Taking Advantage of the RFS

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2. © 2016 Information Services Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Selling Solutions:
Taking Advantage of the RFS
Bill Stout

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1.What has brought us to the RFS?
2.What is the RFS and how is it different?
3.What are the strengths and challenges of the RFS?
4.How to respond to an RFS and win!

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Market Disruptors
What has brought us to the RFS?

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Digital adoption is accelerating.
Legacy 80% 74% 67%
SaaS 9% 11% 12%
IaaS 11% 15% 21%
2014 2015 2016E
Market Percentage Mix (ACV Based)
 Lack of skills to manage digital
transformation
 Lack of capital to move to new service
architectures
 Incumbent providers’ unwillingness to
transition from labor-based models to
outcome-based
 Incumbent providers’ failure to embrace
“out with the old, in with the new”
Adoption is gaining momentum,
but clients face challenges:

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Response to Disruption
What is the RFS
and How is it Different?

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The RFS methodology
The RFP
 Buyer is prescriptive.
Solution is pre-
determined by RFP.
 The goal of the contract
is to mitigate risk and
lock down changes.
 The process limits
participation.
In 8 weeks,
clients are
already down-
selecting
versus barely
releasing an
RFP
The RFS
 Seller is encouraged to be
innovative & creative.
 Parties get from contract to
solution with a mutual
understanding of risk
 Solution phase is provider
driven
 The process allows for
broader participation

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Structured sales call
Step 1: Providers seize the opportunity to pitch ideas to an
interested buyer.
Step 2: Advisor helps get the client stakeholders in the room.
Step 3: Advisor helps provider with background data and insight
into client business and technology objectives.
Step 4: Expect a quick response. Total client time is usually less
than
eight weeks. (Provider participation is about six)

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The consultative process for an RFS
 Allows for a broader spectrum of approaches and implementation
 Creates the opportunity for decision-making at each pivot point
 Helps clients to be less prescriptive and make iterative decisions
 Advocates a collaborative contracting approach to move from high
level solutions to contract

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What Are the Strengths and
Challenges of the RFS?

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RFS Strengths
Gives an enterprise buyer looking for cloud
and transformative solutions an
understanding of the art of the possible.
Provides greater solution diversity and
collaboration than traditional models but
requires rapid, iterative decision-making to
minimize project timelines

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RFS Challenges
Most engagements today
deliver a mix of traditional and
cloud offerings.
This requires a blend of
provider and client “paper,”
more extensive due diligence
and more complex contracting
structures.

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B Solution Development Collaborative Contracting6 – 8 weeks
8 – 16 weeks 6 – 10 weeks
CHECK
POINT
RFS Divergent Project Paths
 * or solutions!
A
RFS: Solution Exploration
Solution
Development
Transition & Transformation
6 – 8 weeks 4 – 6 weeks
6 – 8 weeks
CHECK
POINT
The RFS Process
CHECK
POINT
Collaborative
Contracting

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ISG is making changes to meet
these challenges.

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How to Respond to an RFS
and Win!

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Responding to the RFS: The Basics
First impressions count.
 Bring the right people.
 Showcase your “best practices.”
 Demonstrate innovation, creativity and a unique solution.
Answer the mail.
 Respond to the requested deliverables.
 Reflect back to the client their goals, vernacular and unique circumstances.
 Show how your solution adds value.

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Show your work.
 Take the client through the thought
process you went through to evaluate
the environment and develop options.
 Articulate those options and their
relative value along the spectrum.
 Provide the rationale for your
recommended approach.

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Offer integrated solutions
 Deliver solutions that deal with
industry-specific needs and trends.
 Integrate both services and
architecture to help the client envision
the end-to-end solution.

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Digital Journey!
 Show the client how you can help them
transform, be more agile and solve their
business challenges.
 Show how you can help today—and
tomorrow—as the journey evolves.

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