Market Research Guide – Gathering Additional Information

Task / How? / Considerations
Assemble a list of possible vendors. / Do your research through the following avenues:
  1. Internet search
  2. Access industry analysts such as Gartner, Forrester and AMR
  3. Talk to members of your network in other firms or industries – see who they have used/recommend
  4. Ask for recommendations from your Software vendor
/ If you have specific requirements such as location of vendor – use this to shorten the list immediately to avoid wasted time.
Remember, there is a tiered system to many consulting partners – from large/global firms to regional and specialized forms. Be sure to consider the risks and advantages to each. For example, a large will most likely offer a wide selection of consultant resumes but will also likely come at a higher price.
Create a request for information (RFI) - optional / Use the Request for Information Template and Guide from the SI Toolkit. Information requests generally include: vendor company information, vendor’s recommended approach for this class/type of project, project management methodology, implementation methodology, select sample documents, and details of past experiences. / In the event additional information is required in order to execute an effective RFP process, an RFI may be used to gather information from vendors, which will then be incorporated, into the RFP.
Schedule and execute vendor oral presentations - optional / Review vendor RFI written responses and provide vendors with areas for further drill down or discussion. Schedule vendor meetings within timeframe provided in the RFI document. / Decide in advance if oral presentations will be considered, if so provide a range of dates in the RFI when these will occur.
Incorporate learning’s into the RFP. / Use the Request for Proposal Template and Guide from the SI Toolkit.
Execute RFP process / Use the Request for Proposal Template and Guide from the SI Toolkit.

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