Building a Better RFP: A Practical Guide to Choosing the Right Automation Partner

Investing in automation is a major decision – one that affects everything from operational efficiency to customer satisfaction. But before you can reap the benefits, you need the right partner. And that starts with a solid Request for Proposal (RFP).

What is an RFP?

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a formal document that organizations use to solicit bids from potential vendors or service providers. It outlines the project requirements, objectives, and evaluation criteria to ensure vendors can provide comprehensive, competitive, and comparable proposals. A well-structured RFP streamlines the vendor selection process and helps organizations find the best solution for their needs.

A well-crafted RFP doesn’t just result in better vendor responses; it accelerates your decision-making and ensures you’re comparing apples to apples. Getting there starts with asking the right questions – of both your vendors and your internal team.

Clarify key objectives before you write

Before you start drafting your RFP, make sure you’ve addressed these considerations:

• What problem are we solving? Clearly identify the operational pain points driving the need for automation – is it labor shortages, rising order volumes, expanding SKU counts, or a combination of factors?
• What are our success metrics? Define how you’ll measure success: labor savings, throughput increases, error reductions, or other key performance indicators.
• What’s our budget? Establishing a clear budget framework upfront prevents wasted time on options that aren’t financially viable.
• What’s our timeline? Be realistic about internal decision-making processes, implementation windows, and how your timeline aligns with peak operational periods to avoid disruptions during high-volume seasons.
• How are we going to buy? Decide whether your organization plans to buy direct or work through a trusted systems integrator (SI). If you plan to purchase through an SI, consider naming preferred technologies or vendors you’d like included in their proposal – for example, automation platforms like Berkshire Grey. This helps ensure alignment with your broader solution strategy and simplifies comparison across proposals. 

By clarifying these points internally, you’ll craft a more purposeful RFP and receive more targeted proposals in return.

Bring the Right Stakeholders to the Table

An effective RFP captures the priorities of your entire organization, not just procurement. To ensure broad alignment and a well-rounded perspective, involve the following groups:

• Operations Leaders: They understand the day-to-day operational challenges the solution needs to solve.
• IT Stakeholders: Integration, data security, and infrastructure compatibility are essential for long-term success.
• Finance Teams: To ensure proposals align with capital investment strategies, payment terms, and anticipated ROI.
• Procurement/Sourcing: To oversee the process, ensure competitive bidding, and manage contractual details.
• Legal Teams: To review and establish appropriate terms and conditions and coordinate NDAs, ensuring contractual compliance and risk mitigation.
• Bonus – End Users/Facility Managers (when possible): Involving the individuals who will use and maintain the solution can offer practical insights into functionality.

Involving these stakeholders early helps uncover important considerations that shape a more balanced RFP.

Best Practices for a Stronger, Smarter RFP

Before you send out your RFP, it’s important to structure it in a way that encourages strong, comparable responses. These best practices help ensure vendors stay aligned with your objectives and simplify your evaluation process:

• Be Transparent About Your Goals: Clearly articulate your objectives so vendors can tailor their responses. Providing detailed context about your current description of operations and the expected scope of work allows vendors to deliver more precise proposals. Don’t just ask vendors to list features – ask how their solution addresses your specific business challenges and the results you can expect.
• Standardize the Response Format: Give vendors a structured template to follow. This makes it easier to compare proposals side-by-side and reduces irrelevant content.
• Set Clear Timelines: Lay out expected milestones for the RFP process, from final presentations to contract award, to keep things moving efficiently.
• Require Use Cases and References: Request case studies or success stories from similar industries or use cases to validate vendor claims.
• Legal Protections: Include a confidentiality statement noting that all RFP content is confidential and protected under copyright law. By accepting the RFP, vendors agree not to share or use its contents beyond preparing a response. Require a signed NDA with the RFP or ensure one is in place beforehand.

Helpful Attachments to Strengthen Your RFP

Supporting documentation provides vendors with a clearer picture of your operational environment and priorities. This additional context leads to more informed, customized responses. Consider attaching the following to your RFP:

• Current operational workflows or layouts (if applicable).
• System performance targets or operational KPIs.
• Example order profiles, item master data, or throughput data.
• Site photos or facility diagrams.
• Detailed pricing templates (Excel).
• Terms and conditions draft.
• NDA template for execution.

These resources help vendors better understand your business, allowing for more accurate scoping, planning, and pricing.

How You’ll Evaluate Vendor Proposals

Outlining your evaluation criteria upfront helps vendors focus their responses and streamlines internal decision-making. Consider including a weighted scoring framework like the one below: