Documentation
Request for proposal

An RFP lists the design requirements of a customer and the types of solutions a network design must include. Organizations send RFPs to vendors and design consultants and use the responses they receive to identify the suppliers that can meet their requirements. RFP responses help organizations compare competing designs, product capabilities, pricing, and service and support alternatives.

Some organizations specify the required format for the RFP response. If this is the case, the initial design document should follow the prescribed format and structure provided by the customer. Organizations that specify a format may refuse to read responses that do not follow the requested format. In some cases, the customer may request a follow-up document that provides more detailed information on the logical and physical network design.

Some RFPs are in the form of a questionnaire. In this case, the questions should determine how the proposal is organized. Embellishments that focus on key requirements and the selling points of the design can be added, unless the RFP specifically states that they should not be added.

Although every organization handles RFPs in a slightly different manner, most RFPs require that the responses include some or all of the topics shown in Figure .

Despite the fact that a response to an RFP must stay within the guidelines specified by the customer, ingenuity should still be used to ensure that the response highlights the benefits of the design. Based on an analysis of the business and technical goals of the customer, and the flow and characteristics of network traffic, write the response so the reader can easily recognize that the design satisfies critical selection criteria.

When writing the response, be sure to consider the competition. Try to predict what other vendors or design consultants might propose so the response can emphasize the aspects of the solution that are likely to be superior to competing designs. It is also important to pay attention to the business style of the customer. Remember the importance of understanding customer biases and any office politics or project history that could affect the perception of the proposed design.


Lab Activity

Lab Exercise: Request for Proposal

In this lab, the student will determine the best placement and coverage for the APs through the use of the wireless client adapter site survey utility.

Lab Activity

Lab Exercise: RFP Response

In this lab, students will prepare a response to a Request for Proposal for the addition of a wireless local area network to an existing wired LAN. Student teams should compete against each other by responding to the same RFP.

Lab Activity

Lab Exercise: Review of RFP Response

In this lab, students will review their responses to the RFP and determine if the responses meet the requirements of the RFP. Students shall rank the responses according to how well they addressed the RFP.