Implement a Proactive and Consistent Vendor Selection Process

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Vendor selection is politically charged, requiring Procurement to navigate around stakeholder biases and existing relationships.
The process is time consuming and often started too late. In the absence of clarity around requirements, it is easy to default to looking at price instead of best fit.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Rooting out bias is essential. Establishing a robust, ruthless, but reasonable process is vital to making unbiased vendor selections.
Price comes last, requirements come first. Spend time up front to make sure that your key requirements are complete before proceeding with vendor selection.
Differentiate business needs from wants. Comparing proposals against each other leads to confusion. Features matter – just not all of them. Matching solution capability to organizational needs matters more. Know your true minimum mandatory requirements vs. nice-to-have features, and compare proposals against your RFP instead of against each other.
Price is not cost. Calculate TCO when considering internal and external cost.

Impact and Result

Design a procurement process that is robust, ruthless, and reasonable.

Take control of vendor communications: set and enforce clear guidelines around contact.

Gather a solid set of requirements and make sure they remain the primary focus.

Implement a Proactive and Consistent Vendor Selection Process Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should optimize your vendor selection process, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Implement a Proactive and Consistent Vendor Selection Process – Executive Brief

1. Establish and formalize process

Map your current vendor selection process, identify gaps, and then amend and document the process.

2. Gather requirements and write RFx

Begin a specific vendor selection by writing a project plan, then gathering and prioritizing requirements. Next, select, write, and publish your RFx.

3. Evaluate and select vendor

Select your evaluation method and framework, then perform due diligence and evaluate pricing. To finish, select and recommend a vendor.

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

Fleet Feet Sports

Guided Implementation

10/10

$12,399

Best - ABCD Requirements, Due Diligence, and guidance on binding vendor RFP responses into the official contract. Improvement - Scoping calls at beginning were necessary, but repetitive. It took a while to explain since we had no process, this seems t...

Bauer Hockey LLC

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

There were no worst parts to my interaction with Steven today. Steven & Colin understood my objective and time restrictions and gave me a practical tool that I can use immediately.

National Council on Aging

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

DATASENSE

Guided Implementation

10/10

$7,778

XGen Pharmaceuticals DJB, Inc.

Guided Implementation

10/10

$26,103

It was the exact right level of detail. Not too much. Not too little. For a small company, this approach works better when we can scale back the complexity. I'm always impressed by the analyst's follow-up and Steve was no exception.

Load More Testimonials

Workshop: Implement a Proactive and Consistent Vendor Selection Process

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Establish Vendor Selection Process

The Purpose

Document and refine your vendor selection process.

Key Benefits Achieved

Formalized vendor selection process.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Map current process.

Documented current vendor selection process

1.2

Identify gaps in current process.

Gap analysis of current vendor selection process

1.3

Amend and document process.

Formalized and amended process

Module 2: Gather Requirements

The Purpose

Write a project plan and gather requirements.

Key Benefits Achieved

Gathered and prioritized requirements.
A clear project plan.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Write a project plan.

Proposal Evaluation Tool

2.2

Gather and prioritize requirements.

2.3

Write your scenario and use cases.

Scenario Template

Module 3: Write and Assemble RFx Package

The Purpose

Learn about different RFx options and draft a successful RFx package.

Key Benefits Achieved

Complete RFx package.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Review different RFx options.

3.2

Draft RFx.

RFx package

3.3

Make a plan for soliciting feedback and publishing the RFx.

Module 4: Perform Due Diligence

The Purpose

Perform due diligence on candidate vendors.

Key Benefits Achieved

Crucial information and data points gathered about candidate vendors
Due diligence completed.

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Customize a vendor reference script.

4.2

Reference Script Template

4.3

Review the due diligence checklist and key activities.

Due Diligence Checklist

Module 5: Evaluate Candidate Solutions

The Purpose

Evaluate your vendor proposals.

Key Benefits Achieved

A selected vendor to recommend to management with a formal presentation.

Activities

Outputs

5.1

Calculate TCO.

TCO Calculator

5.2

Evaluator’s Guidebook

RFP Vendor Response Template

5.3

Prepare final evaluation.

Proposal Evaluation Tool or Pugh Matrix

5.4

Prepare presentation for management.

Vendor Recommendation Presentation

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Guided Implementation #1 - Establish and formalize process

Call #1 - Map current process
Call #2 - Identify gaps in current process
Call #3 - Amend and document process

Guided Implementation #2 - Gather requirements and write RFx

Call #1 - Write a project plan
Call #2 - Discuss and prioritize gathered requirements
Call #3 - Review your RFx before publication

Guided Implementation #3 - Evaluate and select vendor

Call #1 - Select evaluation method and framework
Call #2 - Review due diligence activities
Call #3 - Review and validate vendor selection

Author

Laura Trabucco

Contributors

Deepak Bansal, Director Vendor Performance Relationship Management, Willis Towers Watson
Donald H. Hopkins, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Wright State University in the College of Business
Daniel J. Enneking, Founder, Strategic Procurement Partners
2 anonymous contributors