Responding to an RFP: A Vendor's Viewpoint

A typical vendor of library automation systems cannot, and most likely will not want to, respond to all requests for proposals (RFPs) that it receives. Certain “elimination factors” contribute to the decision to bid or not bid. These include: 1) specifications for the use of computer equipment not employed by the vendor; 2) required features not provided by the vendor's software; 3) performance requirements not met or performed differently by the vendor; 4) a “wired” RFP based on a competitor's system; 5) the size and complexity of the RFP itself; and 6) competition for a vendor's time, such as posed by numerous other previously‐received RFPs that must be answered.