ERP RFP Template That Exposes Hidden Costs Before You Sign

Company Background and Current State Pain Points

Documents specific manual processes costing time and money, rather than generic 'we need better systems' language that enables vendor happy-path demos.

Functional Requirements by Department

Detailed workflows for accounting, inventory, sales, and operations with pass/fail criteria. Prevents 'that's configurable' responses that hide consultant cost.

Technical Architecture and Integration Specifications

API requirements, data migration complexity, and security standards with specific performance benchmarks that surface infrastructure limitations.

Implementation Timeline and Resource Requirements

Project phases with vendor resource commitments, data cleanup responsibilities, and go-live contingency planning. Prevents timeline surprises.

Support Model and SLA Requirements

Response-time guarantees for business-critical issues, escalation procedures, and remedy clauses that create real support accountability.

Total Cost of Ownership Analysis

Five-year cost breakdown including licensing, support, upgrades, customizations, and hidden fees with price-lock requirements. Eliminates budget surprises.

Vendor Stability and Reference Requirements

Financial-health validation, customer churn rates, and reference criteria requiring customers live for at least 18 months in your industry and size band.

Contract Terms and Risk Mitigation

Data portability rights, vendor-acquisition protections, scope-change management, and termination procedures that prevent expensive lock-in.