part one

For this assignment, your team is to create an outline for the Request for Proposal that is due in Week 7. You need to use the information that I provide as well as research RFP formats to come up with one that your team thinks will work for this project. Be sure to cover the basic categories that I have listed below. Your team does not have all of the information that it will need to complete the RFP. The Teleconference with the manager in Week 7 is where you will have the opportunity to learn more about what the company desires and to ask questions that will help your team to complete the RFP.

Note: The RFP is a company document that will be sent to potential bidders. It is not a proposal. Your team will not be responding to the RFP.

Week 7 – Team Assignment – The RFP–Finalize the RFP

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) GROUP ASSIGNMENT – PRESENTATION #3

This presentation information may be modified after your Teleconference with the Manager. Use your notes from your Conference call to update and complete the specifications for your written RFP due in Week 7 and the Presentation due in Week 8.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) GROUP ASSIGNMENT – PRESENTATION #3

Your manager (Chris Matthews) just returned from a Rotary Club luncheon where she heard a speaker claiming tremendously increased sales for firms who have outfitted their sales personnel with smart phones. The manager has had a company smart phone for a couple of years, and knows how convenient they are to use. She also has been convinced that sales personnel can use such a tool in numerous ways that will benefit the company.

Background on your company, Management Dimensions, Inc.

The company is a commercial cleaning company with offices in Ohio and Michigan. It has a sales staff of 10. Chris Matthews is the vice president. The company is on the verge of opening in two additional states, Pennsylvania and Florida. The company focuses on hospitals and large office businesses/complexes. The company’s sales force has not been equipped with smart phones, but Matthews believes this is the direction that the company should take to help increase sales and to be able to compete in the new markets.

Your team’s assignment:

Your manager asks your group to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to use to solicit bids to equip ten sales people in your department with smart phones. She desires to purchase contracts with a minimum number of hours for the first year, research the effectiveness of the use, and then decide if the contract minutes need to be increased. Your assignment is to prepare a written RFP that the company will send to qualified bidders.

While preparing the written RFP (one per group), the group needs to conduct research to determine other features that the company might want to include in the RFP.

Your team will need to develop a framework for the RFP that includes the following: Background on the company, the specific services that you are requiring, the budget, the timeline, qualifications of potential bidders, proposal selection and evaluation criteria, a contact person, the terms, and the exact format that responders are required to follow to submit bids. See the complete list below.

Your team knows that it could use more information to prepare the RFP. Your team will have the opportunity to discuss the RFP in more detail with your Manager in the Telephone Conference to be held at TO BE ANNOUNCED.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) GRADING SHEET

RFPs take many different forms. Each form reflects a different organization, culture, set of priorities, skills and requirements. After reviewing a variety of RFPs, you will see that many of them have four sections in common: ground rules, system requirements, evaluation criteria, and format of the proposal. The following is just a sample format, but the four categories will be important to include.

Purpose/Ground Rules (25%)

• Identifies the goal for the project
• Purpose for the RFP
• Name of the person to contact for further information
• Number of response copies required
• Timetable of relevant dates for the project

System Requirements (45%)

• Specific functional requirements for the product
• Experiential requirements for the vendor
• Define the user needs or problems
• State the performance expected from the new system/equipment·
• Identify any known shortcomings of existing systems that you wish to correct
• Include a table of key transaction volumes both now, at peak use and for several years in the future
• Define the milestones and articulate the expected completion date for each
• Define requirements for installation, training or other services
• Define warranty period and request maintenance contract pricing

Evaluation Criteria (15%)

• Identifies how the decision is made – how the most appropriate vendor will be selected.
• Rank/Weight/Score
• Cost
• Features – technical specifications
• Fit
• Support services available
• Contractual conditions
• Functional absolutes
• Narrative responses
• Oral interview
• Demonstrations

Proposal Format (15%)

• Describes the required structure of the proposal (vendor response)
• Functional checklist – yes or no
• Complex checklist – have or develop
• Narrative
• Typical Vendor Response Format

o Letter of Transmittal

o Executive Summary

o Our Understanding of the Requirements

o Proposed Equipment, Software and Services

o Costs

o Physical Requirements

o Training

o Conversion Plan

o Reliability and Back-Up

o Project Plan and Timetable

o Standard Agreements

Part 2 below

Week 7 – Team Assignment – The RFP–Finalize the RFP

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) GROUP ASSIGNMENT – PRESENTATION #3

This presentation information may be modified after your Teleconference with the Manager. Use your notes from your Conference call to update and complete the specifications for your written RFP due in Week 7 and the Presentation due in Week 8.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) GROUP ASSIGNMENT – PRESENTATION #3

Your manager just returned from a Rotary Club luncheon where she heard a speaker claiming tremendously increased sales for firms who have outfitted their sales personnel with smart phones. The manager has had a company smart phone for a couple of years, and knows how convenient they are to use. She also has been convinced that sales personnel can use such a tool in numerous ways that will benefit the company.

Your assignment:

Your manager asks your group to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to use to solicit bids to equip ten sales people in your department with smart phones. She desires to purchase contracts with a minimum number of hours for the first year, research the effectiveness of the use, and then decide if the contract minutes need to be increased. Your assignment is to prepare a written RFP that the company will send to qualified bidders.

While preparing the written RFP (one per group), the group needs to conduct research to determine other features that the company might want to include in the RFP.

Your team will need to develop a framework for the RFP that includes the following: Background on the company, the specific services that you are requiring, the budget, the timeline, qualifications of potential bidders, proposal selection and evaluation criteria, a contact person, the terms, and the exact format that responders are required to follow to submit bids. See the complete list below.

Your team knows that it could use more information to prepare the RFP. Your team will have the opportunity to discuss the RFP in more detail with your Manager in the Telephone Conference to be held at TO BE ANNOUNCED.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) GRADING SHEET

RFPs take many different forms. Each form reflects a different organization, culture, set of priorities, skills and requirements. After reviewing a variety of RFPs, you will see that many of them have four sections in common: ground rules, system requirements, evaluation criteria, and format of the proposal. The following is just a sample format, but the four categories will be important to include.

Purpose/Ground Rules (25%)

• Identifies the goal for the project
• Purpose for the RFP
• Name of the person to contact for further information
• Number of response copies required
• Timetable of relevant dates for the project

System Requirements (45%)

• Specific functional requirements for the product
• Experiential requirements for the vendor
• Define the user needs or problems
• State the performance expected from the new system/equipment·
• Identify any known shortcomings of existing systems that you wish to correct
• Include a table of key transaction volumes both now, at peak use and for several years in the future
• Define the milestones and articulate the expected completion date for each
• Define requirements for installation, training or other services
• Define warranty period and request maintenance contract pricing

Evaluation Criteria (15%)

• Identifies how the decision is made – how the most appropriate vendor will beselected.
• Rank/Weight/Score
• Cost
• Features – technical specifications
• Fit
• Support services available
• Contractual conditions
• Functional absolutes
• Narrative responses
• Oral interview
• Demonstrations

Proposal Format (15%)

• Describes the required structure of the proposal (vendor response)
• Functional checklist – yes or no
• Complex checklist – have or develop
• Narrative
• Typical Vendor Response Format

o Letter of Transmittal

o Executive Summary

o Our Understanding of the Requirements

o Proposed Equipment, Software and Services

o Costs

o Physical Requirements

o Training

o Conversion Plan

o Reliability and Back-Up

o Project Plan and Timetable

o Standard Agreements

Part 3 below

Week 8 Team Assignment–Selling the RFP

Of Importance. While this is a team assignment, only one member of the team can be the presenter. This means that all team members must work together to create the final presentation, but only one person should record the presentation. The goal of the presentation is to convince Management Dimension to use your team’s RFP to send to potential bidders. All team members, if they participate in the assignment, will earn the same points. The presentation should be approximately 5 minutes in length. Remember this is a persuasive presentation.

Your team will complete a PowerPoint and Webcam oral presentation using Screencast-O-Matic. The presenter needs to insert a webcam image next to the PowerPoint and capture both together. The presenter then records the presentation as was done previously. The audience will be able to see the PowerPoint presentation and the presenter as he or she delivers using a webcam. The webcam image should be about 1″ or so.

The purpose of the presentation is for the team to convince the Manager to select the team’s RFP to use for the cellular service project.

Grading Criteria

ADVANCED BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

GROUP PRESENTATIONS (BUSINESS TOPICS, DIVERSITY AND RFP)

GRADE CALCULATION

Content (30% total)

Introduction – of all team members

Attention-getting opening

Purpose of presentation

Identification of secondary sources

Body/Discussion

Clear, concise development of details

Identification and use of secondary research material

Meaningful Conclusion

Appropriately Introduced

Summary of points to remember

Overall Effectiveness (35%)

Did the group share the information in an appropriate and effective manner?

Was the information meaningful?

Did the presentation flow from one member to the next? NA

Was the purpose of the presentation fulfilled?

Did the group meet the time requirements? (approximately 5 minutes/member)

Individual Performance (25%) – All team members will earn points from the presenter’s delivery.

There is a potential of twenty points that will assigned based on performance.

Vocal Components. Appearance, gestures (desirable), mannerisms (undesirable), eye contact, poise/confidence

Overall Efficiency (10%)

Preparation

Organization

Active participation