Choosing an IT managed services company can be a challenging exercise and, like recruiting a member of staff, it’s difficult to tell if they are going to be any good just from their CV, or in this case, website.
So, here are a few tips and a template to assist you to write a Request for Quotation and find the right IT company.
Make sure your IT managed Services company is the right fit.
Choose an IT company that shares your values and way of working, so they become part of the team. Also, make sure your IT provider plans regular meetings to help keep the IT work and the business strategy aligned.
Also remember, don’t choose a company that is too large because they will not easily flex to your requirements.
How to write a Request for Quotation to get what you need
1. Overview
Firstly, introduce yourself. Write a summary of your business, your values and what you do. As a result, this helps the company get to know you a bit better and tells them if your values align.
2. Purpose
Next, define the purpose of your request. Summerise what you hope to achieve as a result of the request.
3. Submission details
How would you like your quotation and proposal submitted? You need to provide a submission deadline and contact details in case there are any questions.
4. The IT situation overview
Then, you need to summerise the situation you are in currently. Split this into four sections.
- Your company. Describe the structure of your business. Make sure you include geographies, departments and sizes, suppliers and turnover, if appropriate.
- IT infrastructure. Describe in detail your physical IT infrastructure, including all your assets.
- Software. List all the software you use.
- Information security. Detail how extensive your data records are and how you protect them.
5. Critical Success Factors
The next stage is to define what you would like to get out of an IT partnership.
6. Certification requirements.
List any certifications you would need them to have for them to progress further with the tender process. For example, companies without an ISO27001 certification or Cybre Essentials Plus are not externally audited so they have no easy way to prove they hold your data securely.
7. General information.
Here, list the general information you would like from the IT company. For example, contact details, turnover, the total number of clients, location of offices and number of staff.
8. Response
Detail how you would like them to respond. For example, ask them to outline their IT strategy, approach and proposal, cost, duration of work and additional details you might have missed. You may want to limit the number of words for each response to prevent you having to trawl through reams of text.
9. Evaluation criteria
Then, detail how you will assess them with evaluation criteria.
10. Ts&Cs
After this, outline any terms and conditions you may have.
11. Timeline
Lastly, outline the timeline of events from scoping and shortlisting right the way through to partner implementation.
Choosing a Local IT Company
Northstar leads the way in IT support in Bristol, Somerset, and surrounding areas. Outsourcing IT and security is a big step and one you can’t do with haste. If you would like help preparing a tender or if you need help documenting your IT systems Northstar can help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you reach your destination with the power of IT.
