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I have a pretty good handle on writing code, using Adobe CS3, developing online marketing strategies, SEO, and managing a few Open Source Applications (Word Press among them of course, and last week I developed my own Facebook Application called “Amanda’s Blog”). Fact is, I can build a pretty basic website in my sleep. But when it comes to choosing a vendor to architect, build, and launch a massive project like Coach-Smart.com, I’ve had on-the-job training that might rival the best class at Haas.
Over the past few weeks, my company has been bidding out our project to web development teams. I’m finding that it’s an incredibly complex undertaking and many factors play a part. Each company we’ve spoken to brings new knowledge and insight for me, so this post is an effort to share some of that.
There are four main stages to a web development project. One of our potential vendors calls it the “4 D’s” – Discovery, Design, Development and Deployment. I’d going to focus on the first stage for now, the Discovery phase, because without a well-thought out plan, you can leave way too many things open to interpretation and end up with a product that isn’t what you wanted.
But before I get ahead of myself, I want to take you back to the beginning of our selection process. We outlined the following:
* Who will be making the decision on the vendor?
* What is our schedule and what deadlines do we need to meet? 1st Round and Finalists?
* Who is our target list of vendors?
* When will we finally select the vendor?
* Who will handle the negotiations?
* When will we sign the contract with the vendor?
We started with a site map and supplemental narrative to introduce the project to our vendors, but without fail, each one asked for a more-detailed RFP. I guess a good idea isn’t enough, huh? A solid RFP (Request for Proposal) can mean the difference between great success and total disaster, so I’ve gathered my notes from the various vendors so far, and here is what I’m finding is important to include in an RFP.
* The Basics – Background on your organization, your contact information, a schedule for the proposal process, the factors that will contribute to your decision, and existing technical requirements.
* Summary – A detailed overview of the project, primary and secondary goals, overarching time line, market demographics, budget, general scope, and business requirements.
* Project Specifics – Creative/design requirements, functional requirements, content development needs. We’ve found our site map and narrative of all essential components to be extremely helpful.
Inasmuch as my company has had to provide info to the designers so they can put a bid together, it’s important to tell the company exactly what you want. Here are the vitals we’re asking for.
* About each company – What’s the company’s background? Can we get a quick overview of services and capabilities they offer? Who are the key people at the company and what is their contact information?
* The solution – We’re requesting a basic summary of the proposed solution, a list of tasks, and a timeline.
* The details – What are each company’s original ideas? What kind of features and functionality they can create for us? What is their scalability? What are the processes this project will entail (including the design, development, and deployment plans)?
* The Budget – How much is this going to cost us? Will they be outsourcing any work, and if so, what will that cost? How much will ongoing support and maintenance cost?
* References – Who is the proposed project team? What are some examples of their previous work, and who are their client references? Specifically, we’d like references on the project examples they send.
Finally, I think it’s important to find the right relationship with your vendor. Martin White at InfoToday.com suggests, “What you should be looking for is the way that the vendor communicates their understanding of your requirements and how these requirements will be met, as well as the way in which the vendor team members deal with questions from the Board. One of the selection criteria can usefully be “feel”—do you feel comfortable with the vendor team? One member of this team should be the potential project manager should you select the vendor. Gaining an early indication of their communication skills and relevant experience can be invaluable.”
All told, we’re narrowing down our list of vendors and should be making a selection in the near future. I’ll be sure to post another blog about this when we’ve done some work in Phase 2 – The Design. (Luckily we started this previously with our amazing graphic design firm, Brian Cox design.)
