by Ravi VS
Let’s stop pretending — the Request for Proposal (RFP) process isn’t about finding the best solution. It’s about bureaucracy, control, and the illusion of due diligence.
The world is evolving at a lightning pace, yet organisations remain shackled to a model that was designed for a slower, simpler time.
This isn’t just inefficiency — it’s self-sabotage. By the time an RFP is issued, evaluated, awarded, and implemented, the world has moved on. The problem has changed. The solution is outdated. The investment is wasted.
The RFP Delusion: A System That Serves No One
Over the past few months, I’ve participated in multiple RFPs, each with a timeline stretching beyond 12 months. Think about that for a second.
In the time it takes to complete this process, entire industries shift, new technologies emerge, and market conditions evolve. So why are organisations still clinging to this antiquated system?
Here’s the brutal truth: The RFP model is not about agility, effectiveness, or even intelligence. It is about covering the backsides. It is a defensive mechanism designed to minimise risk, not maximise outcomes.
The intent may be noble — ensuring accountability and transparency — but the execution is a death sentence for progress.
Why RFPs Are Killing Innovation
By the Time It’s Done, It’s Useless The rapid pace of technological advancement and business evolution makes a 12-month RFP cycle laughable. The world moves in real-time. RFPs do not.
Innovation Doesn’t Fit in a Spreadsheet The most groundbreaking ideas and transformative solutions don’t come packaged in a neat, predictable proposal. They come from iterative experimentation, rapid execution, and the ability to pivot on demand.
The Illusion of Fairness Organisations argue that RFPs create a level playing field. But here’s the secret: the best companies often don’t even bother.
The process is too slow, too rigid, and too bureaucratic for those who are leading change. So, who does participate? Those willing to play the paperwork game.
What’s the Alternative? The Future of Decision-Making
It’s time to tear down the RFP machine and replace it with something designed for reality:
Outcome-Driven Procurement: Measure success based on actual results, not who can fill out forms the best.
Fast, Agile Contracts: Break projects into short-term, high-impact initiatives with rapid execution cycles.
Continuous Collaboration Over Bidding Wars: Work with the best minds in the industry continuously, not just during an artificial bidding window.
The Hard Truth: RFPs Keep Organisations Stuck in the Past
The biggest enemy of progress isn’t competition — it’s inertia. And the RFP process is inertia in its purest form.
Organisations that continue to worship this outdated system will eventually find themselves irrelevant, outpaced, and struggling to keep up.
The question is no longer whether the RFP model is broken — it is. The real question is: Will your organisation wake up and evolve, or will it cling to the sinking ship of outdated procurement?
Change is inevitable. Irrelevance is optional.
Ravi VS is a Foresight Strategist
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