Distribution Accounting & WMS System RFP Template / Requirements Checklist

This Ready-to-Use RFP Master^™ is focused on selecting distribution accounting system software solutions, and provides capabilities that go far beyond those of a traditional RFP.  This RFP Master utilizes highly detailed, quantitative RFP questions to ensure key requirements are not overlooked, and collects information from vendors about all aspects of their proposed distribution accounting & warehouse management software system in a format that can be easily compared "apples-to-apples" when evaluating either on-premise or web based software proposals.   Very easy to customize.  Use it to query vendors with in-depth, detailed RFP questions about:

This RFP presents detailed questions about SaaS, Cloud and on-premis server-based computing and security. Actual screens and questions from this RFP are shown below to illustrate how it enables you to easily collect the unique metrics needed to successfully identify, acquire, and implement the distribution accounting & warehouse management software solution best suited to your company's needs.

Click to Enlarge	SAVE WEEKS, even MONTHS OF TIME by using 3,180 criteria to quickly and accurately identify your exact needs, then simply delete the rest to easily create an unbiased distribution accounting RFP that best communicates your specific requirements to vendors!  Use this Excel-based, universally understood, and highly customizable template.  In addition, a detailed Feature to Cost Traceability function helps assure a smoother system inplementation and maximum ROI. View typical RFP Table of Contents.
Click to Enlarge	IDENTIFY Feature AVAILABILITY & DELIVERABILITY. Unlike other distribution accounting software 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 distribution accounting RFP Master includes a Feature Support Matrix™ (FSM) to automatically capture this information, which can be used to create very accurate and reliable distribution accounting & warehouse management software system implementation schedules. View samples here.
Click to Enlarge	Determine RISK and SUPPORTABILITY. Distribution Accounting Software 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 accounting software system for distributors 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 distribution accounting software proposals. View example here. For a more detailed description of a vendor RFP response validation Click Here!
	EASILY CUSTOMIZED to meet your unique distribution accounting & warehouse 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.

Click to Enlarge	"APPLES-to-APPLES" DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNTING COMPARISON of vendor RFP responses (proposals) is assured by extensive use of quantitative RFP questions and full vendor response validation. Compare proposed distribution accounting system 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	"distribution accounting 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 distribution accounting system matches up to your business priorities. This graph compares the overall total scores for each proposed accounting & warehouse management system. This Score is based on all distribution accounting 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 distribution accounting vendor is planning to deliver the proposed accounting & warehouse 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 distribution accounting comparison are based on responses to distribution accounting 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 accounting & warehouse management system could look very good on paper, but once implementation begins the reality could be very different. The ease with which a distribution accounting 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 distribution accounting Software System Features only. This graph compares the potential support effort inherent in each proposed accounting & warehouse 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 accounting & warehouse management system along with its Supportability Index and associated Vendor Profile. Use this when assessing the RISK of a proposed distribution accounting system and whether or not the distribution accounting system can indeed be implemented by the proposing distribution accounting 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 accounting & warehouse management RFP. The Vendor Profile Score provides a way of assessing the Capabilities PROFILE of a proposing distribution accounting vendor. View sample 3-D Bar Chart comparison here.

      (See bottom of this page for pricing information.)

      A Detailed & Comprehensive List of:

      Identify BOTH Accounting Software Features Availability and Deliverability

      Unlike other RFPs that try (and fail) to gather useful solutions data about complex distribution accounting & warehouse 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 Distribution Accounting RFP Master function is useful during both the distribution accounting & warehouse 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

      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 distribution accounting & warehouse management 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 distributor accounting vendor proposals quickly and efficiently.

      Weighted Grade Score Graph

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

      Distribution Accounting Supportability Index Graph:

      The Supportability Index is a forecast of how much accounting & warehouse 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 distribution accounting 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 accounting & warehouse 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 distribution accounting 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 distribution accounting RFP. The accounting & warehouse 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.

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