Plus Relocation

What are some of the dos and don’ts in the RFP process?

Need help with your mobility RFP process? Director of Business Development David Croft provides some must-know info.

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Complete transcript: “Hi, I’m David Croft. Welcome to Relo Tip Tuesday. My question is, ‘What are some of the dos and don’ts in the RFP process?’

The request for proposal process in mobility can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming. So here are some tips and tricks to make it a little bit more organized, enjoyable and successful.

First, let’s look at some of the dos. One, do get various sample RFPs to create your own RFP from. Try to pick the questions that are most meaningful to your organization and try to limit your questions to 50 in total.

Two, preselect RMCs to limit confusion and overlap.

Three, ensure your scope is clearly defined.

Four, carefully construct your pricing sheet and questions to make sure you cover your entire scope.

Five, ask very specific questions about your program, pain points and scope. Avoid generic questions.

Six, allow adequate space to respond to questions. For example, when asking to describe the entire process, allow for adequate word count to get a full explanation to your questions.

And seven, allow sufficient time for participants to respond, depending on the number of questions. A minimum of 15 business days is a good rule of thumb, giving enough time for the participants to ask questions and respond to the data provided.

And here are some of the don’ts. One, don’t send out a generic RFP without tailoring it to your specific situation. Trim it down to what you are really interested in. More questions will not necessarily make your decision easier and will take longer for you to evaluate.

Two, don’t ask the same question six different ways. It confuses respondents and makes more work for you.

Three, don’t use a generic pricing sheet. Use one that is tailored to your needs.

And four, don’t limit the Q & A period to only one chance to submit questions. Relocation management companies are going to have follow-up questions to your answers.

Consider these dos and don’ts before going out to bid and you’ll be on the road to a successful RFP. Thanks for watching!”