1. T E C H R F P T E M P L AT E
T H E 1 1 T Y P E S O F R F P Q U E S T I O N S Y O U S H O U L D B E
I N C L U D I N G I N Y O U R T E C H R E Q U E S T S .
2. WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Wondering what type of questions you should ask? If you’re looking for a new
technology solution, start with these 11 universal categories.
WRITING AN RFP?
3. • W H AT I S T H E C O M PA N Y ’ S B A C K G R O U N D ?
• W H E R E A R E T H E Y L O C AT E D ?
• P U B L I C V S . P R I VAT E LY H E L D ?
• A N Y R E C E N T O R S C H E D U L E D M E R G E R S
A N D / O R A C Q U I S I T I O N S ?
• W H AT ’ S T H E I R E M P L O Y E E R E T E N T I O N
R AT E ?
# 1 . C O M PA N Y
O V E R V I E W
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
What do you need to know about your
providers’ companies? A good place to start
might be:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
4. • I S T H E P R O D U C T O N P R E M I S E O R O F F
P R E M I S E ( S A A S , " T H E C L O U D , " E T C . ) ?
• H O W I S U S E R S U P P O R T O F F E R E D ?
• A R E N E W F E AT U R E S I N C L U D E D I N I N I T I A L
P R I C I N G O R W I L L T H E Y C O S T E X T R A ?
• H O W O F T E N I S M A I N T E N A N C E P E R F O R M E D ?
H O W A R E C U S T O M E R S N O T I F I E D ?
# 2 .
T E C H N O L O G Y /
P R O D U C T
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Get into the nitty gritty of pricing and
customer support options. For example:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
5. • E X A C T LY H O W M U C H T I M E I S N E E D E D T O G E T
F U L LY U P A N D R U N N I N G ?
• A R E T H E R E A R E A D D I T I O N A L F E E S F O R
T R A I N I N G ?
• W H AT A R E T H E N A M E S O F T H E P E O P L E I N
C H A R G E O F T R A I N I N G A N D O N B O A R D I N G ?
W H E R E A R E T H E Y L O C AT E D ?
• I N T H E I M P L E M E N TAT I O N P R O C E S S , W H AT A R E
T H E P R O V I D E R ’ S R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S , A N D W H AT
A R E Y O U R S ?
# 3 .
I M P L E M E N TA T I O N
& T R A I N I N G
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Implementation can be a critical factor
depending on your project timeline. Find out:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
6. • W H AT K I N D O F E D U C AT I O N A L A N D
T R A I N I N G T O O L S D O T H E Y O F F E R F O R
E N R O L L M E N T ? ( W I L L I T B E E A S Y F O R
Y O U R T E A M T O S E L F - S TA R T ? )
• C A N A D M I N I S T R AT O R S P E R F O R M
E N R O L L M E N T S O N B E H A L F O F
E M P L O Y E E S ?
• D O E S T H E P L AT F O R M T R A C K W H O A N D
W H E N S Y S T E M C H A N G E S A R E M A D E ?
# 4 . E N R O L L M E N T
C A PA B I LT I E S
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
WHO CAN DO WHAT, WHEN?
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
7. • W H AT T Y P E O F R E P O R T S /
D A S H B O A R D S A R E AVA I L A B L E ?
• A R E T H E Y “ R E A L T I M E , ” O R
A G G R E G AT E D ?
• W H AT T Y P E O F B I L L I N G
R E P O R T S A R E AVA I L A B L E ?
# 5 .
R E P O R T I N G &
B I L L I N G
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Does your team require certain analytics or
reports? Do you want to be billed based on
usage, or flat rates? Ask questions like:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
8. • A S K C O L L E A G U E S W H AT I N D U S T RY- S P E C I F I C
Q U E S T I O N S T H E Y A S K P R O V I D E R S .
• F O R E X A M P L E , O N E O F B U S I N E S S O LV E R ’ S
R E C O M M E N D E D Q U E S T I O N S F O R H E A LT H C A R E :
“ W H AT D ATA D O Y O U N E E D F R O M A C L I E N T
F O R A C A C A L C U L AT I O N O F F U L L - T I M E O R
PA R T- T I M E S TAT U S A N D H O W O F T E N I S D ATA
R E Q U I R E D ? ”
• G O O G L E I S A L S O A G R E AT P L A C E T O S TA R T,
S E A R C H “ Y O U R I N D U S T RY + R F P Q U E S T I O N S . ”
E X . “ H E A LT H C A R E I N F O R M AT I O N S Y S T E M R F P ”
# 6 . I N D U S T RY-
S P E C I F I C
Q U E S T I O N S .
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Every type of business has unique needs and
mandates. To find yours:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
9. • " W H AT H O U R S A R E T E A M M E M B E R S O R
I N D I V I D U A L S T Y P I C A L LY AVA I L A B L E ? W O U L D
W E H AV E B A C K U P R E S O U R C E S I N T H E C A S E O F
O U R O N G O I N G S U P P O R T I N D I V I D U A L B E I N G
O U T O F T H E O F F I C E ( I . E . , T R AV E L I N G , O N
VA C AT I O N , S I C K ) ? ”
• “ W H AT I S Y O U R P R O C E S S F O R I S S U E
R E S O L U T I O N A N D T R A C K I N G ? ”
• “ D O Y O U O F F E R S E R V I C E C E N T E R S U P P O R T
F O R E M P L O Y E E S ? I F Y E S , I S Y O U R S E R V I C E
C E N T E R P R O V I D E D I N - H O U S E ? W H E R E A R E
R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S L O C AT E D ? ”
# 7 .
D A TA M A N A G E M E N T
& A D M I N S U P P O R T
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Is support available 24/7? How are issues
tracked? Ask questions like:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
10. • “ W H AT S T E P S D O Y O U TA K E T O
E N S U R E T H AT Y O U A R E TA K I N G
A C T I O N S T O A P P R O P R I AT E LY C O M P LY
W I T H H I PA A A N D O T H E R L E G A L /
R E G U L AT O RY R E Q U I R E M E N T S T H AT
A F F E C T Y O U A N D Y O U R C U S T O M E R S ? ”
• “ W H O I S R E S P O N S I B L E F O R L E G A L
A N D R E G U L AT O RY M O N I T O R I N G
A C T I V I T I E S W I T H I N Y O U R
O R G A N I Z AT I O N ? ”
# 8 . L E G A L A N D
C O M P L I A N C E
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Consult with your legal stakeholders to find
out exactly what questions you need to ask.
Examples:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
11. “ D O Y O U I S S U E A S O C 1 R E P O R T ( S S A E 1 6 ) O R
O T H E R S I M I L A R A U D I T R E P O R T ? P L E A S E P R O V I D E A
C O P Y O F Y O U R M O S T R E C E N T A U D I T R E P O R T. ”
“ W H AT T Y P E O F 3 R D PA R T Y R E V I E W S A N D T E S T I N G
A R E P E R F O R M E D T O I D E N T I F Y P O T E N T I A L
V U L N E R A B I L I T I E S O R A R E A S O F R I S K ? ”
“ H O W A R E C L I E N T S N O T I F I E D I N T H E E V E N T O F A
S E C U R I T Y B R E A C H A N D W H AT I S T H E T I M E F R A M E
I N W H I C H T H I S I N F O R M AT I O N I S C O M M U N I C AT E D ? ”
“ H AV E Y O U E V E R H A D A B R E A C H O F Y O U R
S Y S T E M S ? ”
# 9 .
S E C U R I T Y
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
The big kahuna. Confer with your IT team to
define your minimum security needs and
standards. Ask vendors questions like:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
12. • “ H O W A R E S E C U R I T Y R O L E S
A D M I N I S T E R E D F O R B O T H E M P L O Y E E S
A N D A D M I N I S T R AT O R S W I T H I N T H E
A P P L I C AT I O N ? ”
• “ P L E A S E D E S C R I B E A N Y A C C O U N T
L O C K O U T S E T T I N G S T H AT A R E I N
P L A C E . ”
• A R E U S E R R O L E S C O N F I G U R A B L E ? A R E
P E R M I S S I O N I N G L E V E L S AVA I L A B L E ?
# 1 0 . U S E R
A C C E S S
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
Find out which people and user roles will
have access to sensitive data. For example:
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
13. • E X . “ P L E A S E AT TA C H A N Y A D D I T I O N A L
I N F O R M AT I O N T H AT Y O U F E E L W I L L
P R O V I D E H E L P F U L I N F O R M AT I O N
A B O U T Y O U R C O M PA N Y ’ S P R O D U C T S
A N D S E R V I C E S . ”
• B O N U S P O I N T S I F Y O U P R O V I D E A N
E L E C T R I C S U B M I T TA L S Y S T E M T H AT
A L L O W S T H E M T O E M B E D M U LT I M E D I A
L I K E V I D E O S .
# 1 1 .
A D D I T I O N A L
I N F O
WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
This is where you give candidates a little
room to show off. Ask them what else they
want you to know about them.
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P
S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
14. S TA RT I N G Y O U R T E C H R F P
1 1 T Y P E S O F Q U E S T I O N S T O I N C L U D E
I N Y O U R T E M P L A T E :
1. C O M PA N Y O V E R V I E W
2. T E C H N O L O G Y & P R O D U C T
3. I M P L E M E N TA T I O N & T R A I N I N G
4. E N R O L L M E N T C A PA B I L I T I E S
5. R E P O R T I N G & B I L L I N G
6. I N D U S T RY- S P E C I F I C Q U E S T I O N S
7. D A TA M A N G E M E N T & A D M I N S U P P O R T
8. L E G A L & C O M P L I A N C E
9. S E C U R I T Y
10. U S E R A C C E S S
11. A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S S O U R C E : B U S I N E S S O LV E R R F P S O L U T I O N S S H E E T
15. WWW.RFP365.COM INFO@RFP365.COM| 816.287.0737 |
G E T T H E F R E E W E B I N A R
READY TO MASTER YOUR RFP PROCESS?
* S U G G E S T E D Q U E S T I O N S W E R E PA R A P H R A S E D A N D B A S E D
O N T H E B R I L L I A N T 2 7 1 Q U E S T I O N S R E C O M M E N D E D B Y
B U S I N E S S O LV E R I N T H E I R R F P S O L U T I O N S S H E E T.