RFP Compass for Knowledge Platforms

By introducing a digital adoption platform (DAP), companies and other organizations are taking an important step toward modernizing their workflows and increasing efficiency. However, to do so, they must first find the right solution from the right provider. This process begins with a carefully prepared Request for Proposal (RFP), which defines project requirements, makes offers comparable, and enables the selection of the most suitable provider.

Designed to support decision-makers in the tendering process for a DAP or training and knowledge platform, our RFP Compass provides guidance. With it, you will learn why projects benefit from a carefully crafted RFP, what key components it should contain, and how to develop them optimally. Additional checklists will help you consider the most important aspects of a successful, sustainable transformation. 

An RFP is much more than a formal request to potential suppliers. Based on market research, an RFP lays the foundation for the future success of a project and serves as an important management tool for introducing a DAP. It should... 

• be a guide for all parties involved: An RFP forces you to closely examine the project's goals and scope. What do you hope to achieve by introducing a training and knowledge platform? What specific problems should it solve? Clearly defining the project goals guides everyone involved.
• ensure quality assurance: Describe all technical, functional, and subject-specific requirements to ensure that bids meet your quality and safety standards.
• establish process efficiency: A well-structured RFP reduces the number of queries, prevents misunderstandings, and speeds up the bidding process.
• create comparability and transparency: Comparing the submitted proposals streamlines the evaluation process, ensures transparency, and helps select the best provider.
• address the right providers: A meaningful RFP attracts the right providers. Defining requirements and exclusion criteria precisely limits the field of applicants to companies with the necessary expertise for successful project implementation.
• support risk and budget management: The RFP establishes important contractual and legal framework conditions that address potential risks early on. Additionally, an RFP supports budget management by creating market transparency, revealing distortions of competition and hidden costs, and simplifying cost control.
• avoid surprises in the project and in operation: The clearer the framework conditions and objectives are described, the better suppliers will understand the project and be able to develop suitable solutions based on targeted queries.

A carefully worded request for proposal (RFP) is a significant tool, not just an administrative document. It clarifies expectations, promotes competition, and encourages innovation, providing the ideal conditions for your organization to find the best possible solution for its needs.

Selecting the right DAP or training and knowledge platform is of strategic importance: The solution...

• has a significant impact on your organization's performance.
• simplifies the training of new employees,
• influences their digital adaptability and further development,
• improves the targeted use of software and processes. It also promotes the willingness of staff to learn and adapt, significantly impacting the future viability of your organization.

While the introduction of a DAP can set an important course, it can also set the wrong one. Selecting the wrong provider can lead to high follow-up costs, employee resistance, and ultimately, project failure.

Because of the importance of this decision, the criteria for selecting the right provider must consider not only the technical requirements, but also your organization's operational framework.

Aspects such as scalability, adaptability to future technologies, and seamless integration into existing systems must be considered. From the user's perspective, the requirements are also relevant and must be clearly defined. What usability criteria must be met? What hurdles should the new solution overcome in terms of content creation? What training and support services are expected from the provider, and what expertise must they demonstrate to provide these services?

An RFP can be just a few pages long or several hundred pages long. What matters is not the length, but the various key components that must be included in every tender. 

3.1 Introduction

The introductory chapter provides an overview of the organization issuing the tender, its digital strategy, and its reasons for introducing a DAP or training and knowledge platform. The chapter sets the context for potential providers, helping them to understand the organization's current challenges and strategic goals.

3.2 Detailed project description

This section provides essential information about the system landscape, project objectives, required interfaces, and time and cost parameters. It also specifies the necessary services and the standards that must be met. Only with this comprehensive description can providers prepare customized offers.

3.3 Terms of contract

This section outlines the project's legal and contractual framework. It contains detailed information on submission deadlines, payment terms, contract duration, confidentiality clauses, and other legal requirements. Having clear terms and conditions helps create transparency and avoid conflicts later in the project. 

3.4 Selection process and weighting

In this chapter, suppliers will learn about the evaluation criteria and how they are weighted. These criteria include factors such as the functionality and usability of the solution offered and its cost-benefit ratio, as well as the supplier's project experience, project methodology, and staffing levels. To do justice to the project's technical complexity, it should be noted that, in addition to presenting the bid, suppliers are expected to provide a test installation of the product so important performance criteria can be evaluated. Additionally, a clause regarding the review stage is often included. This clause indicates that the appropriateness of the offered prices will be checked, and providers with prices that are unusually high or low for the market will be rejected.

3.5 Suitability

To ensure the project is carried out efficiently and meets high standards, the selection process defines clear suitability criteria. These criteria assess potential partners based on their resources, experience, and expertise, ensuring the best possible decision for successful cooperation. At the same time, these criteria discourage unsuitable applicants from participating in the bidding process, which facilitates subsequent selections.

3.6 Service specifications and criteria catalogue

Thoroughly preparing the service specifications and criteria catalog significantly impacts the project's success. These documents are essential for sound decision-making and identifying the most suitable provider. Specifically, the following documents are included: 

• Performance criteria
• Suitability and exclusion criteria
• Questionnaire for open-ended answers on topics such as solution, implementation, and support concepts 

This information is particularly important for the success of the project, so we will discuss it in more detail in Chapter 4.

3.7 Price list

The price list is a key tool for evaluating bids financially. It should be detailed enough to clearly show all relevant costs and any hidden fees. Therefore, ensure that the price list is complete and includes all cost items. This will allow you to make an informed decision and select the most economical bidder.

4.1 Suitability criteria

The suitability criteria guarantee that the chosen partner possesses the necessary resources, experience, and expertise to effectively carry out the project and provide long-term support. The focus is on the provider's economic, financial, technical, and professional capabilities. Key areas to examine include the provider's project experience, financial stability, and the qualifications of the project team. Questions about corporate culture are also important to assess the quality of future cooperation.

There are various ways to evaluate the suitability criteria. First, providers must prove their qualifications through self-disclosures. References can also be obtained and interviews can be conducted.

Checklist

✅ Play it safe when it comes to the experience and expertise of potential providers

Request proof of three comparable tender projects from the last three years. Make sure that...

• different clients are named,
• the software implementation has been completed,
• it describes what other services were provided, such as training and content creation. Also, explain what areas of expertise were covered and what tools were used

✅ Trust is good, control is better

To better assess the trustworthiness of individual providers, carefully consider what measures you can take to ensure transparency. Some providers still try to influence tenders in their favor by responding multiple times, for example, through sales partners. Such concealment tactics can be avoided by...

• insisting that the name of the software be stated and identified,
• establishing clear rules for the creation and evaluation of secondary offers,
• contacting customer references directly, and visiting shortlisted providers on site.

✅ Handling data protection and information security

DAPs process sensitive company data and personal information. Providers must ensure this data is adequately protected and transparently demonstrate their adherence to high compliance standards. Key suitability criteria here are...

• ISO 27001 certification, which is an important indicator of comprehensive information security management and continuous improvement,
• proof of GDPR compliance, and that appropriate data protection measures are in place (encryption, access controls, regular security checks, etc.).

✅ What kind of support do you expect from the DAP provider? 

The introduction of a DAP often entails changes to work processes and corporate culture. Therefore, when establishing the suitability criteria, do not focus solely on traditional factors such as experience, references, and financial stability. Providers should also be able to deliver services that effectively support and facilitate change management, i.e. ...  

• Provide software, consulting, and support from a single source.
• Offer support with content creation.
• Provide comprehensive assistance and (free) self-learning resources for using the DAP.

4.2 Performance criteria: Must-haves and core elements of every tender

Performance criteria are at the heart of every tender. These criteria allow for an objective comparison of different providers' bids and help identify the most suitable partner.

A list of criteria in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, for example, provides an overview of the professional, technical, and organizational requirements of the project that must be met to achieve the desired benefits. Additionally, the catalog communicates your organization's expectations to the provider. Describe the benefits you expect from each performance criterion and how it will affect the evaluation if the criterion is or isn't met in separate columns.

To create a structured performance specification, use the various functional areas of the DAP or the training and knowledge platform as a guide. It is important to always place technical functionalities in a strategic overall context. This ensures that the offered solutions align with your plans and goals.

Checklist

✅ Is pure IT support sufficient for your purposes and goals?

Systems that offer only software support cannot guarantee smooth workflows or high acceptance. In day-to-day business, questions about software's technical operation are often accompanied by uncertainties about processes and specifications, which can lead to work interruptions. To support your employees with these types of questions, the solution must provide specific knowledge about your organization's processes, guidelines, and procedures in addition to IT support.

Performance criteria:

• Cross-application content recording
• Creation of any learning content, including IT content, specialist topics, and processes
• Support for employees with organization-specific knowledge of processes, guidelines, and procedures to ensure smooth workflows

✅ What if your requirements increase?

After completing the initial project, you may want to expand the user base or integrate additional applications into the DAP. Therefore, ensure that the solution is scalable and compatible with desktop and web applications. This allows your DAP to adapt to your evolving needs.

Performance criteria:

• Scalable architecture
• Single point of entry for accessing all information across applications.
• Knowledge content is available via PC, tablet, and smartphone.

✅ Robust behavior during updates to your business applications

Web applications, in particular, often receive updates that may affect buttons and fields. Solutions not tied to these elements continue to function as usual after an update. However, solutions whose functionality is directly linked to these elements must be updated before they can be used again.

Performance criteria:

• IT and non-IT support should not be perceived as disruptive or interrupting the workflow.
• If minor changes are made to the target application, the help files can still be used and do not need to be updated right away.

✅ Seamless integration into your system landscape

An important consideration when selecting a DAP is its ability to integrate quickly and easily into your existing IT landscape. This saves time and money while minimizing the complexity of the project and associated risks, enabling a faster return on investment.

Performance criteria:

• Open interfaces for easy integration into the system landscape, for connecting existing knowledge portals (e.g., SharePoint, LMS, or Wiki), and for compatibility with AI and future technologies
• All users can connect directly via the LDAP or SAML interface.
• Single sign-on allows users to conveniently access the system from mobile or stationary devices.
• For Citrix users: Enable the use of DAP as a shared application under Citrix XenApp to ensure context-sensitive support.

✅ Provider requirements

In addition to technical performance characteristics, clearly define your technical service and support requirements. Distinguish these as clearly as possible from the "soft" suitability criteria listed in Section 4.1.

Performance criteria:

• Comprehensive help and self-learning resources for efficient use of the DAP
• Active user community
• English and German-speaking support organization with close ties to the development team.
• Qualified consultants with proven expertise in all relevant areas, from server configuration to professional content production

4.3 Exclusion criteria

Prioritize your suitability and performance criteria clearly and unambiguously to automatically eliminate providers who do not meet them from the RFP process. Exclusion criteria that are carefully selected and rigorously applied have the advantage of automatically reducing the number of eligible bids. This saves valuable time because you can focus on truly relevant vendors. The eligibility and performance criteria are prioritized so clearly that vendors who do not meet them are automatically eliminated from the RFP process. 

Exclusion criteria:

• Essential functionalities, such as:
  • Dashboard for analyzing usage behavior and identifying missing content
  • AI-supported content creation
  • Non-functional features that the project should include, such as user interface and author documentation in English
  • Consulting and support in English
• Provide proof of a certain number of references that confirm the provider's competence and experience with comparable projects.

Checklist

✅ Insist on a trial installation for business-critical applications

As part of an on-site test, ask the provider to demonstrate that the software records and supports up to three of your business-critical applications and use cases. This allows you to...

• test the functions of the DAP under realistic conditions,
• identify compatibility issues at an early stage,
• use in-house feedback to assess user acceptance.

4.4 Open questionnaire

By creating a list of open questions, you can gather additional information that sheds light on aspects of each offer that would otherwise be overlooked.

Possible questions:

• Describe your approach to training and supporting users and authors.
• Describe your approach to software implementation.
• How do you handle individual requirements and/or changes during the project?
• How is product development organized?
• What roadmap do you follow for the further development of the solution?
• Describe the support for the software.

Checklist

✅ Focus on the project's specific requirements.

To make the evaluation process simpler, the questionnaire should not be too long.

• Keep your questions project-specific.
• Set guidelines for the maximum length of answers.

✅  Give the provider enough freedom.

To avoid misunderstandings, questions should be clear and precise. At the same time, they should not restrict providers and should leave room for creative solutions.

4.5 Price list

The price list is an essential element of every RFP because it specifies all costs associated with providing the service according to the service description. As always, to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, all terms must be clearly defined and distinguished from one another.

Service items (unit in brackets):

• Licence, annual rental including hosting (per learner per year)
• Technical implementation, customization if necessary (per person-day)
• Training (per training session)
• Setup of a production environment (per person-day)
• Production coaching for authors (per person-day)
• Content production (per person-day)

Checklist

✅ Think beyond the project

Don't just determine the costs for your current project. Define the design specifications for tiered pricing as precisely as possible, and consider any follow-up costs. For example, consider the following if:

• the number of users increases,
• assistance is required for additional applications and specialized topics. 

✅ Prevent unfair competition

To ensure a fair tendering process, you should insist that...

• prices are set individually, i.e., independently of other bidders' pricing,
• the bidder constellation should be disclosed so that subcontractors are identifiable at first glance,
• confidential data is not passed on to third parties.