Request For Quote
Consulting Guidelines
Improve the quality of RFQs and proposals received.
When submitting a proposal request to a consultant, it is important that you 1) give sufficient information to accurately describe what you need from the consultant and 2) protect your intellectual property (IP) while sharing highly detailed information about your project. These two aspects of a proposal request are handled by two separate documents:
- Statement of Work
- Non-Disclosure Agreement
Statement of Work
Statement of Work (SOW) is required to sufficiently describe your project and expectations for the consultant. With this document alone, a consultant should understand your problem in enough detail to propose a thorough step-by-step solution. Without sufficient detail, it is impossible for a consultant to accurately propose a solution with high confidence. A well-written SOW can take hours, or even days, of an engineer's time.
Key takeaways:- SOW is a detailed explanation of your problem and expectations for the consultant.
- A consultant will translate your SOW into a step-by-step solution with cost and timing.
- An insufficient SOW will delay your project and reduce the quality of proposals.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is required to protect your IP, and in some cases, the IP of the consultant. Most companies already have an in-house NDA template they prefer to use. If needed, many resources are available on the internet to help you create an NDA. Lastly, before sharing sensitive data with consultants, make sure all parties agree on and sign an NDA.
Key takeaways:- An NDA should protect the IP of your company.
- Sign the NDA before uploading to Consultant Match.
- Consultants may ask you to revise the NDA or to use their NDA.
- Wait to share sensitive data with consultants until they have signed the NDA.