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Fundamentally all customers are at a disadvantage when publishing an RFP - perhaps a large customer will issue a significant RFP for IT services or solution once a year. Major vendors deal with RFP's on a daily basis, they know how to approach the response and have teams dedicated to producing content. Worse still the customer is looking for a successful solution but the vendor's response is aimed at winning the deal, is perhaps more interested in the details of their competitors' responses and what it will take to win, rather than putting together the best solution. From the very start customers and vendors are approaching the process with different goals Even the best written RFP's focus on requirements, features, functions, timeline, scope and budget - very few indicate the criteria that will lead to a successful outcome. Q12C adds a methodology to the best RFP's which includes quality and success criteria that are established prior to the RFP and carry through to implementation or become service level agreement drivers (SLAs) for support assignments. Q12C is not just for projects that will be outsourced to external vendors, solution or software providers - to ensure success even on internal projects it is recommended that a robust Q12C approach is followed. Q12C Methodology has two major elements: - Managing IT Projects
- Managing The RFP Process
Without the Q12C Approach Major chance that the project will fail to meet its goals The vendors have control of the process There is no clear comparative analysis There are no continuous measurement criteria The RFP is a stand alone event The proposal is not part of the project 100 (or more) page boiler plate responses Focus on a "mirror back" solution rather than success Are won on the vendors presentation ability Inability to clearly differentiate the best responses
Using the Q12C Approach The goals are embedded in the approach The business controls the whole lifecycle Responses are much easier to compare Measurement criteria are constant through the lifecycle The RFP is part of the project The proposal is the basis for the SOW and project plan Does not reward vendors for stock content Focus on success Are won on the vendor's ability to deliver to requirements Structured ability to measure the responses
Project Planning Framework The Project Planning Framework (discussed in more detail on the Managing IT Projects page) is a simple to use reference guide to all major activities that should be executed during the project lifecycle. It consists of components - the highest level of task management, phases - groups of tasks aimed at a specific milestone and stages - logical groups of phases. At the very beginning of the project it will be decided whether to use the standard framework, where the major activity will be identifying specific tasks (the standard framework comes preloaded with over 400 standard IT project tasks). Or alternatively the customer can request a custom framework configured to fit the assignment where the components, phases and stages can be changed to fit the exact criteria of the project. Once the framework is established to work to populate the tasks can begin, some of the tasks will be directly assigned to the RFP. Most of the tasks will become mile-markers (sub milestones) in the project plan.
RFP Management Process The RFP Management Process (discussed in more detail on The RFP Process Page) is the methodology used to integrate success criteria and quality in to the solution (or vendor) selection process; typically, although not always, predicated around an RFP. In addition to administrating vendor interaction the RFP Management Process also introduces Q12C for the first time; and as well as tracking requirements, deliverables, timeline and scope the introduction of Q12C allows the analysis and measurement of quality and the success criteria fundamental to a winning enterprise. For RFP's vendors will be introduced to the concept of a proposal abstract allowing a quick and fair down-select procedure.
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