The success of a technology project is often decided before the contract is even signed. A well-written request for proposals attracts competent vendors, makes it possible to compare genuinely different proposals and lays the foundation for a healthy relationship. A poorly designed one has the opposite effect.
1. Describing a solution instead of a need
Imposing a specific technology or screen deprives the organization of the bidders' expertise. Describe instead the problem to solve, the users concerned, the volumes and the expected results. Let vendors propose the best way to get there.
2. Piling on mandatory requirements
Every pass-or-fail requirement reduces the number of eligible bidders. Reserve that status for what is truly essential — security, data residency, compliance — and turn the rest into weighted criteria.
3. Setting unrealistic deadlines
Response periods that are too short encourage generic proposals. Unrealistic delivery schedules push vendors to underestimate the effort, which sooner or later leads to change requests or lower quality.
4. Evaluating on price alone
The lowest price is rarely the lowest total cost. A balanced evaluation grid considers understanding of the need, the proposed method, the experience of the assigned team, security and the total cost of ownership over several years.
5. Keeping the available budget secret
Without a budget range, vendors propose solutions that cannot be compared, from the most modest to the most ambitious. Indicating a range brings in realistic proposals adapted to your means, where the applicable rules allow it.
6. Neglecting the question period
A well-organized question period, with answers published to all bidders, reveals ambiguities in the document and improves the quality of proposals. An information session or site visit is often a worthwhile investment.
7. Forgetting what happens after the project
Maintenance, support, knowledge transfer, code ownership and exit terms: these elements determine your future autonomy. They belong in the request for proposals, not in negotiations after the fact.
Public sector
Public bodies must follow specific contract-awarding rules, such as Quebec's Act respecting contracting by public bodies. These rules still leave considerable room in how the need is described and how criteria are weighted.
Independent support when writing requirements and evaluating bids costs little compared with the amounts at stake. Above all, it helps you choose the right partner from the outset.