When working with another business, information is one of the greatest assets, after all, you want to ensure the team you decide to collaborate with will be the right fit. For business-to-business (B2B) endeavors, information is made available through creative briefs and the different layers to them that offer insightful material that communicates a potential partnership. Ultimately, companies are seeking agencies that will deliver not only an eye-catching look and feel but one that prioritizes usability and elevates the experience of a brand. With platforms recognizing and celebrating diverse digital products, many organizations are seeking to work with creative agencies that can create award-winning website designs. Thus, getting to know your potential creative partner is key.
The limbs of information briefs are many. From requests for information (RFI), requests for quotation (RFQ), and requests for proposals (RFP) intelligence can be made accessible through these sources of information. With plenty of gateways to uncover your potential creative partner, in this case—digital design agencies— knowing the difference between each request is key, and the starting point to what could potentially lead to a perfect match.
Request for Information
RFIs are quite straightforward in their title and are ultimately a business’s request to gain more information on a digital design agency they are considering collaborating with. Typically, with RFIs, businesses request these documents when they engage with an industry they may not be too familiar with. For example, a healthcare industry that prompts a creative design agency may want to gain more insights into the structure or workflow of their business, services, and solutions. This form of request informs businesses of a design agency’s knowledge. RFIs are a great starting point to begin gaining preliminary insights.
Request for Quotation
RFQs specify the pricing for the services companies are seeking for their projects. Estimated pricing of a project removes any element of surprise and provides reassurance for companies with full transparency before deciding to collaborate for long-term business goals. Often RFQs are requested when a company has a list of potential agencies they are considering collaborating with but wish to gain more details on the pricing of an initiative. Sometimes, however, RFQs can also briefly describe if an agency has the appropriate software tools that will be utilized, the timing of the project, and details on deliverables within the specifications of a project budget.
Request for Proposal
Zoning further into the details, RFPs are business documentation that dissects an upcoming project’s delineation, the scope of services, overall goals, and how the team will achieve its completion. Many times, RFPs describe the strategies an agency will utilize to ensure a seamless process while also describing their capabilities, expertise, and portfolio of previous work. This allows seeking companies to understand an overview of credentials that can influence their decision on which bidding agency they wish to work with. Additionally, with RFPs, the overall purpose is for bidding agencies to showcase their services and logistics and focus areas of a project for review. RFPs are important in demonstrating to seeking companies about the project process, while also allowing them to get to know your design agency before a discovery call.
Information Overlap
RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs all offer insights in their own manner, yet there can often be overlap of information. Often, RFPs are all encompassing of RFIs and RFQs, or they can also be much more streamlined, depending on the objectives and requested information a company is seeking. Companies will prompt design agencies for more information simultaneously, so a strong documentation of these requests can truly make your agency stand out from the rest. Think of these requests as first impressions that share your agency story, and innovative capabilities.