Vendor selection & RFP process template

Steps in this flowchart

• Business need identified
• Define requirements & weighted criteria
• Budget approved?
• Revisit scope or defer
• Issue RFI to market
• Shortlist 3-5 vendors
• Issue RFP with pricing template
• Vendor Q&A window
• Receive proposals
• Mandatory requirements met?
• Eliminate vendor
• Panel scores proposals
• Scripted demos & reference calls
• Security & financial due diligence
• Acceptable risk?
• Select preferred vendor
• Negotiate price, SLAs & terms
• Terms agreed?
• Move to second-ranked vendor
• Contract award & signature
• Notify unsuccessful bidders

How to use this flowchart template

1. Click Open in the editor. The flowchart opens on a new page in FlowDiagram — nothing is uploaded and there is no sign-up.
2. Rename, add or delete shapes and drag them where you want; connectors stay attached as things move.
3. Drop in vendor logos from the library — 1,160 of them, including every AWS, Azure and Google Cloud service icon — or restyle it with the colour and theme controls.
4. Prefer text? Edit the Mermaid source below and paste it in through ☰ → Import diagram (see the Mermaid editor); it imports as an editable diagram.
5. Export to PNG, SVG or PDF, or press Ctrl+L for a link that carries the whole diagram.

Mermaid source

The whole template is the text below. Paste it into FlowDiagram, keep it in Git next to the code it describes, or hand it to an AI assistant to extend.

flowchart TD
  NEED([Business need identified]) --> REQS[Define requirements & weighted criteria]
  REQS --> BUDGET{Budget approved?}
  BUDGET -->|No| HOLD[Revisit scope or defer]
  BUDGET -->|Yes| RFI[Issue RFI to market]
  RFI --> SHORT[Shortlist 3-5 vendors]
  SHORT --> RFP[Issue RFP with pricing template]
  RFP --> QA[Vendor Q&A window]
  QA --> RESP[Receive proposals]
  RESP --> COMPLY{Mandatory requirements met?}
  COMPLY -->|No| ELIM[Eliminate vendor]
  COMPLY -->|Yes| SCORE[Panel scores proposals]
  SCORE --> DEMO[Scripted demos & reference calls]
  DEMO --> SEC[Security & financial due diligence]
  SEC --> RISK{Acceptable risk?}
  RISK -->|No| ELIM
  RISK -->|Yes| PREF[Select preferred vendor]
  PREF --> NEG[Negotiate price, SLAs & terms]
  NEG --> AGREED{Terms agreed?}
  AGREED -->|No| BACKUP[Move to second-ranked vendor]
  BACKUP --> NEG
  AGREED -->|Yes| AWARD[Contract award & signature]
  AWARD --> NOTIFY([Notify unsuccessful bidders])

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