Comment:Sant Corp. has developed a system that it believes can better manage the RFP process. The purpose of the systems--RFPMaster version 5.0 and eRFPMaster 5.0--is to permit an entire team to work simultaneously or independently on a response to an RFP and to spare users the trouble of rummaging through old RFPs for answers to similar questions that have arisen on previous projects.

RFPMaster 5.0 is the latest edition of the system. RFPMaster runs in a desktop/area network configuration, while eRFPMaster 5.0 works on a Web-based architecture. The software automatically reads the RFP, culls out the crucial questions and key words, then searches the company's database to retrieve relevant answers. The user can then edit or combine those answers to address the project at hand. RFPMaster features built-in connectivity to various sales and opportunity-management software programs, as well as to Microsoft Word.

To this reporter, it appears that large, geographically dispersed real estate companies-those that already have a large store of previous RFPs, RFIs, and similar documents from which to draw information relevant to the current project-would get the best use out of RFPMaster. It clearly can cut down the time that would be spent on a conventional database search, giving the user more time to find the solution that best meets the client's needs. For smaller, newer companies that have smaller databases from which to draw, it's still useful as an organizer of information and as a creator of clean, professional-looking documents. Its usefulness will depend a good deal on the user company's accurate record-keeping and regular updating of the information on its database. It would seem to be user-friendly to a computer-savvy real estate professional, the only serious criticism being that the on-screen type is sometimes too small and cramped to read easily.

The demonstration used an imaginary RFP, which generated a response that promoted RFPMaster itself. It would have been far more convincing had the product's specific application to real estate been demonstrated. This reporter would also have preferred to see question searches performed on actual real-estate-related RFPs, but that would have been difficult for Sant Corp. to provide, since it's clearly not easy to borrow such information from a real estate firm for demonstration purposes.

Access to the system is controlled through a conventional login/password system, scalable to thousands of users at various degrees of privilege. (For instance, most team members can work on the documents but may not actually submit the proposal.)

Once the user is logged on, he can start the response process by naming the project, establishing a due date and selecting a team to work on it by checking off names from a list of employees. These employees can work simultaneously or independently on the project from practically anywhere in the world. The system automatically "bursts" the RFP document, analyzing it and breaking it down into workable parts, then parses it into color-coded questions and headings. It then converts the RFP to a database project. The project manager can then highlight certain questions and assign them to team members via drop-down boxes, adding comments, extra instructions and due dates. The system then generates automatic e-mails to each team member, informing him of the duty and deadline.

The user commands the system to read each question, highlighting key words and phrases, and search the database for relevant information-usually answers to similar questions in previous RFPs. The user can manually highlight words and phrases for the search and can accept or reject the answers that appear, edit them and combine them. To facilitate editing, the user can view answers in a Microsoft Word format, including all graphics, and submit the finished response to the team leader at the touch of a button.

The system can create a compliance matrix to show how the finished proposal stacks up to the client's requirements. The matrix shows each requirement, the degree of compliance and any comments. Each item on the matrix is hotlinked to the page on the proposal where the complete answer to the question appears.

An important feature of the new version of RFPMaster is the ability to import corporate logos as well as practically any graphic that's importable to Microsoft Word. When the proposal is ready to be finalized, the user can select various templates, such as cover letters, title pages and tables of contents.

RFPMaster is cousin to Sant's flagship product, ProposalMaster (and eProposalMaster), which helps the user prepare various types of proposals and sales letters. RFPMaster uses many of the methods and capabilities found in ProposalMaster, and it would appear to this observer that the two products are complementary.

Readers can contact the Joseph Dobrian at [email protected]