Case Scenario:
You are a project manager in the human resources department for a global investment management firm, LRH Financial. You are currently updating your benefits administration to an external company; this is expected to be a minimum 5-year operational commitment. As part of this move, you are revising your benefits options, updating the employees on the changes, revamping the intranet to include self-service benefits administration, and redeploying about 20 human resources benefits staff to new positions with the human resources department. The vendor that will be taking over benefits administration operations has not yet been chosen. Due to a lack of resources in the information technology department, a vendor will be used to update the intranet and train employees on the new self-service functionality. It is not yet clear how the redeployment of the benefits staff will be completed. In the past, this type of activity has been handled by a boutique management consulting company.
You just met with your boss, Pat, the Vice President of Human Resources. Pat emphasized that you will have responsibility for all the contracting, negotiating, and vendor management activities. You will need to work closely with purchasing and accounts payable as you complete these activities.
Question 1:
You are meeting with Pat (who is also the sponsor of the project), the head of Finance, and several other key project decision makers to review the approach you are going to take on the project. You are discussing the vendor selections you will do, your timing of those activities, and the resources you will need to create the request for proposals and evaluate the proposals. Share your thoughts on the following points:
* parts of the project for which you will use vendors (explain your rationale)
* process you will follow for selecting the vendors
* information you will include in the RFP
* people (in terms of skills and time) you will need to participate in the selection
* milestones and approximate timeframes for the entire selection process
Question 2:
Based on your discussion with Pat and the rest of the team, prepare a project overview for Pat. Include your recommendations for the following:
* process you will follow for selecting the vendors
* information you will include in the RFP
* criteria you will use to evaluate and select vendors (new)
* milestones and approximate timeframes for the entire selection process