How to Choose Partners for Web Projects: Understanding the RFP Process
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Transcript of How to Choose Partners for Web Projects: Understanding the RFP Process
Choosing the Right Partner for Your Next Website or CRM Project:Holding Hands Before You Get Married#14NTCpartner
Paula JonesEric MagnusonDavid MintonMarcy Rye
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Serving Nonprofits, Strengthening North Carolina
www.ncnonprofits.org
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Mission-Based B-Corp
Exclusively Focused on Nonprofits
Proven Project Methodology
900+ Projects over the Past 10 YearsDeep Social Sector Expertise
Leading Salesforce.com Foundation® Partner
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Building smarter websites since 2001.
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Who are you?
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Your experience with RFPs?
● Ready to do first?● Have done one?● Have done many?
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Overview
● PART 1: Preparation● PART 2: Resource allocation● PART 3: RFP elements● Tips & Tricks
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Part 1: Preparation
IMAGE: WIKI COMMONS
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Planning for success
● Create a short list
● Know your audience
● Identify goals
● Define success
● Define budget range
● Determine timeframe
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Create a short list
IMAGE: WIKI COMMONS
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How to find your people
● order takers vs partners
● get referrals
● meet in person
● ask & listen
● consider an RFI
● identify priorities
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Know your audience
IMAGE: WIKI COMMONS
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What does your audience want?
● internet/tech savvy?
● demographics
● why are they involved with you?
● what do they hope to gain?
● what does it mean for your project?
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Identify goals: strategy vs tactics
IMAGE: WIKI COMMONS
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How to identify goals
● look at the mission
● survey stakeholders
● group prioritization / agreement
● strategy vs. tactics
● SMART goals
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Tactics
● don’t need to include in RFP unless
● should follow from goals
● don’t be trendy
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Define success
IMAGE: HUFFINGTON POST
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Imagine the end result
● be specific
● think in terms of meeting a strategic
goal for your org
● what do you want to measure?
● minimal viable product (it’s software)
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Possible metrics (website)
● page views & visits
● membership registration
● contact form submissions
● online orders/donations
● sharing
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Possible metrics (CRM)
● user adoption
● outcomes reportability
● process
automation/efficiency
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Tips for Success
● clearly define goals
● research metrics for other organizations
● don’t lose sight of users’ needs
● plan for user feedback to influence later
development phases
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Define budget range
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Size of budget affects:
● technological approach
● level of customization
● level of integration(s)
● ability to plan for future
expansion and costs
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Budget factors:
● do you have a budget?
● total cost of ownership
● if not paying cash, opportunity costs
● flexibility of budget/schedule/scope
● how you measure success
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Tips for Budgets
● If you aren’t permitted to provide budget in your proposal, then indicate a budget above which proposals will not be accepted.
● Projects always cost more than expected — plan around priority 1 needs.
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Tips for Budgets
● Indicate who created your current website, as well as the development cost, and annual maintenance.
● Expect vendors to review your IRS Form 990, available on websites such as www.guidestar.org.
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Schedule
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Plan time for:
● Deployment
● Design, Development
● Planning content/data migration
● Selection process
● Submission process
● Creating your short list
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Tips for Schedules
● Allow enough time to review and compare your short list people
● If you think you have set aside enough time, you probably haven’t
● Projects often take 2x3 times longer than you think they should
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Part 2: Resource Allocation
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Who is doing the work?
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Your choices
● You● Paid staff members● Volunteers/interns● Freelance/individuals● Agencies/firms
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You
Pros● No additional cost● Readily available
Cons● Opportunity cost● Do you have the necessary skills?
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Paid staff
Pros● No additional cost● Readily available
Cons● Opportunity cost● Less scalable than freelance or
agency
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Volunteers/interns
Cons● Less stable than freelance or agency● Less scalable than freelance or
agency
Pros● Free or cheap● Augment internal
capabilities
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Freelance/individuals
Pros● Less expensive than agency● Augment internal capabilities
Cons● Less stable than agency or firm● Less scalable than agency or firm
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Agencies/firms
Pros● Stability● Technical capabilities● Scalability
Cons● Most expensive
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Who runs the project?
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Project management
● Improves efficiency
● Lowers costs● Reduces chance
of failure● Improves chance
of success
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Tips: Management
● More decision makers lead to longer and more expensive projects!
● Provide single points of contact for project production workers.
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Part 3:Drafting an RFP
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RFP Process
● Writing an RFP● Selecting firms to approach● Comparing vendors
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“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”
Paul Neal “Red” Adairblowout/oil firefighting pioneer
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Vendor informationWithout, responses are just a guess.
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Vendors need to know
● Functionality● Constraints● Schedule● Budget● Decision making criteria
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Functionality
● Specific functionality● Public vs. private content● Third party integration● “Must haves” vs.“Nice to haves”
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Constraints
● Technology requirements● Hosting requirements● Security requirements● Organizational requirements
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Schedule
● Timeline for selection process● Desired start date● Desired launch date
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Budget
● Without a target budget, firms will guess
● What is minimum feature set for budget?
● If you don’t know your budget, you aren’t ready for an RFP, go for an RFI instead
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Selection criteria
● Price?● Schedule?● Technical experience?● Samples of similar work?● Company infrastructure?● Geographic location of vendor?
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Qualification Questions Comparing apples to apples.
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Some questions for vendors
● Sample of past projects● Minimum/average project budgets● Do you subcontract, if so why?● Design & development philosophy● Technological capabilities● Capacity● References
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Tips: Qualification
● Schedule initial calls or meetings to allow both you and the vendors to pre-qualify each other.
● If you openly publish your RFP, don’t be surprised by the number of responses you receive.
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Tips: Qualification
● Limit the length. Saves you and the vendors significant time and effort.
● Ask specific questions to better compare vendors.
● Effort required to respond to your RFP should be commensurate with your budget.
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Vendor selectionA good decision is based on more
than numbers.
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Which ones?
● Ask your peers● Attend conferences (like NTC)● Do web searches● Review websites similar to yours
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How many?
● Does your organization have a minimum bidding requirement?
● Ideally 3–5● If really unsure, consider Request
for Information (RFI) to narrow number
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Compare vendors
● Review proposals with vendors through meetings or calls
● Ask for an apples-to-apples comparison if vendor proposals do not line up
● Everything is negotiable
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Tips: Selection
● Indicate what type of vendor created the current website.
● Was the current vendor invited to submit an RFP response?
● Why are you seeking a new vendor?
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Tips: Selection
● How many vendors have been invited to respond? What types of vendors?
● Most professionals will not provide spec work, but you should ask for samples and/or portfolio.
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It Doesn’t End HereNo website or CRM lasts forever.
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Conclusion
● Planning is essential● Understand the pros and cons of
resources● Make the most of RFP process
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