When an organization is in the market for a technology development partner, one of the most common approaches to finding that partner is the famous—or infamous—Request for Proposal (RFP). While many digital development agencies exhale a big sigh, then turn and run the other way, the best digital product agencies know the response to an RFP is an opportunity they can tackle with enthusiasm.

For the best technology service agencies, true differentiation is a critical but difficult task. With a “product” that is almost entirely dependent on the individual consultants themselves, it’s a challenge to define a firm’s capabilities without having a strong methodology and rigorous process that keeps everyone in lockstep across a variety of projects. An RFP should help a strong agency demonstrate adherence to a disciplined approach.

One client reported to us an experience about an agency that touted their great experience developing an app for a big brand, but when they jointly kicked off the project it was clear that the vendor’s team had been staffed with not the “A team” that was promised, but instead with something more like the “C” or “D” team.

Some agencies will dismiss RFPs categorically and decline to respond, so buyers are wise to not push these kinds of vendors to participate, since they have determined that they are not competitive in those scenarios. These are the agencies that have neither effectively defined their strengths nor feel they can provide a compelling case for potential clients’ business.

Over the course of more than a decade, Punchkick has reviewed and responded to hundreds of RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs—certainly enough to form opinions on how this part of the early engagement can initiate a strong partnership. For buyers, the RFP process provides great education on considerations for the project and also a lever to push vendors to come forward with their best strategy and cost. When done correctly, the RFP process can help set the tone for an equitable and productive client–vendor relationship.

Essential Elements for the RFP

When it comes to developing an RFP for a brand new digital product, everything needs to be documented in writing for an effective and fair evaluation of each of the vendors. For our purposes, we’ll refer to the RFP as the document or set of documents that contain the relevant questions and information your vendors will respond to. The first part of the RFP should provide an informational section that outlines:

1. High-level business objectives that this digital project will be driving, and other marketing, sales, or technical initiatives that the development or launch of this product will align with.  
2. A timeline that includes dates for each stage of the  evaluation and response process. Typically it’s expected that there will be a period for the vendor to review the RFP then return with questions. Many vendors compile the questions, respond, and share that information with all of the vendors. Following the RFP response submission, the client will take time to review then trim the list of vendors for a final (in-person) presentation. After the presentation, the client will take time to work with vendors on refining proposals before making the final decision.
3. Information about the business departments and individual stakeholders who have an interest in the project.
4. Relevant technical information about current IT architecture, including systems and databases that will function as data sources. If this is a project to redesign or rebuild something that already exists, provide helpful insights on what isn’t working or meeting expectations.
5. Design requirements, including internally developed wireframes or style guides.

Next is the evaluation section with questions for the agency to respond to.

1. Questions about the agency, including history, location, financial viability, working model, and process. Where are their developers located? Do they outsource parts of the project to outside designers or developers?
2. Short biographies or experience summaries for team members who could staff the project.
3. A well–thought-out list of required features or user stories for the mobile app or website. With this in hand, a vendor should be able to provide a detailed effort and timeline estimate. This might also change in the course of the RFP.
4. Request for mockups or design concepts to illustrate an agency’s design capabilities relevant to the project. RFP creators should ask questions in follow-up discussions about design decisions and see if the agency is defensive or insightful about design decisions.

RFP respondents should be expected to have performed research about the company they are addressing. It will be obvious which vendors are responding with generic assumptions and have not done their homework into what solution or recommendations make the most sense for the client’s specific situation.

RFP Process Considerations

Do

• Build a cross-functional RFP evaluation team that can be open-minded, engaged, insightful, and will discard biases in favor of the best solution for the company. Everyone on the team should have a stake in the project and feel responsible for the outcome.
• Define in advance who will make the final decision, who will provide input, and when this will all take place.
• Ensure that the right people are in the room for presentations.
• Maintain transparent communication with your RFP participants and get to know them. This will set a professional and respectful tone. Additionally, based on these communications, a buyer should be able to  answer the question, “Are these people that I would enjoy working with?”
• This may be elementary, but focus on a holistic view of the project proposal and offering rather than making price the top consideration. The RFP process is best geared towards finding a value partner. It’s simply too time-consuming to be running RFP processes all the time—which you will almost certainly do when you go with a cheap provider. A successful outcome should source a long-term partner that is equipped to do great work on future projects.
• Ask thoughtful questions and expect considered answers from your agencies around the benefits of their process and how they would approach challenges or risks over the course of the project.
• Be flexible. Good agencies may have some insights that might slightly change the direction of the RFP. Treasure this feedback and embrace these agencies who would take the risk of losing your business to actually provide value and arrive at the right solution.

Don’t

• Some clients enforce their RFP process with rigid timelines and enforce them with threats of a vendor being disqualified for asking the wrong questions or following up at the wrong time. This will require the vendor to make risky assumptions about the project that may not align with the clients expectations and cause confusion, or ultimately invalidate their price and timeline estimates later in the process.
• Avoid wasting time of vendors—not only for good karma, but also for the sake of a principled approach. Vendors greatly appreciate an early “no” versus a drawn out “hang on the line” communication style.
• Forgo templated form questions unless the expectation is for the vendor agency to respond in kind.
• Skip specifying dates for project kickoff. Unfortunately, conversations with procurement and legal departments at any organization can prevent this process from going perfectly and remaining on a tight schedule, so a buyer should plan for some bumps in the contracting process.

Selecting the best digital agency for a mobile or web project is hard—and certainly not a process that should be undertaken lightly. There are many resources to help buyers source and hire the best mobile app companies for their digital product, but it ultimately comes down to expecting the kind of diligence and future-looking thinking that the best agencies provide. The RFP process is a preview of what an agency will be like to work with—you want a team that asks insightful questions and does the necessary homework to build the product right.