – yes, you can do everything in five pages.
This does not include your use case or any additional materials—think about tying multiple systems or another system to your learning system—and asking the vendor to explain their approach.
Provide at least one client that has implemented this (they can find someone; never take their response, “We can do that”).
If it is a system the vendor has never heard of—and yes, it happens a lot—ask them to at least give you an idea of how they will do this.
You hope they will be able to give you a general idea of their approach, which, after all, is what you want.
If you can’t meet the ten-page limit and need, e.g., the RFP minus what I noted above around the use case or any additional materials—think addendums—you need to go back and remove things.
It’s okay. A giant scary monster isn’t going to attack you.
After all, you are the person who will be responsible for the system, with all its pluses and minuses—and the griping from others that goes with it.
Anyway, I am serious about the maximum limit.
Because I have experienced it firsthand.
Yes, I did not come out of the gate with this information. I learned it.
My first RFP was around thirty pages.
It was brutal.
I had already seen the system (this is what I recommend before you blast away) and identified which vendors would receive it.
I had the extension request, which I always rejected.
I asked for pricing, which you want to do because even if you are just blasting before you see the system, if it isn’t in your budget, what’s the point of seeing it?
On the other hand, if you have seen the system ahead of time—I recommend this—you will definitely want to know how much it is going to cost, which means you state in your RFP that you want to see a proposal as part of the retort.
And you want a formal proposal.
If the vendor doesn’t know what it means – send them to a website that shows it.
Formal is professional.
A Word doc or Excel file is not.
It screams lazy.
And who wants that as a partner?
If the system is going to be rolled out for, say, 30 people in year one, then the proposal should say 30 people.
It shouldn’t be for the number of people you plan to be on the system by year three.
An active user – has one username and one password.
Pretty simple.
When drafting your RFP, it’s crucial to provide clear and specific instructions to the vendor on how you expect them to respond to your questions, template, or chosen approach. This clarity will guide the vendor and streamline the process.
Be specific.
If you want more than a yes or no, say it.
Example: Please provide details on every response in a manner that anyone could read and understand.
If you must use technical terms, please provide a clear explanation of what they mean and how they apply to us. This will ensure that everyone, regardless of their expertise, feels included and understood.
Always maintain a professional and polite tone in your proposal and instructions. Using ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ in your communication sets a respectful tone and fosters a positive working relationship with the vendor.
I looked at how a vendor responded to me in their email—when they sent back the results of your RFP—and any communication you have with the vendor.
Their goal is to sell you on them. Ideally, this will be whomever you move forward with as your partner.
I don’t care if you become buddies and talk.
It’s essential that vendors maintain a professional tone in their communications, regardless of their job role. This reflects their reliability and respect for the RFP process, especially when their communication is shared with others.
I am not a fan of someone not mentioning my name when they respond to me, nor leaving out “thank you” or “Cheers,” whatever their phrase for saying goodbye is.
“Best” always sounds disingenious to me. Not sure why.
Nor do I like it when they do not put their name at the end.
I’ve seen an initial, as though they are too important to leave their name or just leave it blank.
Again, this is someone trying to woo you, not your sibling, best friend, or someone you are relaxed talking with and have had over multiple times.
Language
If you prefer the responses to be in your native language, state it. I know of folks who want their RFP in another language than English, and then the vendor ignores it and sends it back in English.
You may be multilingual and prefer one language over another.
It’s not a crime to say that I would like the responses to be in X, not English.
A vendor can find someone to translate or go online and find a site that can – “do not use Google Translate.”
Bottom Line
The How-To Guide provides a process for delivering the results you are seeking, depending on the method you prefer to send it.
Either send a blast to lots of vendors, a select blast to a few, or send out the use case, await a retort, then schedule a demo to see the system. Then, and only then, after you have narrowed down the list of vendors, send them the RFP.
In my experience, and upon hearing from so many people, the blast approach just doesn’t work.
Yes, vendors will respond, and yes, you will get many RFP results to read and review.
I can tell you that the latter is a miserable experience. It takes way too much time, and I assume your time is valuable.
On top of that, you narrow down or schedule the demo on a narrow-down list.
If you decide to have all those vendors do extra items for you, that is more time.
A vendor can always tell if the RFP is designed for a specific vendor in mind, and thus, this is just being sent to say, “I sent this out,” even though vendor A is the one you are going with.
Yes, you can read on the web how to guide the approach, but unless that person has been in the trenches, you are relying on them to tell you this is how it works.
I have never seen the blast method turn out well for the person who did it.
It is arduous.
It is a challenge.
It fails to recognize right away how good and a fit the system is just because you are relying on those retorts as the next step before looking at the systems.
Vendors will respond, with some saying yes, but in reality, they have to do this and then that and then have a partner do this or that.
I know you will say, “That doesn’t happen.”
I am telling you, it does.
It may be different from the vendors you selected for the next step.
It may differ from the 20 vendors you place in the second bucket.
But what if one, just one, does it?
How will you know?
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