This document outlines 10 critical requirements to include in a request for proposal (RFP) for a digital transformation project. The requirements are: 1) support for federated access to integrate existing and new systems, 2) manage both content and data, 3) include artificial intelligence capabilities, 4) support both traditional content and rich media, 5) enable low-code application development, 6) be able to scale horizontally and elastically on demand, 7) support both cloud-based and hybrid deployment, 8) provide continuous innovation through frequent updates, 9) take an API-first approach to enable integration, and 10) select a platform rather than just a product to enable ongoing innovation. The document advises challenging vendors on factors like

1. Ten Critical
Requirements to
Include in Your Next
Digital Transformation
RFP
Dave Jones, VP Product Evangelism

2. Introductions
Is Digital Transformation Working?
10 Critical Requirements
Q&A
Agenda
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2
3
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3. Introductions
Dave Jones
VP of Product Evangelism
• 20+ years in Information Management
• Member of AIIM Board of Directors
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Derick Deleo
VP of Solution Consulting
• 20+ years in Information Management
• Inc 14+ years with IBM

4. Is Digital
Transformation
Working?

5. Digital
Transformation
in Financial
Services
Massive Spend
Average $42M in 2018
Rising to $45M in 2019
Purpose
66% Customer facing
innovations
Statistics courtesy of Couchbase

6. Are we seeing
success?
Statistics courtesy of Couchbase
88%
Project delayed, reduced scope, or
cancelled
26%
Digital Transformation= Insurmountable
Task

7. Why is Digital
Transformation
Failing?

8. Digital transformation requires a solid
platform to work from.
Trying to deliver digital transformation
without this is like trying to build a house on
sand – it will fall over in a messy heap very
quickly.
▪ Dave Jones, Bobsguide Webinar, June 2019

9. Ten Critical Requirements to
Include in Your Next Digital
Transformation RFP
To avoid a big messy heap

10. Do you need a
Product or
a Platform?
Product
• Out of the box tool
• Limited configuration capabilities
• Solves a specific problem
• Aka Solution
Platform
• Multi-purpose environment to build on top of
• Highly configurable
• Infinitely customizable
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11. 2
Make sure you cater for
Federated
Access
Content and data is scattered
throughout your organization
Do you want to rip and replace existing systems?
Federated access allows you to
• Extend lifetime of existing investments
• Integrate to other applications
• Create single view of multiple systems
• Streamline search
• Migrate intelligently and at YOUR pace

12. Does the solution manage
Content
AND data?
3Content lives in content systems and data lives in
database systems – right?
Wrong!
Content and Data can and should live together

13. 4
You need to be ready for
Artificial Intelligence
Everyone talks about AI
but what is really needed?
Your AI capabilities need to include:
• Easy to use model building
• Custom models built on YOUR data
• Simple integration of models into
core workflows and UI
• Rapid ROI

14. Make sure you are ready for
Content
AND rich media
5Images, Video, Audio - all are becoming increasingly
important to ALL businesses
• Video evidence in RTA/insurance
• Automated voice responses in call centers
• Medical images
• And more
Your new system needs to manage both traditional
content and rich media natively

15. 6
Do you know
Low Code?
Building custom applications used to be hard
Low code development offers
• Point and click development of custom
applications
• Ability to rapidly prototype, test
and deploy applications
• Standardized framework for developing all types of
content-enabled application
• Mobile ready applications

16. As your business grows can the
solution
Scale?
7You make plans for your business to grow – as much
as it possibly can
Do you make the same provision for your software?
Look for Cloud-native applications providing:
• Open architecture
• Horizontally scalable modules
• Containerized delivery
• Intelligent, dynamic and elastic scaling

17. 8
Make sure you
are ready for the
Cloud
Some organizations want to move to the cloud
Some don’t
But don’t let your software choice force the decision.
Ensure that your solution has the ability to:
• Be delivered via the Cloud
• Connect to other cloud applications
• Operate in a hybrid environment to help migration
(when ready)

18. Can the vendor deliver
Continuous
Innovation?
9Business needs and requirements change quickly
and often
Can your choice of digital transformation solution
keep up with these changes?
Look for solutions that adopt a
Continuous Innovation/Continuous Delivery
(CI/CD) approach
• Frequent updates
• Frictionless application of new features and bug
fixes

19. 10
Modern solutions require an
API-First
Approach
Digital Transformation requirements will constantly
change and you will need to adopt an eco-system
approach to remain agile
API first solutions ensure that all (new)
features can be accessed:
• From the system itself
• From any connected system

20. Summary

21. A Modern
Model for RFP
Creation
Don’t Repave the Cow Path
• Like for like replacement delivers little
benefit
• Look for solutions that solve today’s
problems and provide a platform to solve
the challenges of tomorrow
Deliver True Digital Transformation
• Create the foundation to innovate, quickly
Statistics courtesy of Couchbase
Use the RFP Process to Challenge Vendors
• Focus on innovation, delivery models,
reliability, partnership and fit
• Do not just focus on cost
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22. Thank you!