Eye on the Carriers By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 11/24/06

If there's one task that IT executives despise, it's writing a telecom request for proposal. It's time-consuming, detailed and starts a process that most IT execs hate: the sales negotiation. Small wonder that many folks try to avoid writing RFPs altogether, or farm them out to consultants.
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But it's really not that difficult to write a winning RFP yourself. Herewith, some tried-and-true techniques:

* Write the RFP. I'm often asked, "Do we really need to issue an RFP?" Yes, you do. Part of the benefit is acquiring an up-to-date understanding of your true telecom environment. It also forces your team to articulate its plans for the next three to five years. Finally, it's a good opportunity to revisit your expectations and requirements for service-level agreements (SLA).

* Include as many services as possible. The first step in putting together an RFP lies in determining the scope. How many services are you going to request bids on? In general, more is better. That means not only core voice and data services, but also wireless/cellular/mobile services, remote access, managed security services and anything else you're using (or plan to). Why? It gives providers a clearer picture of your current and planned situation. And the more money you can potentially offer them, the more seriously they'll treat the request. Of course, you need to make it clear upfront that you reserve the right to award your business as you see fit - after assessing the responses, you may not decide to consider bids on specific services, for example.