How Smart IT Leaders Evaluate RFPs

• A step-by-step evaluation process that protects your project, your budget, and your reputation. 

By Jill Button, President & CEO, ProcurePro Consulting 

You issued the RFP. The proposals are in. Now what? 

For IT leaders, selecting the right technology supplier is a high-stakes decision. One wrong move can lead to scope creep, implementation delays, cost overruns, or a failed project. But too often, organizations rely on gut feel or price tags instead of a disciplined, structured approach to evaluation. 

This guide outlines a step-by-step method to evaluate IT RFP responses strategically and consistently. From forming the right evaluation team to scoring proposals and shortlisting for presentations, this is the process I use to help clients make smarter, faster, auditable and defensible decisions. 

1. Why Strategic Evaluation Matters More Than Ever

Canadian businesses are facing rising pressure to digitize operations while managing new risks and regulations: 

• Bill C-27 and Québec’s Law 25 are changing the compliance landscape 

• U.S. tariffs and global economic instability are creating uncertainty in sourcing 

• A tight tech labour market is forcing SMBs to outsource IT capabilities  

In this environment, your supplier isn’t just a service provider, they’re an extension of your business. The wrong choice can compromise data privacy, damage your brand, or waste hundreds of thousands in lost productivity. That’s why a well-structured evaluation process is no longer optional, it’s essential. 

2. Assemble the Right Evaluation Team

Supplier selection is not a one-person job. Create a cross-functional evaluation team to ensure each aspect of the RFP is reviewed by the right subject matter expert (SME). 

Assign Evaluation Responsibilities by Expertise 

Assign each section of the RFP response to the appropriate SME, and ensure they’re equipped to assess the response critically and consistently. 

3. Prepare the Team: Evaluator Training & Calibration

Before scoring begins, set your team up for success with two key steps: 

Evaluator Training Session 

Hold a brief session to walk SMEs through: 

• The 0–3–5 scoring scale (0 = does not meet, 3 = partially meets, 5 = fully meets) 

• How to assess evidence, not just promises 

• How to document concerns, risks, or flags for discussion 

This ensures everyone is aligned and confident in their role. 

Calibration Meeting 

Once initial scores are submitted: 

• Conduct a calibration session to review any discrepancies in scoring 

• Allow SMEs to explain their reasoning and clarify misunderstandings 

• Finalize consolidated weighted scores with full team consensus 

Calibration ensures fairness, consistency, and confidence in the outcome—especially when multiple SMEs are scoring the same category. 

4. Score the RFPs with a Weighted Framework

Now that your team is trained and aligned, begin evaluating proposals using a weighted scoring model based on business impact. 

Example – High-Level Evaluation Weight 

Each SME scores their section using the 0–3–5 scale, then the scores are multiplied by the assigned weight to create a final weighted score for each supplier. 

5. Standardize Supplier Demos & Workshops

Once you’ve down selected your top 3+ suppliers based on score, invite them to the Workshop or Demo phase, but don’t let them freestyle. 

Create a Demo Script for Consistency 

Ask each supplier to demonstrate the same use cases: 

• Integrating with your ERP or CRM 

• Role-based access control and security configurations 

• Custom report creation or dashboard walkthrough 

• Handling a complex transaction or exception scenario 

Clarify any questions you and they have from their written proposal and delve into their pricing further and ensure you understand the total costs associated with the solution both recurring fees like licensing and support and one-time fees like implementation and training. 

Treat this down-select like a collaborative workshop, to ensure you and each supplier truly has clarity on the expectations, the solution being proposed and their skills and experience.   

Following the down-select, incorporate any learnings and request the supplier provide an updated proposal that reflects the outcomes from this workshop process.  

This ensures apples-to-apples comparisons and avoids being swayed by slick presentations that don’t reflect your business reality.  It also ensures you truly get the right solution for your needs at the right price, with no surprises. 

6. Validate Claims with References and Risk Scenarios

Before making your final selection, go beyond the proposal, workshops and demo. 

Reference Checks 

Too often forgotten, the reference check is critically important and must be done before you proceed to selection.  Make sure the references are relevant to your project, your company, industry and scope of the project.  

Ask meaningful questions: 

• What went wrong and how was it resolved? 

• Did the supplier meet timelines and budgets? 

• How responsive is support post-implementation? 
• Would you hire them again? 

7. Trends Every Evaluator Should Watch

• AI-assisted RFP platforms (like Loopio and RFP360) are helpful but should support, not replace, human judgment 

• Data residency and privacy are now deal-breakers with the rise of Bill C-27 and Law 25 

• Supplier consolidation is accelerating—choose partners who can scale with your future needs, not just the current project 

8. Conclusion & Next Steps

Supplier evaluation is no longer a checkbox—it’s a strategic discipline. Done right, it can accelerate digital transformation, reduce risk, and drive long-term business value. 

Key Takeaways 

• Assign the right SMEs to score what they know best 

• Train, align, and calibrate your evaluators before final selection 

• Use a structured, weighted scoring model to drive decisions 

• Conduct workshops, standardize demos and dig into risk and references 

• Shortlist at least 3 qualified suppliers before making a final call 

Need help creating your evaluation matrix, demo scripts, or evaluation tools? 

Book a free discovery call at www.procurepro.ca/contact. 

Learn more about ProcurePro by visiting our website at www.procurepro.ca 

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