tine can recall some instances where vendors have been eliminated from consideration as a result of contacting members of the evaluation commit- tee during the process. “The RFP process is best suited for
commodity products like office sup- plies and diesel fuel, for which price is
the primary evaluation criteria.
GPS-driven solutions are not com- modities, and the vendor’s approach and experience are critical success factors,” he said.
PILOTS — THE PREFERRED PROCESS For most vendors, nothing can win
over a school district like a well-planned and well-executed pilot program. By sampling the wares of a particular company, school district officials can get a real-world feel for how the system will integrate with the transportation department’s procedures, operations or equipment. “A pilot is better than reading some-
body’s novel on how great they are,” said Carnahan, explaining that the time and staff resources spent coming up with the RFP could easily cover the sticker price of a pilot for districts that are worried about the costs. And it gives districts a taste of the
company’s customer service as well. Sometimes districts can even work out free pilots, but Carnahan warned of following the pilot with an unnec- essary RFP. “If they go through a pilot and then
put out an RFP to evaluate a product, they’ve tested with ones they have nev- er used; that’s just insane.” Brad Bishop and his team at Syno-
via also suggested pilot programs to districts considering purchasing. With the constant advances in software and technology, districts need to see the system first hand to truly evaluate the value of the product and service. “We also suggest site visits,” said
Bishop, the company’s vice president. “Te cost for one on-site visit to see the system in action will be far less than the cost of buying a system that does not work.” ■
www.stnonline.com 25
❝Sometimes there are egos and
empires involved in the process
that just makes it crazy. ❞ — Don Carnahan, Zonar
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