A Request for Proposal can help compare suppliers and constraints. But an RFP does not prove that a solution will work in your operation. It often lacks exactly the context that makes the difference: real data, exceptions, system boundaries and the people who exercise judgement every day.
The limits of an RFP
A detailed questionnaire makes requirements visible, but can easily focus the process on features instead of a measurable operational problem. Suppliers respond to the same hypothetical situation, while the real risks only become visible when a solution must work with existing systems and ways of working.
Three limitations come together:
- The situation described differs from the day-to-day work.
- A feature checklist says little about adoption and exceptions.
- The organisation invests significant time before testing the most important assumption.
This does not mean an RFP has no value. It means that documents and presentations should not be the only basis for a decision.
A focused diagnosis
At rb2, the first step starts with a 30-minute introductory conversation. We identify which workflow is getting stuck, which judgement is being repeated and whether there is a promising working hypothesis. That conversation does not produce a guaranteed business case. It clarifies which next step is responsible, or whether more context is needed first.
If one workflow proves promising and measurable, a focused proof phase can follow. We build and measure within a clearly defined process. The existing operation remains the starting point; people stay in control of decisions where context or risk matters.
Evidence from real work
A proof phase should answer concrete questions:
- Does the lead time become demonstrably shorter?
- Does the number of manual corrections decrease?
- Does the solution recognise the exceptions employees consider important?
- Does the team trust the outcome enough to work with it?
- Does the solution fit the existing system landscape?
This creates evidence from practice, rather than a promise based on a checklist. A negative outcome is valuable too: it reveals early why an approach does not work, before a broad programme consumes time and budget.
Decision-making
The best choice is not automatically the supplier with the longest feature list. It is the approach that makes the most important uncertainty visible early and supports a responsible decision to scale, adjust or stop.
Want to assess whether one workflow is suitable for such an evidence phase? Schedule an introductory conversation.