Select Transportation Management Software

Frequently Asked Questions - RFP Checklist - Customer List Pricing at Bottom

Select Transportation Management Software Reliably

Use this TMS software RFP Template containing over 3,200 TMS requirements to accurately select transportation management software (TMS) best suited to your needs. These Transportation Management Software (TMS) requirements are written specifically for complex Transportation environments involving mobile computers, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, real-time dashboards, mobile TMS apps, and much more, enabling you to:

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Eliminate overlooked TMS software requirements - Identify ALL your organization's needs in detail.
Obtain easily evaluated vendor proposals that address ALL needed TMS software features
Assess the Risk inherent in proposed Transportation Management Software
Compare TMS software in terms of Features, Risk, Usability, and Financial Impact
Select TMS software that best fits ALL your organization's requirements

Actual screens and requirements from this TMS software RFP and matching response evaluation matrix are shown below to illustrate how they enables you to successfully identify all critical TMS selection requirements, then evaluate, select, and implement the best Transportation management software solution for your company's needs.

This requirements checklist and RFP address all industry standard TMS topics, including planning and compliance, loading management, dock scheduling, fleet management, mobile computing, and much more, all to ensure the optimum fit to your current and future requirements.

Click to Enlarge	SAVE WEEKS, even MONTHS OF TIME by using thousands of professionally written TMS software RFP statements & questions to communicate your TMS software system requirements quickly and accurately. No need to re-invent the wheel. View typical RFP Table of Contents. View DETAILED TMS software requirements!
Click to Enlarge	IDENTIFY Feature AVAILABILITY & DELIVERABILITY. Unlike other RFPs, Infotivity RFP Masters automatically collect the information needed to identify *BOTH* the AVAILABILITY of software features, and their DELIVERABILITY, i.e., HOW those features will be delivered. Each RFP Master includes a Feature Support Matrix^™ (FSM) to automatically capture this information, which can be used to create very accurate and reliable Transportation management software system implementation schedules. View samples here.
Click Thumbnail to Enlarge	Determine RISK and SUPPORTABILITY. Transportation Management RFP Masters automatically evaluate vendor response data collected to quantitatively determine the SUPPORTABILITY INDEX^™ of each proposed software system. This index ranks the potential support problems inherent in each proposal. Accurately compare the amount of ongoing support needed to keep each proposed TMS software system up and running. Measure the true impact of each system on your business over the long term.
Click to Enlarge	WORKFLOW TOPICS ensure the proposed Transportation management software can be fully integrated and utilized to enhance business procedures at all levels of the enterprise. View Workflow samples here.
Click to Enlarge	VENDOR RESPONSE VALIDATION saves time and effort, and reduces errors, when evaluating vendor TMS proposals. View example here. For a more detailed description of a vendor RFP response validation Click Here!
	EASILY CUSTOMIZED to meet your unique Transportation management system needs, using basic Excel techniques.
	PROVEN MS EXCEL TECHNOLOGY. Everybody already knows Excel. Save time & effort across the board! No installation, no learning curve.

Included with this TMS RFP for Free all evaluation & comparison tools for more detail see below....

Click to Enlarge	"APPLES-to-APPLES" COMPARISON of vendor RFP responses (proposals) is assured by extensive use of quantitative RFP questions and full vendor response validation. Compare proposed TMS system software features side-by-side faster and more accurately with the fully automated Color Comparison Chart^™ matrix included with this Transportation management RFP at no extra charge. View a typical comparison here. To see all evaluation & comparison tools included with this TMS RFP Click Here!
Click to Enlarge	"TMS Response Evaluation Ratios (scores) help you save time. View a typical evaluation ratios here.
Click to Enlarge	AUTOMATED WEIGHTED GRADE POINT SCORING is a quantitative measure of how well a proposed TMS system matches up to your business priorities. This graph compares the overall total scores for each proposed Transportation management system. This Score is based on all TMS vendor responses except Pricing and Vendor Background. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.
Click to Enlarge	Feature Delivery Methods This graph compares HOW each TMS vendor is planning to deliver the proposed Transportation management system. The bars show how much of each competing system is going to be delivered Fully Supported "out-of-the-box", how much will be delivered using the Report Writer, a Configuration option or 3rd Party product, and how much is dependant on Custom Programming & Scripting. The scores used in this TMS comparison are based on responses to TMS system questions only, i.e., no vendor, pricing, or support responses are utilized. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.
Click to Enlarge	Supportability Index A proposed Transportation management system could look very good on paper, but once implementation begins the reality could be very different. The ease with which a TMS system can be implemented and maintained over it's expected life is controlled in large part by the amount of custom programming and scripting required to build & maintain the system. The Supportability Index is based on responses to TMS Software System Features only. This graph compares the potential support effort inherent in each proposed Transportation management system. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.
Click to Enlarge	Overall Comparison This graph compares the total Weighted Score of each proposed Transportation management system along with its Supportability Index and associated Vendor Profile. Use this when assessing the RISK of a proposed TMS system and whether or not the TMS system can indeed be implemented by the proposing TMS vendor successfully. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.
Click to Enlarge	Vendor Profile Scores This graph compares a score measuring the background, expertise, capabilities, and other data collected in the Vendor Global Issues section of the Transportation management RFP. The Vendor Profile Score provides a way of assessing the Capabilities PROFILE of a proposing TMS vendor. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.

This Transportation management RFP also has Supporting Documents INCLUDED:

	COVER LETTER SAMPLES - Make the task easier with this TMS software RFP cover letter template collection. Choose from Letter samples designed for all events, such as "RFP Response Request", "Intent to Respond", "No Intent to Respond", "RFP Change Enclosed", "Proposal Rejection" "Finalist Selection", and "Best & Final Offer Request" to meet your unique TMS needs.
	BPE/BPR/WORKFLOW Checklists - An ideal template for mapping the current "AS-IS" state of an existing TMS process down to the data element level, a time-saving organizer when developing the new "TO-BE" state or determining what is required to implement a new TMS process, or preparing for data conversion.
	Full Version of risk assessment matrix checklist focused on TMS software acquisition and implementation projects for working sample "Click Here"
	the Optimized TMS RFP Guide. Designed to be viewed in a browser off-line, this document outlines the best procedures for creating custom RFP questions. Included or Sold Separately
	The TMS System Cutover Checklist Helps Streamlines Implementation! Included or Sold Separately
	MS Word document describing the organization and usage of the TMS comparison matrix.
	MS Word document describing the organization and usage of the TMS RFP.

(See bottom of this page for pricing information.)

A Detailed & Comprehensive List of:

Transportation Management (TMS) System Features or Requirements
Pre-defined Transportation management RFP criteria ensure no important business requirements or software features "slip through the cracks". All are in a quantitative format that guarantees vendor responses will be meaningful, consistent, and easy to compare. All questions are professionally prepared by application specialists to address BOTH the STANDARD features and EXCEPTION CASE software functions required.
For more criteria detail information Click Here!

Identify BOTH TMS Software Features Availability and Deliverability

Unlike other RFPs that try (and fail) to gather useful solutions data about complex Transportation management system features, RFP Masters are not constrained to the use of summary-level "Yes" or "No" answers. This RFP Master^™ uses a Feature Support Matrix^™ (FSM) that identify BOTH feature AVAILABILITY and DELIVERY Method. This RFP Master function is useful during both the Transportation management software selection AND the system implementation phases of large projects because it enables effective Earned Value Management through detailed cross-referencing of usable software functionality and vendor invoicing.

Determine the Risk & Supportability of Proposed

TMS Software Solutions
Unlike other RFPs, an RFP Master can illustrate potential support problems (and risk) inherent in vendor software proposals. The Feature Support Matrix^™ (FSM) used in each RFP Master^™ categorizes the inherent risk posed for each criteria, and uses that information to calculate the SUPPORTABILITY INDEX^™ for each vendor RFP response. For example, a feature delivered "out of the box" FULLY SUPPORTED is less risky than one delivered through custom programming, even if the programming is free. This RFP Master function is useful during both the software selection AND the implementation phases of a large Transportation management system because it enables effective Earned Value Management through detailed cross-referencing of usable software functionality and vendor invoicing.

Workflow Topics Included.

The ability of the proposed Transportation management software to successfully integrate with existng business process workflows, or implement new workflows, is critical to a achieving the high productivity increases and ROI expected of the new TMS system. This RFP Master examines all pertinent Workflow features in detail.

Vendor Response Input Validation.

Vendors must answer each RFP question by choosing from a pre-defined list of possible responses. See below for an example of this drop-down list. This forces all vendors to respond to each Transportation management (TMS) software question in a consistent, standard manner. Eliminates the days of time typically wasted trying to compare the inconsistent or incomplete vendor responses obtained by using traditional, non-quantitative RFP questions! Ensures vendor proposals are easy to compare and evaluate!

Color-Coded, "Apples-to-Apples" Comparison of Proposed Systems

TMS Software Comparison
These comparison matrices automatically change vendor response cell background color to GREEN, YELLOW, or RED, to reflect how favorable each response is to your needs! Compared to the tedious task of reviewing hundreds of mono-color Yes/No answers, these colored responses allow problem areas to be spotted more easily, and risk assessment is made much more accurate. All required response comparison matrices are included and ready-to-use! Quickly and easily compare Transportation management software system proposals side-by-side, feature by feature, in detailed comparisons you control! Keep your Transportation management project on-schedule and under-budget.

Evaluation Ratios

Use an extensive set of ratio calculations to compare TMS vendor proposals quickly and efficiently.

Weighted Grade Score Graph

Compares the Weighted Grade Point Score calculated for each proposed Transportation management system. This is calculated as follows: The TMS vendor response to each RFP question is assigned an unweighted "raw" score. This raw score is then multiplied by the weight factor you entered previously (default = 1) for that Transportation management RFP question to calculate the weighted score for each response. All of these individual scores are then totaled for use in this comparison. This score is essentially a measure of how well a TMS software system fits your business and software needs, prioritized by the weight (importance level) you assigned to each question in the RFP. In essence, this score measures the SUITABILITY of each proposed Transportation management software system to your overall requirements. . NOTE this score measures just software functionality, and does not include any measure of vendor background, expertise, support, or programming ability.

Feature Delivery Method Comparison:

An analysis of how each TMS vendor is proposing to deliver the system feature/function contained in their TMS proposal. The graph below shows the percentage that is Fully Supported "out-of-the-box", the percentage to be done via Report Writer, a Configuration Parameter, or Third-Party add-in, versus the percentage to be done via Custom Coding (Scripting / Programming). This information is very useful in terms of identifying RISK, since a Fully Supported (and tested) TMS feature presents far less risk than that same TMS feature done as a "custom programming" task. Also, see the Supportability Index, which sums up these detail risk factors.

TMS Supportability Index Graph:

The Supportability Index is a forecast of how much Transportation management software support and maintenance may be required to keep each proposed software system running at full potential over it's lifetime. This score is determined by how much custom coding is required to implement the proposed TMS software, and which business processes depend on the customized software.

Overall Comparison Graph:

This graph compares both the Weighted Grade (Suitability) Score, Supportability Index, and the Vendor Capabilities Profile side-by-side for easy reference. It is important to see how much custom coding is in a proposed transportation management system that also has a high Weighted Score, along with the Vendor Profile. The more custom code, the higher the risk posed by that TMS system. Therefore, the more custom coding, the more expertise and capabilities a vendor should have.

Vendor Profile Score Graph:

The backgrounds, expertise, capabilities, and certifications of each vendor is obtained in the Vendor Global Issues section of the TMS RFP. The Transportation management vendor responses to this section are totaled separately from the software functionality topics, and this data is used to calculate the "Vendor Profile Score". The higher the score, the more CAPABILITIES a vendor is probably going to be.