What should a dealership software RFP include?

Describe workflows, not features

Ask each respondent to show how a named workflow is completed end to end, including the exception. Feature checklists are answered yes by everyone and tell you nothing.

State the eligibility gates first

Market, OEM programs, rooftop count, required integrations and any non-negotiable security requirement. Gates disqualify quickly and save evaluation time on both sides.

Fix the commercial format

Require pricing in a defined structure: modules, quantities, implementation, integration, usage, term, renewal mechanic, increase cap and exit. Free-format pricing is not comparable.

Publish the weighting

Agree the criteria and their weights internally before responses arrive, and tell respondents what they are. Weighting after the fact is how the loudest demo wins.

Structure of a usable RFP

Open with a short description of the store, followed by the eligibility gates, the workflows to be demonstrated, integration and data requirements, security and privacy questions, implementation and support expectations, the commercial format, references and a timeline. Provide a response template so answers align. Keep the document as short as the decision allows; long forms produce long, generic replies.

Running the process

Send the RFP to a limited list, set one contact for questions and share answers with all respondents. Fix a deadline, score each response against the published weights and invite finalists to a scripted demonstration.

Keep written notes of all scoring so the decision can be explained afterwards. Confirm the process with the sponsors before the first response arrives.

Common mistakes in RFPs

Sending feature checklists, leaving out the commercial format, changing criteria after seeing responses and issuing to too many vendors are typical. Another is failing to ask for evidence: request references, sample contracts and documented security information. Ask respondents to state assumptions, since two prices are not comparable if built on different ones.

Sample sections and questions

Company background and references; workflow scripts with expected outputs; integration requirements listing each system and direction; security and privacy questions; implementation plan and team; support model and hours; pricing template with three-year totals; contract terms the respondent accepts or does not accept; and a statement of assumptions. Providing a template ensures answers align for scoring.

Handling responses

Log receipt, remove pricing for the first scoring pass if possible, score against the published weights with two reviewers and reconcile differences. Invite the top respondents to demonstrations and ask each to complete the same scripts.

Keep all correspondence with the file. A tidy process is defensible internally and treats vendors fairly.