When the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA) began looking to move its data to a more modern, flexible system, it had a handful of Canadian software companies to choose from. To find the right supplier, it issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) worth more than $3 million for a project that will last for about 18 months.

The companies that won this contract show the critical role partnerships play in a successful RFP bid.

Teamwork key to success
The winning bidder was Govern Software Inc., a Montreal-based company with 25 employees. Despite its size, it has a track record of more than 75 successful software installations across North America in the past 20 years. But this alone did not make it a winner.

"We probably would not have won the RFP without our partners," said Alain Richard, Govern's director of Business Development. "Although we do some installations, with the size of the SAMA project, we certainly needed to leverage the energies of our systems integration partners and resellers."

The first key partner was Systems Design Inc. (SDI), an Omaha U.S.-based consultant and integrator, which brought its sales and customer service expertise to the table. SDI has 20 employees.

Although project leaders who issue RFPs generally view smaller companies, such as Govern and SDI, as responsive and personable, they like the security of a large company. This consistently tips the scales in favour of large, well-branded corporations.

Govern and SDI solved this issue by partnering with the Regina office of CGI, North America's fourth largest independent information technology services firm, for project management. This not only gave the proposal the weight of an international brand but also a local presence.

"We certainly took our time in scoping this opportunity and ensured we had the key players," said Richard. "We have CGI acting as a consultant and local project manager, SDI's expertise working face-to-face with customers, and Govern's years of experience in the field of land management."

Getting on the shortlist
Other factors that Richard says are critical to RFP success include:

• References from past customers. As part of its selection process, SAMA called officials in three U.S. municipalities that had chosen Govern's software.
• Exposure to potential customers long before formal RFPs are released. Govern is active in the International Association of Assessing Officers and attends all of its conferences and tradeshows to meet key players and get a sense of their issues. Govern representatives were acquainted with SAMA representatives prior to the RFP process.

Is it worth the risk?
As Govern's partner, SDI president Tom Jizba says, this is both a blessing and a curse. Each new prospect brings a new challenge to balance staff time between the sales support needed to close a short-listed RFP and fulfilling the needs of current customers.

For this reason, Jizba says companies must be judicious about entering an RFP process.

"If you are a finalist in one RFP process and a new opportunity comes along, you have to decide, "Do I let this new proposal process impact my potential for winning and closing the other proposal?" He adds, "It's a daily task to balance the risks with the rewards."