Project Selection Process S540

S540 - Confer with Vendors

DEFINITION

Various contacts with the vendors aimed at examining their responses and the selection issues in further detail.

SUMMARY

Contacts with vendors come in many forms and at different times during the selection exercise.  This process relates primarily to contacts made during the evaluation of the proposals and the choice of a preferred solution.

The forms of contact typically include:

• telephone conversations,
• letters requesting/providing clarification,
• presentations by the vendor,
• demonstrations of the proposed system.

The selection team should only engage in these contacts where they are likely to assist in the evaluation process.  For each contact, whether formal or informal, there should be:

• an understanding of the objectives of the contact,
• a prepared approach for how this should be achieved, and
• some form of notes to show the outcome.

PATH PLANNING GUIDANCE

This process is normal practice in Requirements / Selection Fast Track.

DEPENDENCIES

This process normally runs during the evaluation of tenders received in response to the Invitation to Tender (ITT).

Prerequisites (Finish-Start):

• Issue Invitation to Tender (S520)

Prerequisites (Finish-Finish):

• Receive responses (part of S530)

Dependent procedures (Finish-Finish):

• Select preferred vendor (S560)

RECEIVABLES

• vendors' proposals
• selection issues and findings
• list of key requirements which cannot be met by the vendors

DELIVERABLES

• System Demonstration Agenda
• System Demonstration Questionnaire
• System Demonstration Requirements Workbook

TOOLS

• Examples: System Demonstration Agenda
• Examples: System Demonstration Questionnaire

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TASKS

Objectives and General Approach

The objectives of any contact with the vendors should be to improve the quality of the evaluation or to improve the quality of the final solution.  There should always be a specific purpose for any contact although that purpose may be general in nature (for example, a better understanding of the proposals).

The vendors may have entirely different objectives.  Frequently they will see contacts as an opportunity to influence the evaluation in their favour.  This can lead them to distort the facts or to focus on aspects where they are good and conceal aspects where their proposed solution is less satisfactory.

The selection team members must, therefore, be proactive in their approach.  They must try to set the agenda and steer the discussions to meet the team’s objectives.  They should prepare in detail the specific points they wish to have answered and take steps to see that the points are covered.  They should make sure that their findings are documented and reported back to other members of the team where appropriate.

Forms of Contact

Contacts with the vendor should efficiently provide exchanges of information, ideas and views.  They should take the most effective format to meet the objective of that particular required contact.

Telephone Calls and written communication

These are ideal for clarification of queries.  It is important that a file note is written immediately to record any significant points.  If new facts or offers emerge which could become contractual in nature, the vendor should be asked to confirm in writing immediately.

Vendor Visits to the Client Organisation

The short listed vendors are encouraged to visit the client prior to demonstrating their systems.  The objective of the visit should be to enhance their understanding of the client requirements and not because they see it as an opportunity to influence the influencers in the evaluation.

Vendor Demonstration and Presentations

This is usually an important factor in the evaluation presentations process.  It is the opportunity to illustrate the proposed system to key influencers.  Very often they will be disproportionately influenced by the quality of this demonstration.  It is important that the demonstrations and presentations address the selection team’s needs for information.

Demonstrations

Vendors usually have standard presentations and demonstrations.  They will normally customise these to provide a session for the selection team.  Although this may be of value, it is usually better to define to the vendor the precise information and aspects of the system that you wish to see presented.  This allows the selection team to investigate the issues which have been identified and to focus on the areas of concern.

Even so, it is usually worthwhile including some general overview of the vendor and the vendor’s proposed solution during which the vendor will be free to present whatever general facts they feel are of most benefit.

The selection team should normally prepare an agenda for the demonstration and/or presentation sessions based on the specific issues relating to that vendor’s proposal.  An example can be found in Examples: System Demonstration Agenda.  Try to give reasonable advance notice of the team’s requests to give the vendor time to prepare a demonstration based on the team’s concerns and interests.

In addition to the noting the issues from the tender, the team may prepare detailed questions which they require to be answered during the demonstrations.  Where these relate to specific aspects of the system that need to be illustrated, the team may issue a demonstration requirements workbook to the vendors prior to the presentation.  The workbook is principally the key requirements checklist restructured to fit the flow of a system demonstration and would additionally include example client data.  The vendor is requested to use the example data and develop a prototype of the solution to enhance the team's comprehension of the system functionality.

A vendor demonstration user workbook, which is a landscape version of the demonstration requirements workbook with column on the right hand side for user comments,  can be provided to the selection team attending the presentation.  The workbook will be used by the team to check off the key requirements addressed during the demonstration and document the strengths and weaknesses noted.

Individual team member’s comments are collated and analysed as part of the evaluation of the preferred vendor.

Some considerations concerning the logistics of the sessions might include:

• In a small team it may be practical for all members to attend all the presentations and demonstrations.  More often, however, it will be necessary to divide the work and delegate.
• Try to cover the range of skills required for the session.  For example, both functional and technical specialists may be required, and it may be necessary to cover several separate functional areas.
• It is a good idea for the project’s sponsor or key decision makers to attend, but this may not always be possible.  If senior staff who are not part of the selection team do attend it is important that there is at least one regular team member to guide them and report back, and they should be briefed and debriefed accordingly.  The use of questionnaires can be of particular value in such cases.
• Although it is convenient to see the system at the client organisation’s location, there is a value in the team seeing the vendor’s own facilities, to judge how effective they are at providing quality service, training facilities etc.