Responsive (formerly RFPIO)

Avantages

This tool has saved us so much time and frustration through our formal RFP process. As a sales operations leader one of my favorite features is the dashboard to see the progress, status and potential bottlenecks with authors or reviewers. It also helps me see where I may need to spread out the work rather than load up a single person.

Inconvénients

The review cycle took a little bit to get used to and took some onsite training. We are still figuring out how to best utilize this part. Also, the reminder emails are really helpful for the most part but do start to be too much in volume at some point and not always relevant to the audience.

Avantages

The answer library and the recommendations feature make pulling a first draft together faster, easier and so much more efficient. The ability to assign a question to a guest, which then sends them an email and their response goes right into RFPIO has saved me a ton of time and follow up. And their support is first rate; any time I have a question if it's not in the Help section, someone is there to respond.

Inconvénients

Setting up templates and then exporting responses into the templates is time consuming. But once you get the process down it does make it easier.

Avantages

The Answer Library and how it appears in the Recommendations Panel while working on an active RFP, is the best part about RFPIO.

Inconvénients

Importing and exporting is the trickest and sometimes most time consuming part about RFPIO. I wish there was more flexibility with the import functionality to select and label things. I wish I could more easily give project visibility to people without having to make them an Author/Reviewer, or Project Manager role. Oftentimes, I just want people to be able to see all the sections of a project, without giving them unnecessarily high access. One last "con" would be the email notifications. I know you can queue emails, and change your personal preferences, but it's still adds up to a lot of emails during a large complex project.

Avantages

RFPIO is excellent software, it has transformed how we manage RFPs in our company. It is well featured and simple to use. You can easily add and remove users and be confident that even an untrained user will be able to access the system and complete a response. As a manager, the ability to track progress in real-time and review responses is excellent.

Inconvénients

Very few. Like any solution such as this, the value comes in how well you maintain the answer library and associated data. RFPIO has a good set of tools for tagging and managing answers but it is still difficult to keep on top of this when you are responding to multiple RFPs. We have also had instances where the limitation of 5 active RFPs at a given time has not been enough.

Avantages

The ability to leverage the answer database with a single click

Inconvénients

Trying to figure out how to load questions or an RFP into the system. In fairness, I did not have much training on how to do this and tried it a couple of times on my own before asking for assistance.

Avantages

The ease of usability and intuitiveness. A new user can be independent with less than 10 minutes introduction. We recently completed a complex government RFP with over 20 new internally users and multiple external consultants who were all able to quickly and confidently use RFPIO to provide content for our compelling response. The complexity is unimaginable in a historical Word redline version management process.

Inconvénients

Have not found any yet! Wish I would have known about RFPIO sooner.

Avantages

As our team's content manager, RFPio has made my job significantly easier. The moderation queue has given me oversight over the content being produced by our team, and makes it much easier for me to maintain our content library. And the library interface search makes finding content a much better experience than our previous content management tool. By switching to RFPio, we feel like our proposal team's content library is in the best shape it's ever been, with up to date content, tighter control, and better metrics and oversight. Further, by using RFPio projects, we're getting better data around how long our projects take, the manpower required, and our overall workload.

Inconvénients

Elements of the RFPio projects interface are difficult to understand. There are too many places where a click opens up a menu of buried options. Having these consolidated into one place would make the UI much easier to navigate.

Avantages

RFPIO makes is simple and more efficient to manage content and workflow.

Inconvénients

Nothing to add at this time. Perhaps, in the future.

Avantages

RFI, RFPs, Security docs can now be answered effortlessly with collaboration across teams, ease of exporting in same font and space, answer library and docs library, with excellent customer support.

Inconvénients

It took some time, now I mean real few months to understand how this works.
(Once after that, no more worries, breeze through all your work and turn it back in before you know!)

Avantages

Ease of use, project management, team collaboration, suitable pricing model.

Inconvénients

WORD template management needs improvement.

Avantages

The collaboration and workflow is outstanding. The Customer Services is TOP NOTCH.

Inconvénients

There is nothing I don't like about this tool. Sure there are some features that can be added just like any software solution but overall I think this tool is top notch.

Avantages

It makes collaboration with various stakeholders very easy. Moreover, the answer library reduces the time to respond.

Inconvénients

At times, it doesn't support some RFP formats. I understand it is not possible to have a check on all the formats, but a workaround is something I look forward to in future releases.

Avantages

I compared RFPIO to 5 other companies (Qvidian, Xiat, Loopio, RFP365) and came to the conclusion that RFPIO offers the best platform and pricing structure. Based on my experience with other well known systems, RFPIO is designed with the end-user in mind. It allows for collaboration among SME's without having to acquire additional licenses. Very little training is necessary to use RFPIO and they have been adding new features without creating complexity.

Avantages

We are able not only to house our standard responses in English, but in all our languages that we use. This was a huge step forward for us as we are a Global Company spanning the globe and support in native language was a necessity.

Inconvénients

Permissions are somewhat rigid, but this is something that R&D are looking into and updating in the future.

Avantages

It's easy to use and you can tell by the features that they've really done their homework: a lot of thought that's gone into this and it shows.

Inconvénients

A few minor navigational issues in the first release, but their Dev Team responded quickly and fixed them.

Avantages

Looks very attractive. Organized well by projects. Import features are best in class. No more needing to import from a template, we can import right from a spreadsheet the customer gave us!

Inconvénients

What we like least the right-hand side panel, we wanted more selections from a list. As well as an Apply button so not to have to copy-and-paste. When we met with them and described this feature, they enabled it the very next day. Just such great customer service.

Avantages

Easy-to-use solution built for enterprise proposal teams

Inconvénients

Lack of text / content formatting options in Response / Answers pane

Avantages

Easy way to find the answers and takes less time to complete RFP's& RFI's.

Inconvénients

There are new UI available but there is no assist for the new UI, all the help content are for the old UI and the user have to change from new to Old to get previous features eg the bulk question update/ Edit feature isn't available in the new UI.

Avantages

Difficult to choose! The software itself: The automated workflow, ability to assign whole sections or individual questions to team members, project tracking, answer library, proposal templates, etc. In general: The customer service is unparalleled.

Inconvénients

There are a few minor glitches with text formatting when uploading previous proposal responses, but they are aware of these and I expect a timely resolution.

Avantages

System is intuitive and easy to learn. Customer support is beyond excellent. Like the archive function.

Inconvénients

Unable to tag reviewers to know by looking at the screen [initials?] who has been assigned. You must open the Q/A pair to see.
Would strongly recommend holding dedicated training session vs. separate sessions. This user had to 'unlearn' prior product, so it wasn't intuitive.

Also, I would like to be copied, or be able to view assignments. I'm not sure what they're getting, and I don't know when it's been answered. May be a user error on my part.

Last, the text in the response field is too small on entry. It's easily read after saving.

Avantages

Our favorite part of RFPIO is the intelligent Answer Library that makes it easy to find content from past projects. The multiple search options available get you to what you want quickly.

Inconvénients

No fault of RFPIO, but we are unable to use all the features as our bids are often on tight deadlines and go down to the last minute with edits, etc. It's tough to wait for all answers to be complete before starting formatting, so we often don't do writing assignments, just use the answer library and put directly into our formatted bid.

Avantages

It allows me to easily respond to & track the many RFPs I work on, and gives me the ability to save templates of the responses to questions I find myself answering over and over.

Inconvénients

The search feature for the Response Library tool doesn't always yield relevant results, but is still an improvement over our previous process.

Avantages

What has separated RFPIO from other offerings was their ability to support large enterprise software RFPs, which require coordination and input from many across our organization. Our users love the easy import and export, ability to assign owners and manage the project through actionable analytics, qualify deals through capability analysis, and quickly access prior RFP responses validated by SMEs. Response accuracy is critical to us, and RFPIO's Answer Library makes SME approval and maintenance of prior responses very easy. Multi-language support is also helpful for adoption in our globally distributed organization. I can't think of an area I like "least" about RFPIO. The solution is very robust, but also evolving very fast. Any feedback we've had on potential improvements have been implemented very quickly. The RFPIO support and development is excellent. If I had a least favorite item to call out, I imagine my review would quickly become outdated.

Avantages

Easy to learn and customize. Customer service has been outstanding.

Inconvénients

Nothing in particular. There has been a few problems with an overload of notifications/emails but we have worked this out for the most part.

Avantages

RFPio is easy to use, both for users who are comfortable with technology and those who are not. It's powerful, and the AI learning has cut our RFP process from 5 business days to 1. The live library allows us to supply up-to-date statistics and data for RFPs across the country, making sure we're giving potential clients the most current information to aid their decision-making progress.

Additionally, our onboarding support was outstanding. We love this tool!

Inconvénients

We've had a minor learning curve around reviewing data and creating cycles for our organization, but nothing insurmountable.

Avantages

The Answer Library is an awesome feature and it is very easy to use. I love how RFPio automatically recommends answers to questions from your answer library.

Inconvénients

The actual interface of going through managing a project in RFPio is not straightforward and a bit confusing.

Avantages

Ramp time was super fast. We were up and running across the organization in a few hours time. End user training is minimal - users picked it up fast because the software is so intuitive.

Inconvénients

NA. RFPIO is so flexible. Find a feature you want enhanced - just tell RFPIO and they typically include your request as a new feature release.

Avantages

RFPIO allows us to capture the very best of our existing content into a single platform for reuse over and over again. The intelligence built into the tool allows us to rapidly identify the correct content to address a specific RFP question. This allows us to save time and money as a company, and most importantly, helps us win more. The end product we're able to produce using RFPIO is a beautifully formatted, compliant, impactful RFP response that gets attention.

Inconvénients

RFPIO is at the beginning of what promises to be a very successful Software as a Service Platform that will help proposal writers and capture managers everywhere produce the best proposals they can -- cost effectively and quickly. The company has been very responsive in adding new features, fixing issues and incorporating suggestions to enhance the platform.

Avantages

I like that the update team is responsive to requests from users, and that it is continually being improved. The system is easy to use, and integrates into MSFT and SalesForce products easily!

Inconvénients

Not everything is in the most intuitive place. I have to explain to users how to respond to questions that the system emails out, and exporting is only from the main menu.

Avantages

The software is very user-friendly. It's cut our time putting together proposals in half because we don't have to search through countless files looking for the "perfect response." Answers are easily searchable, and I love that you can assign different user roles with varying degrees of permissions. Glitches or issues are responded to quickly as well.

Inconvénients

I honestly can't think of anything. It's been a lifesaver!

Avantages

The best feature for me is the search functionality and the filters. This product has made such a difference in my overall productivity and organization. I couldn't be happier!

Inconvénients

I can't say that I have a con. I continue to learn new things about the platform each time I use it. As I increase my expertise, I expect my satisfaction to increase as well!

Avantages

It required one demonstration to become proficient enough to use it on my own. Every time I have needed help, Ganesh, the CEO has called me back immediately. If I need a feature that would be beneficial to all users, it only takes a matter of days to roll new functionality out.

Inconvénients

I have not run into any problems. Although it is a newer product, they seem to be very prepared for many scenarios of projects.

Avantages

Cuts your time on RFPs by 50% giving the team time to focus on other priorities

Inconvénients

The initial setup is painful but after its setup, its not too bad

Avantages

1. Intelligent content recommendation feature - this provides >50% efficiency in responding to RFP questions

2. Intelligent Import tool - This saves considerable manual effort in copying the questions from Customer format and exporting back in the same format without disturbing any other content.

Inconvénients

Wishlist 1 - Ability to export responses in PowerPoint format. A PowerPoint editor can help stich together artefact from Document library and put together a proposal based on need.

Avantages

Smart suggestions and support for various file formats

Inconvénients

Needed some more fixtures here and there

Avantages

Saves time by allowing easy collaboration on RFx responses.

Inconvénients

If I had to pick something I would say that the auto-responder never worked for me. Nice in concept, but for some reason never finds matches even though I know there’s answers in our answer library that match. It’s a small thing though. Overall I’m happy with the solution.

Avantages

I liked how the software was intuitive and fit my needs.

Inconvénients

Sometimes the format of the RFP is not exactly like options in RFPIO.

Avantages

The intuitive user interface requires minimal training - casual users can be productive almost immediately. Excellent reporting and dashboards provide real-time metrics and visibility into the status of the response team's efforts - thereby obviating unnecessary response status calls and meetings. The workflow capabilities facilitate the deployment of a repeatable process and controls, going far beyond what you can do through documented business process and policies alone. Prebuilt connectors to apps like Salesforce and Slack foster collaboration among the core response team and across departments. Support for import/export from/to a wide variety of file formats enables use of the tool beyond RFx responses.

Inconvénients

Product has not been on the market very long. The response recommendation engine could be more mature.

Avantages

Ease of use and design layout which make the platform ease to utilize.

Inconvénients

As with any SaaS offering, there are always bells and whistles that you would like to add. I have little to no negative feedback regarding the offering.

Avantages

Response library, uploading templates from RFP's, a place to keep attachments and "share" responses in an efficient manner. Also love the built in electronic signature tool.

Inconvénients

Sometimes difficult to find the right feature, sometimes seems too buried.

Avantages

Intuitive solution that helps streamline an otherwise tedious process providing consistent results. The UI is well thought out and the team at RFPIO is continuously improving the product and soliciting their customers input.

Inconvénients

The product is still fairly new and so some things are missing, but as mentioned above, the team at RFPIO is extremely responsive to input and work tirelessly to improve the product

Avantages

The RFPIO team willing to add features for our particular needs! The ease in starting a new project and being able to complete it quickly with the help of the database. Love the reporting capabilities. Glad to have the discussion section for documenting conversations.

Inconvénients

I think it would be most helpful to have tutorial training videos in the self help center. Wish we could save attachments that could be opened within the discussion section.

Avantages

RFPIO has helped my team knockout RFIs and RFPs much more quickly and efficiently.

Inconvénients

While there is a slight learning curve with the software, it's only because RFPIO provides users with such a feature-rich user interface, allowing them to respond to RFIs and RFPs more effectively.

Avantages

RFPIO had some very unique capabilities when we first reviewed it, importing RFP's from a variety of sources was a real differentiator. The pricing model based on active RFP's rather than concurrent users fit our decentralized model perfectly.

Inconvénients

We were coming from a home grown process and have had to rethink how we manage the RFP's. There were some usability issues, but in the pilot process RFPIO addressed all our requests rapidly and professionally.

Avantages

Ease of use, organization features within the answer library, collaboration tools, dashboards and reporting

Inconvénients

System defaults to too many email notifications. Must configure what notifications you'd like to receive. Very minor complaint.

Avantages

The ease of use and the support you provide. The team at RFPIO is really helpful. We had some difficulties importing data into Salesforce but the RFPIO engineers did a terrific job and had us working with the reports in no time.

Inconvénients

Exporting large projects can take time, but that may be on account of my computer rather than any issues with RFPIO

Avantages

The workflow process around answering questions.

Inconvénients

I get assigned too many questions from our administrator :)

Avantages

RFPIO has significantly streamlined our proposal process by giving the team access to the best and most relevant responses. We used to have to dig through old proposals to find responses or start each one from scratch. Now we're able to get a large part of the work done automatically.

Inconvénients

We initially ran into issues with having too much information in the system. As we've matured and refined the volume of options, we've become more effective.

Avantages

- Easily get answers to RFX questions by looking at historic answers.
- Easily import RFPs in any format - specifically excel
- Collaborate easily with peers

Inconvénients

- Some training required as with any new software