ITPEC FE Subject A April 2024 Question 48
Topic: System Planning
Which of the following is an appropriate description of an RFI?
Explanation
A request for information on computerization from prospective suppliers — an RFI gathers information from vendors before the requirements are fixed.
Procurement runs in this order:
- •RFI (request for information): ask vendors what technologies, products and track record are available
- •RFP (request for proposal): present the fixed requirements and ask for concrete system proposals
- •Evaluate the proposals and select a supplier
What the RFI brings back helps the orderer write the RFP.
Answer (d)
Why not others:
- •(a) — a document that already fixes the system's purpose, functions, requirements and contract matters sets out requirements, the content sent with an RFP; an RFI comes earlier and fixes none of them
- •(b) — reverses the order: the RFI comes before the RFP and feeds into it
- •(c) — requesting specific system proposals from vendors is an RFP
Key rule: An RFI asks vendors what they can offer; an RFP asks them to propose a system for stated requirements, so information always comes before proposals.
System Planning · AI-written, may contain errors
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