Skip to main content

Permissions

Add user
Done

Start your AI search

AI search
Outbound call compliance Gamification for customer service Outsourcing services

How to write an RFP for agent assist all channels

Requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria specific to agent assist all channels procurement

6 min read

Agent Assist solutions have evolved from simple scripting tools to sophisticated AI-powered copilots. RFPs are critical for navigating the complex vendor landscape and ensuring the chosen platform aligns with specific contact center needs, integration requirements, and compliance mandates.

What makes agent assist all channels RFPs different

Agent Assist RFPs are unique due to the rapid advancements in AI, particularly generative AI and agentic automation. Procurement teams must carefully evaluate the depth of AI integration, the ability to handle multimodal inputs (voice, chat, visual), and the platform's capacity to autonomously execute tasks. Integration with existing CRM and CCaaS systems is paramount, requiring detailed specifications and testing scenarios.

Furthermore, data security and compliance (e.g., PCI-DSS, HIPAA) are non-negotiable, demanding stringent vendor certifications and data handling protocols.

  • AI capabilities (GenAI, RAG, agentic automation)
  • Integration with existing CRM and CCaaS platforms
  • Data security and compliance certifications
  • Real-time performance and low latency

RFP vs RFI vs RFQ

Here's when to use each document type when procuring agent assist all channels software.

RFI

Request for Information

Use early in your search to understand what vendors offer and narrow your list. Gather general capabilities, company background, and high-level pricing ranges.

RFP

Request for Proposal

Use when you know your requirements and want detailed vendor solutions and pricing. This is your main evaluation document for shortlisted vendors.

RFQ

Request for Quote

Use when requirements are fixed and you just need final pricing. Often used after RFP when you're ready to negotiate with finalists.

For Agent Assist, an RFI helps explore available features and vendor approaches. An RFP is essential for a detailed evaluation of specific requirements, integration capabilities, and AI performance. An RFQ is less suitable due to the complexity and need for customization.

Ready to create your RFP?

Generate a customized RFP document with pre-built questions tailored for agent assist all channels vendors. Save hours of research and ensure you're asking the right questions.

Create your RFP

Technical requirements checklist

Use this checklist when defining your RFP scope.

Core Functionality

  • Real-time transcription and translation
  • Contextual knowledge retrieval using RAG
  • Automated call summarization
  • Sentiment analysis
  • Personally identifiable information (PII) redaction

AI and Automation

  • Generative AI capabilities for dynamic responses
  • Agentic actions and workflow automation
  • Human-in-the-loop (HITL) validation
  • Self-correcting knowledge loops

Integration Requirements

  • CRM integration (specify platforms: Salesforce, Zendesk, etc.)
  • CCaaS integration (specify platforms: Genesys, NICE, Five9, etc.)
  • Knowledge base integration (specify platforms: SharePoint, Confluence, Guru, etc.)
  • Communication platform integration (Slack, Microsoft Teams)

Security and Compliance

  • Data encryption at rest and in transit
  • SOC 2 Type II certification
  • HIPAA compliance (if applicable)
  • PCI-DSS compliance (if applicable)
  • GDPR compliance

Reporting and Analytics

  • Real-time performance dashboards
  • Agent performance tracking
  • Customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) reporting
  • Average handle time (AHT) reduction analysis
  • First contact resolution (FCR) improvement analysis

Questions to include in your RFP

AI Capabilities

  • Describe your approach to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and how it ensures accuracy and prevents AI hallucinations.
    RAG is crucial for ensuring the AI uses verified data.
  • Explain your system's ability to understand customer intent, sentiment, and context beyond simple keyword matching.
    This ensures the AI provides relevant and personalized assistance.
  • Demonstrate how your platform enables agentic actions, such as processing refunds or scheduling appointments, with minimal human intervention.
    Agentic AI can significantly improve efficiency.
  • How does your system identify and address gaps in the knowledge base based on agent queries?
    This creates a virtuous cycle of knowledge improvement.

Integration and Compatibility

  • Describe your native, bi-directional integration capabilities with our specific CRM (Salesforce) and CCaaS (Genesys) platforms.
    Native integrations are more reliable than wrapper integrations.
  • Explain how your solution handles data synchronization and ensures data consistency across different systems.
    Data consistency is critical for accurate insights.
  • Detail your API capabilities and provide examples of how we can extend or customize the platform to meet our specific needs.
    API flexibility is important for future scalability.
  • What is your approach to handling integration complexities and potential conflicts with our existing IT infrastructure?
    This addresses potential integration challenges.

Performance and Scalability

  • What is your documented latency for real-time transcription and guidance delivery under peak load conditions?
    Low latency is essential for real-time assistance.
  • Describe your system's ability to handle a high volume of concurrent calls and chats without performance degradation.
    Scalability is crucial for growing contact centers.
  • What are your system's uptime and availability guarantees, and what measures do you have in place for disaster recovery and business continuity?
    High availability is critical for uninterrupted service.
  • How do you monitor and optimize system performance to ensure consistent and reliable service?
    Continuous optimization is important for long-term performance.

Security and Compliance

  • Describe your approach to data security and privacy, including data encryption, access controls, and data residency options.
    Data security is paramount for protecting customer information.
  • Detail your compliance certifications (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR) and provide evidence of your adherence to these standards.
    Compliance is essential for regulated industries.
  • Explain your PII redaction capabilities and how you ensure sensitive data is automatically scrubbed from transcripts and storage.
    PII redaction is crucial for compliance.
  • Do you retain ownership of the data derived from our interactions to train your foundation models, and can we opt-out while retaining full functionality?
    This clarifies data sovereignty and intellectual property risks.

Pricing and Licensing

  • Provide a detailed breakdown of your pricing model, including per-seat license fees, implementation costs, API usage fees, and any other associated charges.
    Transparency is essential for accurate budgeting.
  • Explain your approach to usage-based pricing and how it aligns with our expected call volume and AI model usage.
    Usage-based fees can significantly impact TCO.
  • What are your standard payment terms and renewal options?
    Understanding payment terms is important for financial planning.
  • Do you offer any discounts for volume purchases or multi-year contracts?
    Discounts can reduce overall costs.

Implementation and Support

  • Describe your implementation methodology and provide a detailed project plan with timelines and milestones.
    A clear implementation plan is critical for success.
  • What level of training and support do you provide to our agents and supervisors during and after implementation?
    Adequate training is essential for user adoption.
  • What is your process for addressing technical issues and providing ongoing maintenance and updates?
    Reliable support is crucial for long-term success.
  • Provide customer references from organizations similar to ours in terms of size, industry, and complexity.
    Relevant references can provide valuable insights.

Compliance and security requirements

Depending on your industry, you may need to require proof of these certifications and standards.

PCI-DSS

Required if handling payment card data. If applicable, request current PCI-DSS compliance certificate and Attestation of Compliance (AOC)

HIPAA

Required for healthcare data. If applicable, request Business Associate Agreement (BAA) template and HIPAA compliance documentation

SOC 2 Type II

Required for all saas providers. If applicable, request SOC 2 Type II audit report

GDPR

Required if processing data of eu citizens. If applicable, request documentation on GDPR compliance measures and data processing agreements

Evaluation criteria

Here is the suggested weighting for agent assist all channels RFPs.

Functionality Fit How well the solution meets stated requirements
25%
AI and Automation Capabilities Depth of AI integration and ability to automate tasks
20%
Integration Capabilities
15%
Performance and Scalability System performance under peak load and scalability for future growth
15%
Total Cost of Ownership Implementation, licensing, and ongoing costs
15%
Security and Compliance Adherence to relevant security and compliance standards
10%

Some weights were adjusted based on your priorities.

  • Increase if replacing a highly customized legacy system
  • Increase if complex integration landscape exists

Red flags to watch

  • Vague pricing responses

    Vendors who can't provide clear pricing often have hidden costs or complex fee structures that inflate TCO

  • No customer references in your industry

    Lack of relevant references suggests limited experience with your specific requirements and use cases

  • Refusal to commit to a specific latency benchmark

    High latency renders the tool useless in real-time

  • Boilerplate security policies

    A lack of specific AI governance or clarity on data residency is concerning

  • "Vaporware" roadmaps

    Promising agentic features that are "coming next quarter" without a functional demo available today is a bad sign.

Key metrics to request

Ask vendors to provide benchmarks from similar customers.

Implementation timeline for similar customers

Helps set realistic expectations and identify potential delays

Average time to first value

Indicates how quickly you'll see ROI from the investment

Reduction in average handle time (AHT)

Measures efficiency gains

Improvement in first contact resolution (FCR)

Indicates improved customer service

Agent attrition rate

Reflects job satisfaction and retention