Use the discovery stage of a Request for Proposal process to:
- identify and then interview your users
- review support tickets to identify the pain points of the current process, new needs, and the current landscape of solutions
This is where you can learn how the current practices actually work and not just how they are intended to work.
Identify the User Profile
Teams aren't always sure who their primary user is, which can result in scoping the needs of the proposed solution too large. Unrealistic or contradictory needs caused by uncertainty about who the solution is for sets your RFP up for scope creep and excess cost.
Identifying the user profile can avoid these common mistakes.
Start small
- Make a list of all of the types of users you think currently use the solution or solutions available on campus
- For example: Undergraduate students, Advisors, Admissions staff, Housing administrators
- Review support tickets to see where pain points exist with the current solution(s). This will help you identify what problem(s) needs to be addressed.
- If the support tickets are vague, you may need to interview support staff to further understand the pain points users are experiencing.
- Identify your goals/outcomes for the current solution(s)
- Be sure goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based (SMART)
- Prioritize the list of user types in terms of your goals/outcomes for the solution(s)
Usability Services is available to assist your team in identifying your users. This includes a consultation to talk through what you know and help you to apply that information to the bulleted list above. Request a consultation with Usability Services.
Identify the Processes
Visualize the Process
What is the way you and your team do your everyday activities in today's world? You could prepare a process flow diagram to illustrate the relationships between the various parts of your team, and the role your needed solution may play in the future.
Look for Shadow Systems
Shadow systems are workarounds in place within your process that may be happening outside of your current solution, and they might not be known or visible.
- Ask people to share times they might be doing things on paper or in a side document before they use the system.
- They might also share stories of a time they regularly feel irritated or frustrated by the current system.
- You may find that you have taken on additional staffing needs focused solely on solving flaws in the current system. This discovery could help you make the business case toward a more effective solution in your RFP - if you frame your requirements around the issues you face with your current process. Usability Services can assist you as you start these conversations.
Acknowledge Disruptions
If you are initiating an RFP to replace an existing solution, your everyday workplace activities may be shaped according to the particular way the existing solution already works. Any solution that is awarded a contract through your RFP may work differently than the way your team works today, forcing changes to your current processes. Look for the parts of your process that appear to be dependent on your current solution, and flag them as likely to change.
RFP Gathering and Scoping Worksheet
You can use the provided worksheet to assist you while working through your Discovery: