Master RFP Management
Distributing, collecting and analyzing RFPs (Request For Proposal) are essential aspects of strategic sourcing, tender management and negotiation. Traditional methods of facilitating this process have been time consuming and labor intensive. Typically, the RFP process has involved costly and repetitive steps, paper intensive procedures, and burdensome data collection and analysis techniques. While sourcing decisions require procurement professionals to survey and assess data from multiple sources, they often are forced to cut this process short when administrative constraints inhibit them from collecting and analyzing this data in a timely manner.
During RFPs, the person in charge of managing tenders needs to take several time-consuming steps: selecting suppliers, centralizing and collecting all required information and documents, analyzing and qualifying tenders, tracking each tender’s status, etc. It is challenging to efficiently manage these RFPs, especially when more than one supplier is involved. Each supplier can submit several products for the same tenders, multiplying the amount of characteristics’ information and documents received by a company.
Businesses need tools to effectively manage these tenders. Implementing dedicated tools for RFPs will help them: choose the most suitable product/supplier, easily re-use information and data, and facilitate decision-making.
Aptean Food and Beverage PLM Lascom Edition – Your solution to optimize Rfx management
Lascom from Aptean Product Lifecycle Management software (PLM) offers all the features needed to ease the Request For Proposal process. The solution is a collaborative platform, which allows users to automate the exchanges of technical data and specifications and the communication with suppliers. Thanks to Aptean PLM Lascom Edition, it is easy to verify information and documents submitted by each supplier, manage communication with these suppliers, compare proposals and select the most suitable products/suppliers.
RFP definition: initiate exchange with several suppliers, from specifications. The call for tenders is based on a grid composed of lists of criteria defined by the different company’s departments and to which the selected suppliers must respond.
Response to a tender call: After submission of the dossier, each supplier will receive a notification inviting him/her to log on to the secured supplier portal in order to respond to the call for tenders (inputting information, and submitting requested documents). This supplier portal enforces suppliers’ responsibility. They are directly responsible to input all the required information. Therefore, these information and specifications are better controlled, verified and tracked.
Proposals’ analysis: analyze the different proposals in order to select the product(s) that meet the requirements. During this process, several exchanges, between the company and its suppliers, can take place until all the requested information is obtained. The supplier portal streamlines this communication and guarantees that RFPs processing time and deadlines are respected. The electronic signature feature certifies the security and authenticity of data and information.
Selection of the product/supplier mix: customizable dashboards facilitate the proposals’ analysis and management of tenders (comparison of responses, monitoring of the RFPs’ progress and status, RFP profitability analysis, etc.).
