Parcel RFP Guide: Five Critical Components to Consider

As a shipper entering a parcel carrier bid process, you are subject to a great deal of doubt and risk from the unknown. At GMT, we often advise and welcome our partners to spend considerable time assessing the likelihood of success before ever entering a RFP, and we almost always want to question whether or not a contract extension is more advisable to the health of your parcel network (and your parcel carrier relationships). This is not to say that a RFP is not a successful cost avoidance or cost mitigation tactic, but rather an endeavor that will greatly impact your parcel network, and thus deserves thorough consideration. In those circumstances when it is most clear that your brand and parcel network would be better served through the means of a RFP, we know better than most that there are five critical components to a positive and rewarding RFP outcome. Today, we’re providing a summary of those five components to help you as you enter a future RFP – or possibly change the course of a current RFP.

Though RFPs can be a stressful and vulnerable period for your brand and parcel network strategy, they are also often a uniquely rewarding and cost saving measure for your parcel network when applied correctly. Understanding when to implement a RFP is just as important as how you implement a RFP. Applying considerable research, creativity, and flexibility throughout the process will likely serve your brand well and help build lasting parcel carrier relationships that will no doubt affect future RFP events.