Producing a good RFP is not enough for a successful IPT/UC implementation. Enterprises need to do their homework. Proceeding from requirements to implementation is an evolution not just a task.All of these phases will be presented in the VoiceCon Monday afternoon tutorial "IP Telephony/UC, Basics to Best Practices, Part 2: Procurement Issues." This is the follow-on tutorial to the Monday morning presentation, "IP Telephony/UC, Basics to Best Practices, Part 1: Technology Issues." Both of these sessions are highly recommended for those new to IP Telephony, Unified Communications or VoiceCon. One area that will be covered is the Value Added Reseller (VAR) qualifications. IP Telephony may be viewed as a replacement technology for the legacy PBX, but Unified Communications has to generate productivity and a positive ROI. For a legacy PBX vendor, replacing a PBX is not new. A data VAR may still be learning about the PBX and telecom. The VAR selected must be able to consult and lead the enterprise to the best applications that will justify UC, as well as understand the legacy PBX environment being replaced. Consider these factors when selecting the VAR.
* Financial size compared to procurement--The contract value in dollars should be less then 5% of the VAR annual revenue. You don't need to be in the situation where the enterprise holds back payment for cause (implementation problems) and the VAR will be in financial trouble because of the hold back. The VAR's financial strength is just as important as the product delivered.
* Experience--The VAR may be a major provider of the vendor systems. Look at the size of the systems provided by the VAR. If most of the system sizes (number of phones or lines) they have delivered are smaller than what the enterprise requires, then the VAR experience should be questioned and investigated further.
* Expertise (especially in working with customer's industry)--Knowing the product is necessary but not sufficient for success. Has the VAR worked with other enterprises in your industry? For example, has the VAR had to deal with your industry's compliance and regulatory issues or safety requirements?
* Ability to provide support and maintenance to all locations--Keep in mind that a VAR office near you does not mean local support. I had an excellent VAR proposed by a vendor only to learn that there was a one man sales office within 100 miles but all the support was on the west cost for a Midwest customer location. This was too far for the comfort of my client, so the VAR was dismissed and another was brought in that had support in the Midwest region.
* Certifications--Certifications are numeric way of identifying the technical strength of the VAR. The more certifications of the employees, then the greater the depth when implementation occurs or problems arise.
A second area discussed is the professional services provided by the VAR. In a recent procurement that included IPT, call center and a full UC suite, the proposals included professional services that accounted for 60% of the cost. I was stunned by these bids for professional services. When professional services are proposed, especially for UC and the call center, several factors need to be addressed to ensure that the professional services cost is reasonable.
* Get the hourly/daily rates by job title category.
* Require that the VAR list the job title classifications and anticipated cost by product category (IPT, VM/UM, IM, call center, UC, video.....)
* Meet the project manager and have that person fully explain the distribution of professional services. The concern here is that someone else may have determined the vendor staff allocations. Ensure that the project manager can justify the proposed services.
* Review the implementation documentation procedures to ensure if the VAR staff changes, there is consistency in their staffing approach. If there is one person that is key to the implementation of any part, then this is a weakness. If that person resigns or can not complete the project, then there is a chance the implementation will be hindered or even fail.
* Have the VAR define the enterprise staff requirements and time needed. If the VAR does not require much interaction with and support by the enterprise, then the professional services are over bid. By doing most of the work, the VAR/vendor may be setting up a situation where the enterprise will have to continue the professional services because the enterprise is not educated or experienced enough to carry on without the VAR.
The Monday "Procurement Issues" tutorial outline is divided into seven parts:
1. Thinking About IPT/UC 2. Procurement Cycle (7 phases) 3. Evaluating the Products/VAR/Vendor 4. Implementation Cycle (4 phases) 5. Customer/User Issues 6. Managing IPT/UC 7. ROI and TCO
I will also be discussing other topics beyond the RFP such as a "Proof-of-Concept" demonstration for UC and how to configure and test a pilot system.
