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Strategic Tech Purchasing
9/25/2006
Mind Your RFPs
Bid proposals are challenging for universities because of extreme pressure both from within an institution and from vendors to get the best pricing and the best value. One suggestion from Sartin: Tailor the RFP to very specific needs rather than simply fill in pertinent facts on a standard form.
“Many times there’s a boilerplate RFP, and you just fill in what you want,” he says. “But now we’re seeing customers write more specialized RFPs, so they really get what they need from a price as well as a service standpoint.” That means focusing on smaller issues like turnaround time, customer service attributes, or certain web capabilities.
Because both the Purchasing department and university’s General Counsel office will be involved in RFPs, Camp suggests developing a close, working relationship with representatives of both offices. “Any healthy relationship requires good communication, mutual respect, and trust,” Camp says. “When those traits are associated with IT, Purchasing, and Legal, the result is better RFPs, proposals, and awards.”
In fact, Camp’s comments are good advice for fine-tuning your purchasing strategies overall. Good communication with everyone who purchases equipment, along with mutual respect and trust, can go a long way toward helping everyone understand how solid purchasing rules keep costs under control, helping standardize equipment, and making purchasing and using IT equipment easier for everyone.
Linda L. Briggs is a freelance writer based in San Diego, CA.
Linda L. Briggs is a freelance writer based in San Diego, Calif.
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