Help Desk Software Selection RFP

Unlike others, this RFP template is not limited to collecting just basic information about vendor background, feature availability, and pricing.  This RFP template provides very powerful, unique functions for collecting additional information from vendors about proposed HDS system risk, potential HDS implementation problems, and on-going support issues as well. This enables Infotivity RFP templates to provide help desk system (HDS) evaluation and selection accuracy far beyond that of other RFPs.   (See the optimized RFP Capability Checklist)

Competes RFP template with full venpor response tools. This HDS RFP toolkit includes the matching Vendor RFP Response Evaluation Tools shown below to illustrate how they enable you to easily collect the unique metrics needed to successfully identify, acquire, and implement the help desk software solution best suited to your company's needs.

View the optimized RFP Capability Checklist    View Help Desk System (HDS) Comparison & Evalutation Tools.    View Service Desk System RFP Tools Set
Obtain answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

About this RFP Template:

Click to Enlarge & Read TOC	Click to View RFP Table of Contents (TOC).   SAVE WEEKS, even MONTHS OF TIME by using thousands of professionally written HDS software RFP statements & questions functions to communicate your software system requirements and selection functions quickly. No need to re-invent the wheel. View typical RFP Table of Contents.
Click to Enlarge	Click to View RFP Samples. IDENTIFY Feature AVAILABILITY & DELIVERABILITY. Unlike other RFPs, Infotivity RFP Masters automatically collect the information needed to identify BOTH the AVAILABILITY of HDS 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 help desk software system implementation schedules. View samples here.
Click to Enlarge	Determine RISK and SUPPORTABILITY. RFP Masters automatically evaluate vendor response data collected to quantitatively determine the SUPPORTABILITY INDEX™ of each proposed HDS 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 HDS software system up and running. Measure the true impact of each system on your business over the long term.  View sample here.
Click to Enlarge	VENDOR RESPONSE VALIDATION saves time and effort, and reduces errors, when evaluating vendor software proposals. View example here.
	EASILY CUSTOMIZED to meet your unique help desk 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.

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 system HDS software features side-by-side faster and more accurately with the fully automated Color Comparison Chart™ matrix included with this RFP at no extra charge. View a typical comparison here.
Click to Enlarge	"HDS 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 HDS software system matches up to your business priorities. This graph compares the overall total scores for each proposed system. This Score is based on all 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 HDS vendor is planning to deliver the proposed help desk 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 HDS comparison are based on responses to HDS 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 help desk system could look very good on paper, but once implementation begins the reality could be very different. The ease with which a HDS 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 Help Desk Software System Features only. This graph compares the potential support effort inherent in each proposed help desk system. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.
Click to Enlarge	Overall Comparison This graph compares the total Weighted Score of each proposed help desk system along with its Supportability Index and associated Vendor Profile. Use this when assessing the RISK of a proposed HDS system and whether or not the HDS system can indeed be implemented by the proposing help desk 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 help desk RFP. The Vendor Profile Score provides a way of assessing the Capabilities PROFILE of a proposing HDS vendor. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.

This Help Desk RFP also has Supporting Documents INCLUDED:

	Cover Letter Samples - Make the task easier with this help desk 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 help desk system needs.
	Full Version of risk assessment matrix checklist focused on HDS mgm't system acquisition and implementation projects for working sample "Click Here"
	the Optimized help desk RFP Guide. Designed to be viewed in a browser off-line, this document outlines the best procedures for creating custom HDS RFP questions. Included or Sold Separately
	The Help Desk System Cutover Checklist Helps Streamlines Implementation! Included or Sold Separately
	MS Word document describing the organization and usage of the HDS comparison matrix.

      A Detailed & Comprehensive List of:

      Identify BOTH Software Features Availability and Deliverability

      Unlike other RFPs that try (and fail) to gather useful solutions data about complex help desk 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 help desk 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

      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 help desk 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

      Evaluation Ratios

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

      Weighted Grade Score Graph

      Compares the Weighted Grade Point Score calculated for each proposed help desk system. This is calculated as follows: The HDS 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 help desk 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 HDS 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 help desk 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 HDS vendor is proposing to deliver the system feature/function contained in their HDS 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) help desk feature presents far less risk than that same HDS feature done as a "custom programming" task. Also, see the Supportability Index, which sums up these detail risk factors.

      HDS Supportability Index Graph:

      The Supportability Index is a forecast of how much help desk 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 help desk 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 help desk system that also has a high Weighted Score, along with the Vendor Profile. The more custom code, the higher the risk posed by that help desk system (HDS). 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 HDS RFP. The help desk 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.

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