In many ways, this process is similar to finding a mobile app development partner. In order to have strong, trustworthy relationships with your vendor, you should follow the same “love” approach.

What are RFP, RFQ and RFI?

It is best to give each organization a document with the same information and questions if you want to conduct a fair comparison between different businesses. Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Quotations (RFQ), and Requests for Proposals (RFP) are the three most common types of requests that businesses provide. Each of them has its own peculiarities and is used in particular circumstances.

Why Do You Need an Amazing RFP?

Requests come in frequently from both existing companies and new competitors in the marketplace. We have found that starting the negotiating process with a request for proposal (RFP) is the most successful strategy. Why? The answer is not complicated at all. On the one hand, it is comprehensive enough to provide us with necessary information about the company and its requirements. On the other hand, it enables us to use creativity and demonstrates our level of competence.

Requests for proposals are often used as a method by businesses to get the lowest possible cost from their vendors. However, this is not the actual purpose of the document. The opportunity to evaluate all possible vendors in terms of their value, cost, and level of experience is the most valuable item you will get.

The RFP process raises the bar for the overall quality of your search and influences your purchase decisions. It ensures that both you and your prospective providers understand each other well.

You can increase the probability of having more high-quality responses to the RFP by devoting a sufficient amount of time and effort to its development. The request for proposals (RFP) will determine the outcome of the whole project since your decision will be dependent on the answers to it.

Vendor Information

1. Agency Overview

Now is the time for the prospective vendors to introduce themself. What questions should you ask:

• How long have you been working in this field?

• Can you tell me about the services that your organization provides?

• In which fields do you have particular expertise?

• What is the total number of workers at your business?

• Will any work be completed overseas or by independent contractors or freelancers?

• What is the overall number of projects that you have successfully finished?

• What is the location of the staff?

• How can you differentiate yourself from the other businesses in the industry?

2. Case Studies

More than anything else, a company’s work and completed projects speaks volumes about its ability to deliver results and competence.

Inquire prospective vendors about the best and most applicable projects they’ve worked on.

Ask questions about the following areas to have a better understanding of the cases:

• Business challenge

• Provided solution

• Outcome of the project.

• Links to the Google Play or App Store

• Feedback from the client.

You can expect the most accurate time and cost estimates from an organization with the necessary industry expertise level. In addition, it is already familiar with the most effective procedures and the difficulties connected to the sector or the possible technology.

3. Process Overview

It is time to start asking some more particular questions and getting more in-depth knowledge of the project’s primary stages.

Development process:

• How many full-time employees are on the team?

• Can [the name of your firm] communicate with the programmers directly?

• What kinds of backend and development capabilities do you have?

• Which programming languages and frameworks do you work with?

• Which strategies does your organization use to ensure the quality of applications?

• How does your organization handle the usage of open-source or other libraries that can risk the quality of the finished product?

• How does your firm make sure that its code is secure?

• How does your organization manage the protection of sensitive information and materials related to its customers?

• Who owns the source code?

Design process:

• How many full-time employees are in the team of designers?

• What kinds of design tools do they usually use?

• Are the engineers and the designers working in the same office?

• Will [the name of your organization] be able to maintain direct communication with the design team?

• Could you please share a portfolio of your company’s previous design work?

• What steps do you take in the design process?

• How many concepts are you going to present?

• What will [the name of your organization] get at the end of the design process?

• Who will have ownership of the source materials?

QA Process:

• How many full-time employees are on the QA team?

• Will [the name of your organization] be able to maintain open lines of communication with the QA team?

• What does the typical quality assurance procedure look like from start to end?

• In what form will the documentation for quality assurance (QA) be created?

• What kinds of devices are available to you?

Management process:

• What are the typical steps involved in project management from beginning to end?

• What kinds of project documents (resource and calendar plans, weekly reports, etc.) are going to be prepared?

• If we hire you, would you provide a Project Manager?

• In what ways is [the name of your organization] able to control the project process?

• Do you use project management software to keep track of the project and interact with your team and stakeholders?

• Who will be in charge of releasing and preparing all the relevant materials for the event?

Proposal

We have reached the part for which this documentation was created. It is time to find out what the vendor offers you.

This section should include details on the solution, schedule, and resources, a pricing strategy, and a financial estimate and support plan.

Solution

Inquire with the vendors about their perspective on the project and their suggestions for the most effective solutions to your business problem.

Timeline and Resources

Ask to provide a full project schedule, including expected start dates, a calendar of activities, deliverables, and resources that will be used.

Pricing Model and Budget

Inquire about the pricing model; for example, is it a​​ fixed price or time & material-based pricing? It might be a provision estimation with a list of covered services and a payment schedule.

Support Plan

Ask about the length of the guarantee period and the available support plans.

Mobile App RFP Template

Based on the suggestions above, we developed a mobile app RFP template that is now complete and ready for use. Don’t forget to modify it to your specific requirements.

Conclusion

The request for proposals procedure can seem like a lot of work, but it’s something that should be done. It helps determine whether or not you have a full and clear knowledge of the product inside the firm, organize a thorough comparison, and, ultimately, find the most suitable partner for a long time of collaboration.

Reviewing and responding to a request for proposal (RFP) may be time-consuming and laborious for mobile app development businesses, particularly if the RFP is poorly drafted. You need to produce a quality document if you want quality responses.

At Orangesoft, we find it important to carefully consider and respond to every request for proposal (RFP) we receive. If you are having trouble finding the appropriate company for your project, we strongly invite you to contact us.

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