Drafting a Request for Proposal: 7 tips for webshops

Your current e-commerce solution is no longer sufficient, so it's time to choose a new solution. By sending out a Request for Proposal (RFP) you will find partners who will help you with a winning solution. By drafting a good RFP, you do not run the risk of receiving responses that do not answer your questions or that you do not even receive any responses at all. In this blog I therefore share seven tips that will help you prepare well!

Tip #1: Introduce your own organization

In a good RFP you not only request data from suppliers, but you also share information. Introduce your own company; what do you stand for? What services do you provide and why are they relevant to consumers? Who is the consumer? Perhaps a supplier has experience with this target group and can share their unique insights about this. Also, do not hesitate to share your own insights with regard to the target group.

In addition, it is important to focus on the reason why you are looking for a new solution. Are you looking for a new ecommerce platform? Then state what is not working with the current platform.

By focusing on the problem statement, you give suppliers the opportunity to propose solutions that you have not yet thought of. A recipe for positive surprises. You also ensure that the suppliers really get to know your business and target group, because only then can a supplier make a suitable project proposal. This also prevents you from receiving proposals that do not match your wishes and company culture at all.

Tip #2: Set quantitative goals for the project

For your organization it is clear: the current platform is no longer sufficient. There must be a new one. But do you already know what you want to achieve with the new e-commerce platform? Do you want to increase online turnover, a platform that better matches your brand experience, or do you want to target more visitors to the physical store? In short: determine when the new platform is a success. Make sure you set clear KPIs with a predefined timeline.

By communicating your objectives in advance, suppliers can think along with you on how they can achieve these objectives for you. Perhaps the commonly used SMART method will help with this.

Tip #3: Communicate the project scope, timeline and budget

Timeline

Provide a clear description of the project scope and the desired timeline.

We often see that the timeline is clearly communicated - especially when the go-live has to take place before or just after the high season. Unjustifiably less time is often spent on developing project scopes.

Project Scope

Always take the time in your RFP to properly define the project scope. For example, is it desirable that the supplier also designs the designs, or does this happen elsewhere? Maybe designs have already been made? Note that, for example, a designer has a different view of a store locator than a technical consultant. Examples are therefore always a useful tool. You can also explain it verbally.

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Budget

It is also important to define the budgets in advance. This is a part that many clients prefer to avoid in an RFP. After all, why would you give away all your negotiating space in your RFP? You may even have no idea how much the investment for a new ecommerce platform is. Please note: despite the fact that examples are given, it is never possible to make a concrete offer. This is partly because there are many dependencies that must first be discussed in an analysis phase.

Communicate your budgets in advance and challenge suppliers to present a proposal in which the objectives are realistically achieved. This also gives suppliers the freedom to opt out, as they foresee that they will not be able to realize your project scope within budget. On the other hand, you also prevent your organization from wasting valuable time considering proposals that are not realistic. If you are still concerned that you are giving away your negotiating room, communicate a budget range. Incidentally, a new e-commerce platform involves many dependencies. That is why an analysis phase always takes place at a later stage in which a quotation can be made concrete.

Tip #4: Be clear about the functional and technical requirements

Define the desired functionalities of the platform in advance. A useful tool for this is the MoSCoW model . Where possible, divide your functionalities into four categories: must haves, should haves, could haves and would haves.

The must haves are the minimum requirements that a new e-commerce platform must meet. A project that does not meet the must-haves is not successful. Should haves are requirements that are important for your new solution, but less important than a must have. Could haves are wishes you want, but your ecommerce platform is still fine without them. Would haves are requirements that you only want to develop if there is still time left.

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In addition, define with which systems or third parties a link is necessary and how these information flows run. Where possible, include an IT architecture sketch to clarify your situation. This ensures the most concrete estimate possible from the supplier, which in turn helps you to make a good choice.

Leave room for comments or suggestions from the supplier. Perhaps the supplier has experience with third parties, or is familiar with functionalities that perfectly match your business case that you had not yet thought of. In addition, a partner can contribute ideas about the phasing of functionalities and associated investments.

Tip #5: Describe what is important in a collaboration

By writing an RFP you will learn more about how a supplier will approach your project and what investments are expected. In this way you discover whether a supplier really suits your organization. Perhaps you appreciate parts in a collaboration that certain suppliers cannot offer, or the project approach of some suppliers focuses on things that are not important to your organization.

So ask yourself early on what exactly you expect from a partner and what you value in a collaboration. Are you looking for a partner that you visit every week for a good cup of coffee, or a partner who, just like your company, is also socially enterprising? By describing the ideal partner or collaboration here, you will receive information that is relevant to your company instead of a standard project approach.

Tip #6: Give examples

Often the ideal solution is based on other webshops. By also visualizing described wishes, you help suppliers understand what you want to achieve. So show examples that inspire you and indicate why they inspire you.

Tip #7: Ask suppliers the shirt off the body

A partnership is like a marriage – so make sure you really know the supplier well before partnering up. A good marriage means give and take. For this I have indicated the importance of providing good information about your own organization, but that means that you also have to ask questions about the supplier. What experience does the supplier have? Who are your contact persons during the project and how is the organization further set up? What is the development capacity of the supplier and can the partner easily scale up or down? Do not be too careful in this, and do not hesitate to ask a supplier for advice. 

Also give suppliers the space to ask you questions. Sometimes clarification is essential and as a result they can make better estimates. Do this not only on paper, but also by giving them the space to explain their answers orally.

The seven tips will give you all the essential elements to include in your RFP. It may seem like a lot to me, but good preparation and RFP will give you the most useful answers that you can use for the selection process. In other words, the better the RFP, the better the answers! To make things even easier for you, you can also download our RFP drafting template .