Get Your Suppliers’ Views During the RFP Process

Although we try and foster a lot of skills here at Tradeshift, even with our strictly regimented training routines, mind-reading is not among them (yet). But that’s okay, because we’d wager this is probably true for most businesses.But although the technology isn’t there yet, mind-reading is often a much needed skill in business. For example, when it comes to your e-invoicing RFP, it is necessary to try and pick the tool that you think your suppliers will like and use. Not as easy as it sounds!Luckily, that’s where the coping mechanism comes in – if you want to know whether your suppliers are likely to use the e-invoiving tool you select, don’t try and read their minds, integrate them into the selection process. Literally show them the options, see if you can get them involved in the trial and let them play as active a role in the selection as they can.

If you extend this opportunity to a number of your suppliers, you’ll also learn from the different ways that they will be expecting to use it. Many heads are better than one, especially when it’s the buyer’s head versus the suppliers’. It also gives them an opportunity to experience the solution beyond a set of bullet points and understand what it’s like to use.

Naturally, if the options that you’re looking at happen to be free then that provides the maximum opportunity for your suppliers to really get to grips with how its adoption will affect their relationship with you. This in itself could play a part in their feedback.

Every company’s suppliers are different – and even within that, you’re sure to get a range of different businesses that will want to work with you in different ways. If you do decide to take this path of consulting your suppliers, don’t forget to chose a representative sample that reflects this. This is essential to making sure a really good idea doesn’t suddenly become a misleading mistake.

The reason this is such an effective strategy is that the solutions they find most user-friendly will soon shine through. You will also end up with guaranteed buy-in from them once you roll the solution out, creating an advocate that you could put in touch with other suppliers should you need to justify the selection further down the line.

So when you’re considering your e-invoicing options during RFP, make sure the e-invoicing providers under consideration agree to let your suppliers play an active part in the process. If they aren’t so keen on the idea then that may speak volumes in itself…

RFP TIP: Invite the e-invoicing providers to meet a range of short-listed suppliers and be challenges on technology, implementation and fee structures. The less they pull their punches, the better – it will separate the men from the boys!