I once worked with an organization call THE SUN NEWSPAPER. From time to time, we send out basic request based on the desired supplies that we need or the kind of projects that we intend to execute. This is with the intention of increasing our purchasing power through the effort of the suppliers. Sending out a particular request depend on the project outline. The total effectiveness of our RFP is aimed at getting the desired output in every project.
This is done by making the information available to vendors nationwide, so as to make the proposals to be very competitive, thereby making vendors to put in their best in other to be considered for the project. There are various steps in which our RFP follows when been made available to vendors and there are: Executive summary of the whole RFP in question. Organization Information Project Information and Schedule Required Deliverables and Budgeting Terms and Agreements. And Budgeting Proposal Format Conclusion
Sending out this RFP is not only aimed at getting the price of the bidders but also to get companies info to know the kind of company that we are going into business with. To all steps that the organization I work for uses in writing their RFP, there various effects and outcome which take on the proposing vendors to bring out the best in their proposals. EFFECTIVESS OF STATING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION. When we write the RFP, we state the kind of organization requesting the services of the vendors.
The effect of this action is to create the required mindset about the organization in the vendor. Let take for instance: “The Sun Newspaper Company was founded in 1980 to provide quality information and services to the people and organizations. Currently, The Sun Newspaper has about 1. 5 billion dollars worth of investment in force, with offices located in about thirty-three states of the country. At the present time, we have about 10,000 vendors and sales agents serving approximately 5,000,000 information yearning customers on daily basis”.
With info like this being made known to a vendor, he/she would indeed get ready to prepare a professional proposal. EFFECTIVENESS OF PROJECT INFORMATION AND PROJECT SCHEDULE. This is where we provide all the information on the project our firm intends to carry out, giving the full details on what the project is like and stating the time that we intend to award the contracts to a deserving vendor. With this information, there will be preparedness on the side of the vendor in person. EFFECTIVENESS OF STATING THE REQUIRES DELIVERABLES AND BUDGET.
At his point, there is a total listing on the services and supplies that are need by our firm. There would be a full description to enable the vendor know if he/she would be able to supply those thing according to the standard that was requested. There is also a statement on the maximum amount that we plan to spend for this particular project. This is with the aim off enabling the vendor plan the safest and best way to bid op as to get the contract awarded to him or her. EFFECTIVENESS OF TERMS AND AGREEMENT AND DEADLINE.
This is where we state our terms and agreement concerning a particular project. We do this in other to make it clear for the vendors on the conditions that there are to work with us. At this point, a vendor should be able to decide if he or she would be willing to go into a contract with us or not. It is in this terms and agreement that we state the deadline for all proposals to come. This is to enable us plan, hold personal talks and interviews with the proposed bidder, and give us time to award the contract to the worthy bidder.
Proposals coming in late after the deadline would not be considered because it is seen as some form of inefficiency in the part of the vendor. EFFECTIVENESS OF STATING THE PROPOSAL FORMAT With this, we let the vendor state his technical section and time section. In the technical section, the vendor is to state his technical edge and mode whsh he/she would deliver an efficient service, relating on schedules of executing the project. The time section is to tell the duration of the contract and the time it would be completed effectively and professionally.
The vendor is supposed to provide detail information about their company and there should state it in a way to convince us and give us the reason why we should award the contract to them. This is to push them to the extent of providing a professional proposal CONCLUSION In his conclusion, vendors are to state any other additional information that would give them an edge over the other vendor. This can also by referring us to sites and other location of their credit. With all these stated, a vendor should be able to provide a professional proposal sensing a very competitive environment.
Other step that goes on before the RFP has been made available for the vendors are: 1. Selecting the qualified ones that are capable of carrying the projects. 2. Developing the RFP itself to meet our standard. 3. Distributing it to the selected qualified vendors. The operations that take place after the RFPS has been sent out are: 1. Answering the questions of the vendors 2. Awarding the contract to the lowest bidder 3. Debriefing the vendors 4. Working with the vendors during the projects.
All these is to bring out the best in the output desires in the project is self and to make sure that there is no waste in funds and resources. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE PROCESSES WITH PMBOK® GUDELINE The format and process, which the RFP takes, is comparable to that of the PMBOK. This is because, there are: 1. The study of the desired project to be carried out. 2. There is also a review of the current operation and status of the company being made known to the vendors. 3. The required standard of service and output wanted is also made known in the RFP.4. There is a financial analysis of cost and budgeting made known in the RFP. 5. Then the stakeholders are brought together which are the vendors for the execution of the project.
REFERENCES
1. Kerzner, Harold (2003). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 8th Ed. , Wiley.. 2. Chamoun, Yamal (2006). Professional Project Management, THE GUIDE, 1st. Edition, Monterrey, NL MEXICO: McGraw Hill. 3. Lewis, James (2002). Fundamentals of Project Management, 2nd ed. , American Management Association.