Process Handling for RFP Technology Requests

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a process intended to solicit a proposal for the procurement of a commodity, service, or asset, from potential vendors or suppliers.  UD Procurement will work with the requestor to draft and send a scoping document to multiple vendors, requesting that they respond with a proposal to address the items listed within the scoping document within a designated time period.  UDIT contributes to the scoping process to ensure technology needs are represented on the request documentation.

The Process

1. Initiating the RFP process requires two actions on the part of the requestor:

   • Submitting a Technology Request (TR) using the RFP solution type (select UDIT Purchase if UDIT is the requestor).

     • This allows for the relevant UDIT teams to contribute to the scoping requirements document before being sent for RFP.

   • Creating a Sourcing Event Request (SER) within UDExchange (See below and/or refer to Procurement’s Resources & Help Guides for more information).

     • This triggers Procurement’s involvement with the requestor so that information gathering and documentation can begin.

• It is recommended by Procurement that the TR be submitted prior to the SER, as the SER requires that the requestor provide the associated TR number when creating.  The requestor should create the SER soon after submitting the TR to allow for the two processes to run concurrently.  

2. Procurement will work with the requestor to build out the initial draft of the RFP document, which will be based on an internal Scope of Work document the requestor uploads into UDExchange, capturing the requestors needs and requirements.

3. The requestor should attach the RFP document to the TR.

   • Documentation should be shareable and will need to be collaborative

     • PMO may need to save the file to a shared drive and convert it to a Google document.

4. The PMO will assign the relevant TR triage review teams and schedule a discovery call to review the scoping document.

   • PMO should create a new comment in the TR Feed explaining to all reviewers that the triage reviews have been assigned to track their participation in the RFP review process.

   • If all reviews are completed prior to the date of the discovery call, and no additional discussion is needed, the discovery call can be canceled.

5. During the discovery call, the triage reviewers will review the RFP document, ask/answer questions, and contribute to the documentation with any IT-specific needs and/or security documentation requirements. 

   • When creating an RFP, include questions about specific requirements. This helps understand how proposed solutions work and allows for responses to be considered during contract negotiations. It also gives suppliers a chance to offer additional information or alternative options, if a particular requirement cannot be met.

   • The discovery call is also a good opportunity to identify who should be included in the RFP committee, as it is beneficial to have someone from UDIT represent the technical aspects of the request.

6. After the discovery call, triage reviewers should update the RFP with any final questions/requirements that may be missing. All triage reviewers will indicate they finished all action items and reviews by completing their respective triage workflow approval step.

7. Once the PMO advises that all reviews are completed, Procurement will start crafting the final RFP document, incorporating the UDIT feedback. 

8. Once all UDIT teams have completed their respective workflow approvals and Procurement has been notified, the TR can be closed with a recommendation that Procurement proceed with the RFP Process.

   • As part of the TR Resolution Summary, the PMO will summarize any key requirements needed for the implementation of the solution (i.e. SSO, DKIM, UD branding, vanity urls, etc.), as well as a reiterate the need for the requestor to submit a new TR once a supplier/solution has been identified so that it can be fully vetted prior to being awarded/negotiated.

   • Also indicate that the Procurement team will be managing the RFP effort going forward and any follow up/instructions on next steps should be directed to their Sr. Buyer and Sourcing Specialist.

9. Once the RFP process has completed and a preferred solution has been identified, the requestor should submit a second Technology Request, using the New Solution solution type (or UDIT Purchase type if the requestor is UDIT), so that a full TR review of the proposed solution can be performed prior to the solution being negotiated/awarded.  

10. Once all solution reviews have been completed, the second TR can be closed.

PMO Technology Request Tips

• An RFP request should be reviewed by all teams relevant to the request to ensure all teams weigh in on the details of the RFP. There may be additional scope that should be considered from a technical perspective that only certain teams can provide.

• In addition to contributing to the technical needs of the request, the scope review is the team's opportunity to make sure the necessary assessment documents are listed as a requirement, such as HECVAT, VPAT, SOC2, network diagrams, etc. 

• For reviewers, the Enterprise Architect and GRC are the most likely to have suggestions.  Other triage reviewers should be added, when appropriate for the service being requested.  For example, include Enterprise Systems when a request involves integrations with any UD systems, and to account for white listing / allow list requirements as needed .  Be sure to add a Procurement approval step, too. 

• UDIT has captured some commonly used requirements in a spreadsheet.  Refer to this spreadsheet when contributing to the RFP draft and identifying other potential triage reviewers.