Rating: 
Summary: Good Resource
Review: A great resource for preparation and review of an RFP. A helpful guide for people with and without RFP experience.
Rating:
Summary: Good Resource
Review: A great resource for preparation and review of an RFP. A helpful guide for people with and without RFP experience.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable resource for outsourcing products or services
Review: Any organization that outsources development projects, buys package solutions, or contracts for other services will find "Request for Proposal" valuable. Filling a significant void in the literature, this book provides a wealth of practical guidance to help buyers describe their needs clearly and completely. In turn, these descriptions enable prospective vendors to prepare comprehensive and meaningful responses that will let a buyer get the best solution for its money. The book emphasizes writing RFPs for software-related projects, but the principles and practices apply to any acquisition activity.The book addresses the process of developing RFPs and evaluating proposals. It also describes in detail the sections of a well-constructed RFP and offers guidance as to how to prepare each section. Instead of presenting a simplistic prescription, the book addresses both sides of issues that are not clear cut, such as whether to include the details of the proposal evaluation criteria in the RFP. These discussions help readers understand the various points of view so they can select for themselves the appropriate course to take in each situation. The book includes many checklists, forms, examples, and practical tips. It is clearly written, easy to read, and comprehensive. I found this book very helpful as I developed a software subcontract management process recently. Every time I pick it up I spot another tidbit to consider adding to the process. "Request for Proposal" is a gold mine of useful ideas for anyone who has to ask vendors to describe how they propose to satisfy a buyer's requirements.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable resource for outsourcing products or services
Review: Any organization that outsources development projects, buys package solutions, or contracts for other services will find "Request for Proposal" valuable. Filling a significant void in the literature, this book provides a wealth of practical guidance to help buyers describe their needs clearly and completely. In turn, these descriptions enable prospective vendors to prepare comprehensive and meaningful responses that will let a buyer get the best solution for its money. The book emphasizes writing RFPs for software-related projects, but the principles and practices apply to any acquisition activity. The book addresses the process of developing RFPs and evaluating proposals. It also describes in detail the sections of a well-constructed RFP and offers guidance as to how to prepare each section. Instead of presenting a simplistic prescription, the book addresses both sides of issues that are not clear cut, such as whether to include the details of the proposal evaluation criteria in the RFP. These discussions help readers understand the various points of view so they can select for themselves the appropriate course to take in each situation. The book includes many checklists, forms, examples, and practical tips. It is clearly written, easy to read, and comprehensive. I found this book very helpful as I developed a software subcontract management process recently. Every time I pick it up I spot another tidbit to consider adding to the process. "Request for Proposal" is a gold mine of useful ideas for anyone who has to ask vendors to describe how they propose to satisfy a buyer's requirements.
Rating:
Summary: Words from the author
Review: How do you write an RFP? How long does it take? How much will it cost? Can you send me an example? Are there RFP software programs that you can use? How many people do I need to write it? How many vendors should I send it to? How do you evaluate proposals? These are only a few of the questions that this book answers, and why I wrote this book. All companies, large or small, must eventually write an RFP. Since I started writing RFPs for companies, I have learned that there is very little corporate history for writing RFPs, that the players change all the time, Purchasing may or may not have a role, and that each department writes its own RFP. In other words, I have learned by doing because there were no teachers, books, or seminars. This book provides you with the basic format, guidelines, and, in many cases, the actual materials for an RFP. The book will not write your RFP for you, but it will help you to write a better RFP, evaluate proposals, and answer many of your questions about RFPs. I wish this book had been available fifteen years ago - and now it is. Bud Porter-Roth
Porter-Roth Associates...
Rating:
Summary: Well Satisfied
Review: I found this book exceedingly helpful for someone who knows little about the RFP process. It provided a complete understanding of the contents and rationale behind RFP writing and would be an excellent primer for someone new to this process.
Rating:
Summary: Informative and detailed
Review: I highly recommend this book if you have never written an RFP before. It is easy to follow, provides good insite into writing an RFP document, and gives adequate samples that explain the process.
Rating:
Summary: The RFP book that htelp me to do the job well done
Review: I was in charge to define the RFP for a big imaging system project and this book gave me the tools to plan, supervise and create the RFP that point out the requirements, so the providers can easily develop the correct solution in their proposal. This book is ahead. Has very good explanation (easy to read and understand), well structured and the examples are good to have a clear idea of the content that should have all the topic of the RFP. It gave me the tools to map the plan, the definition of the requirements and the development of the RFP document. This book must be in any library.
Rating:
Summary: Response to the Granitesun review - from the author
Review: I would like to point out that in the Preface to the book I say that the examples in the book are primarily from the technology sector but I believe that the processes and structures described in this book can be applied to purchasing all types of products. I also talk about this "issue" in the first chapter. While Granitesun may disagree with the book contents, I don't believe, as implied, that the book is misleading in its intent. From the Preface, "While this book is directed toward the computer system project, the disciplines of gathering requirements, organizing and writing an RFP, and interacting with suppliers during and after the RFP has been issued can be applied in many other contexts. ....However, this book does not cover every type of application for every project; some parts may not apply to your specific needs." I strongly disagree with Granitesun and his/her point of view.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable book for any RFP endeavor
Review: Mr. Porter-Roth's book is an invaluable resource for anyone challenged with the development of an RFP or responding to one. Having been involved many times on both the user's side for developing RFPs and evaluating responses and on the vendor's side responding to RFPs, one of the most valuable statements is that the RFP process is a partnership between the user organization and the responding vendors. Mr. Porter-Roth's advice for adhering to a well-defined structure of the RFP and the mandatory requirement on the vendor to respond according to the structure can save hours of confusion and frustration for purchasing and the users when evaluating RFP responses. The payback on an investment in this book will be manyfold.
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