Piero Tintori CEO – TERMINALFOUR [email_address] Running an Efficient CMS Evaluation & Procurement Process Hands on tips, Insider Knowledge & Advice

Who am I? CEO & Founder of TERMINALFOUR (a really good CMS vendor  ) 12 years experience working in the Content Management market Spend most of my time working on business development & helping customers with requirements analysis Presentation came out of University project & interviews with other vendors

CEO & Founder of TERMINALFOUR (a really good CMS vendor  )

12 years experience working in the Content Management market

Spend most of my time working on business development & helping customers with requirements analysis

Presentation came out of University project & interviews with other vendors

What I’m going to cover? Why is getting the process right so important? Running an efficient evaluation & procurement process Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Inside the mind of a vendor Evaluating vendors efficiently 10 Golden Rules

Why is getting the process right so important?

Running an efficient evaluation & procurement process

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document

Inside the mind of a vendor

Evaluating vendors efficiently

10 Golden Rules

What I’m not going to cover? Why you might need a WCM / CMS? How to structure your project team? How much should we budget for? Anything about specific solutions

Why you might need a WCM / CMS?

How to structure your project team?

How much should we budget for?

Anything about specific solutions

Getting it right

Why is getting the process right, so important? Obvious reasons: Value for money, project success, Return on investment

Obvious reasons:

Value for money, project success, Return on investment

Why is getting the process right, so important? Obvious reasons: Value for money, project success, Return on investment The more important ones: Less stress, kudos / admiration, career advancement, reputation

Obvious reasons:

Value for money, project success, Return on investment

The more important ones:

Less stress, kudos / admiration, career advancement, reputation

Why is getting the process right, so important? Similar to a staff recruitment process: You’re looking for key “qualifications” You’re looking for potential Your looking for the right fit You have a budget in mind A transferable golden rule from Recruitment: “ It’s better not to recruit anyone, then recruit the wrong person”

Similar to a staff recruitment process:

You’re looking for key “qualifications”

You’re looking for potential

Your looking for the right fit

You have a budget in mind

A transferable golden rule from Recruitment:

“ It’s better not to recruit anyone, then recruit the wrong person”

Why is getting the process right, so important? Similar to a staff recruitment process: You’re looking for key “qualifications” You’re looking for potential Your looking for the right fit You have a budget in mind A transferable golden rule from Recruitment: “ It’s better not to recruit anyone, then recruit the wrong person”

Similar to a staff recruitment process:

You’re looking for key “qualifications”

You’re looking for potential

Your looking for the right fit

You have a budget in mind

A transferable golden rule from Recruitment:

“ It’s better not to recruit anyone, then recruit the wrong person”

It’s all about finding a company that fits in with you and your requirements: Right size Right price Nice people to work with Enthusiastic about your project Knowledgeable about your sector

It’s all about finding a company that fits in with you and your requirements:

Right size

Right price

Nice people to work with

Enthusiastic about your project

Knowledgeable about your sector

Why is getting the process right, so important? If it all goes wrong: Impact on team moral Delivery reputation damaged User expectations damaged Additional costs / loss of budget Time / competitiveness lost (typically 3 years)

If it all goes wrong:

Impact on team moral

Delivery reputation damaged

User expectations damaged

Additional costs / loss of budget

Time / competitiveness lost

(typically 3 years)

Why is getting the process right, so important? Key areas where mistakes are made: Not allowing enough time for the process A RFT document that even bores you! Not involving the vendors as early in the process as possible Not properly checking references Not involving the right people from within your organizations

Key areas where mistakes are made:

Not allowing enough time for the process

A RFT document that even bores you!

Not involving the vendors as early in the process as possible

Not properly checking references

Not involving the right people from within your organizations

Running an effective Evaluation Process

Running an efficient evaluation & procurement process Plan out your process Consult with procurement Consult with legal Consult with budget holders Don’t rush: Allow 6-8 weeks for RFP evaluation projects < $50,000 Allow 8 – 12 weeks for RFP evaluation projects > $50,000 Total time involved: 4-12 months

Plan out your process

Consult with procurement

Consult with legal

Consult with budget holders

Don’t rush:

Allow 6-8 weeks for RFP evaluation projects

< $50,000

Allow 8 – 12 weeks for RFP evaluation projects

> $50,000

Total time involved: 4-12 months

Running an efficient evaluation & procurement process Plan out your process Consult with procurement Consult with legal Consult with budget holders Don’t rush: Allow 6-8 weeks for RFP evaluation projects < $50,000 Allow 8 – 12 weeks for RFP evaluation projects > $50,000 Total time involved: 4-12 months

Plan out your process

Consult with procurement

Consult with legal

Consult with budget holders

Don’t rush:

Allow 6-8 weeks for RFP evaluation projects

< $50,000

Allow 8 – 12 weeks for RFP evaluation projects

> $50,000

Total time involved: 4-12 months

Writing an Effective CMS RFT document

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Problems to avoid: A very large document = a very very large response Avoid repetition at all costs Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Problems to avoid:

A very large document = a very very large response

Avoid repetition at all costs

Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers

Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Problems to avoid: A very large document = a very very large response Avoid repetition at all costs Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Problems to avoid:

A very large document = a very very large response

Avoid repetition at all costs

Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers

Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Problems to avoid: A very large document = a very very large response Avoid repetition at all costs Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Problems to avoid:

A very large document = a very very large response

Avoid repetition at all costs

Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers

Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Problems to avoid: A very large document = a very very large response Avoid repetition at all costs Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Problems to avoid:

A very large document = a very very large response

Avoid repetition at all costs

Difficult to evaluate = simple questions / simple answers

Avoid “crazy” procurement questions (i.e. is your product radioactive! etc.)

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Recommended structure: Project Overview Describe procurement process List Functional Requirements List Support, Training & Integration Requirements Pricing information (what do you want to purchase?)

Recommended structure:

Project Overview

Describe procurement process

List Functional Requirements

List Support, Training & Integration Requirements

Pricing information (what do you want to purchase?)

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document How to pose questions: Pose clear questions – receive clear answers Easy to evaluate & score

How to pose questions:

Pose clear questions – receive clear answers

Easy to evaluate & score

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document How to pose questions: Vague questions vague answers

How to pose questions:

Vague questions vague answers

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document How to pose questions: Pose clear questions – receive clear answers

How to pose questions:

Pose clear questions – receive clear answers

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Bad example questions / requirements: “ use of unique IDs for users to allow for changes to fundamental parts of their profile, such as surname, while ensuring seamless continuance of their rights/roles profile” “ XYZ is actively expanding its customer base. The WCM system must allow increasing customer numbers to be supported whilst maintaining good performance”

Bad example questions / requirements:

“ use of unique IDs for users to allow for changes to fundamental parts of their profile, such as surname, while ensuring seamless continuance of their rights/roles profile”

“ XYZ is actively expanding its customer base. The WCM system must allow increasing customer numbers to be supported whilst maintaining good performance”

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Bad example questions / requirements: “ use of unique IDs for users to allow for changes to fundamental parts of their profile, such as surname, while ensuring seamless continuance of their rights/roles profile” “ XYZ is actively expanding its customer base. The WCM system must allow increasing customer numbers to be supported whilst maintaining good performance”

Bad example questions / requirements:

“ use of unique IDs for users to allow for changes to fundamental parts of their profile, such as surname, while ensuring seamless continuance of their rights/roles profile”

“ XYZ is actively expanding its customer base. The WCM system must allow increasing customer numbers to be supported whilst maintaining good performance”

Writing an efficient RFT/RFP document Good example questions: “ The WCMS must allow for the application of multiple templates to a single item of content.” “ The WCMS should not produce content that is reliant on client-side scripting languages.” “ The WCMS should offer the facility to produce site maps.” “ It is highly desirable that the WCMS can publish to multiple servers.”

Good example questions:

“ The WCMS must allow for the application of multiple templates to a single item of content.”

“ The WCMS should not produce content that is reliant on client-side scripting languages.”

“ The WCMS should offer the facility to produce site maps.”

“ It is highly desirable that the WCMS can publish to multiple servers.”

Evaluating vendors efficiently Meet the project team (or a few members of it) How enthusiastic is the vendor about your project? Check disclosed and non-disclosed references If you have the time, run a Pilot Project Is the fit right?

Meet the project team (or a few members of it)

How enthusiastic is the vendor about your project?

Check disclosed and non-disclosed references

If you have the time, run a Pilot Project

Is the fit right?

Conclusion Conclusion

Get inside the mind of a vendor Vendors are adverse to risk as you are Except: if they aren’t very busy the sales person is under pressure to make their numbers If the software company is bigger than your organization Hidden variations in prices: Risk of the project How easy are you to deal with? How well they know your industry?

Vendors are adverse to risk as you are

Except:

if they aren’t very busy

the sales person is under pressure to make their numbers

If the software company is bigger than your organization

Hidden variations in prices:

Risk of the project

How easy are you to deal with?

How well they know your industry?

Get inside the mind of a vendor Vendors are adverse to risk as you are Except: if they aren’t very busy the sales person is under pressure to make their numbers if the software company is bigger than your organization Hidden variations in prices: Risk of the project How easy are you to deal with? How well they know your industry?

Vendors are adverse to risk as you are

Except:

if they aren’t very busy

the sales person is under pressure to make their numbers

if the software company is bigger than your organization

Hidden variations in prices:

Risk of the project

How easy are you to deal with?

How well they know your industry?

Get inside the mind of a vendor For example, timing is critical:

For example, timing is critical:

10 Golden Rules Don’t rush the process Time the release of your RFP Don’t have too many people attend the initial presentation Don’t mix end user & technical parts of a presentation Seek vendor advice as early as possible in the process

Don’t rush the process

Time the release of your RFP

Don’t have too many people attend the initial presentation

Don’t mix end user & technical parts of a presentation

Seek vendor advice as early as possible in the process

10 Golden Rules Allow enough time for the presentation Ask specific questions - expect specific answers Avoid repetition in RFT Be careful using “Open Demo Areas” Make sure they are the right fit

Allow enough time for the presentation

Ask specific questions - expect specific answers

Avoid repetition in RFT

Be careful using “Open Demo Areas”

Make sure they are the right fit

Conclusion Thank you [email_address] TERMINALFOUR