Hospitals looking to change their anesthesia service providers will likely need to create a request for proposal document (RFP) to send to new potential vendors. RFPs can be time-consuming for both the buyer and the vendor, so it is in both parties’ best interests to make the process as straightforward as possible. While this may seem like a daunting task, there are a couple tactics that can be implemented to optimize the anesthesia RFP process and to create the best match between the vendor and hospital.
1. Hospitals should know what their needs are and convey them clearly.
A hospital will likely choose to change vendors based on concerns regarding the cost and/or service of the current vendor. The hospital should identify where the current vendor is falling short and gear a portion of the RFP to understanding how other vendors approach those areas. In general, RFPs are most effective when they are specific and allow for standardized comparisons of vendor responses during the evaluation portion of the selection process. Some hospitals will allow vendors to contribute to the RFP, a tactic that reduces the time spent by the buyer, but potentially biases the RFP towards a specific vendor and reduces its specificity to the hospital’s needs. In the interest of developing a fair and representative RFP, the hospital should handle the RFP creation process independently. However, the vendors do not need to be completely blind in the selection process; according to the TechRepublic, providing the evaluation criteria of the hospital may help vendors provide responses better geared towards the hospital’s priorities.
2. Representatives from the teams affected by the change should be included in the discussion.
Changing health service vendors not only affects the business end of the hospital but also the health care aspect. As a result, it is important to include a diverse group of stakeholders in the conversation prior to and during the vendor change. Different teams within the hospital will have different requirements for the anesthesia service. According to the Becker’s Health IT and CIO Review, addressing the stakeholders’ concerns early on in the vendor selection process will ease the implementation and transition phases. Additionally, while the current vendor should not be included in the RFP drafting process, the hospital should have a discussion with that vendor regarding their performance months before collecting RFP responses to avoid pressure to renew services.
3. Make sure that vendors follow through with their claims.
The hospital should make sure to hold the vendor to the specific standards and claims described in the vendor’s response to the RFP. If additional promises were made by the vendor before the selection committee, they must be added to the written contract or they may not be viewed as commitments by the vendor. The hospital also should request a list of references from the top candidatesand follow up with them; in some cases, a site visit could be beneficial in understanding how the service is being implemented in other locations.
1. Hospitals should know what their needs are and convey them clearly.
A hospital will likely choose to change vendors based on concerns regarding the cost and/or service of the current vendor. The hospital should identify where the current vendor is falling short and gear a portion of the RFP to understanding how other vendors approach those areas. In general, RFPs are most effective when they are specific and allow for standardized comparisons of vendor responses during the evaluation portion of the selection process. Some hospitals will allow vendors to contribute to the RFP, a tactic that reduces the time spent by the buyer, but potentially biases the RFP towards a specific vendor and reduces its specificity to the hospital’s needs. In the interest of developing a fair and representative RFP, the hospital should handle the RFP creation process independently. However, the vendors do not need to be completely blind in the selection process; according to the TechRepublic, providing the evaluation criteria of the hospital may help vendors provide responses better geared towards the hospital’s priorities.
2. Representatives from the teams affected by the change should be included in the discussion.
Changing health service vendors not only affects the business end of the hospital but also the health care aspect. As a result, it is important to include a diverse group of stakeholders in the conversation prior to and during the vendor change. Different teams within the hospital will have different requirements for the anesthesia service. According to the Becker’s Health IT and CIO Review, addressing the stakeholders’ concerns early on in the vendor selection process will ease the implementation and transition phases. Additionally, while the current vendor should not be included in the RFP drafting process, the hospital should have a discussion with that vendor regarding their performance months before collecting RFP responses to avoid pressure to renew services.
3. Make sure that vendors follow through with their claims.
The hospital should make sure to hold the vendor to the specific standards and claims described in the vendor’s response to the RFP. If additional promises were made by the vendor before the selection committee, they must be added to the written contract or they may not be viewed as commitments by the vendor. The hospital also should request a list of references from the top candidatesand follow up with them; in some cases, a site visit could be beneficial in understanding how the service is being implemented in other locations.
