🏢 Stage 6 — RFI: Request for Information
Before moving to a formal RFP, Acme may use an RFI to understand the market and assess vendor capability.
❓ What Is an RFI?
A Request for Information is used to gather high-level inputs from vendors on their experience, capabilities, delivery approach, and relevant credentials.
It is not a pricing exercise and does not require a full solution proposal.
An RFI is typically used when the buyer needs more clarity before finalizing the RFP scope. In simpler or well-understood scenarios, this stage may be skipped and the process may move directly to RFP creation.
👥 Who Is Involved
Customer (Acme)
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Procurement | Leads the process |
| Enterprise Architects | Evaluate technical capability |
| IT Leadership | Provide strategic direction |
Vendor
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Sales / Pre-sales Teams | Manage response and positioning |
| Solution Architects | Provide technical inputs and approach |
🛠 What Happens
Acme sends RFI to multiple vendors. Vendors respond with:
- Company profile
- Experience: Cloud migrations
- Experience: SAP / ERP transformations
- High-level approach
- Case studies
- Certifications (e.g., Azure, AWS)
- More details, as applicable
📦 Output
- Shortlist of vendors (e.g., 2–4 vendors)
👉 Only shortlisted vendors move to RFP stage
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