Requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria specific to digital chat procurement
7 min read
Digital chat solutions are no longer simple add-ons but core components of modern customer experience. RFPs are critical in this space because the solutions vary widely in technical capabilities, AI sophistication, and integration depth, impacting everything from customer satisfaction to agent productivity.
What should a digital chat RFP include?
A strong RFP for digital chat should define business goals, required capabilities, integration and security needs, implementation expectations, supplier questions, and weighted evaluation criteria. It should make suppliers prove fit rather than only describe features.
What makes digital chat RFPs different
Digital chat RFPs differ significantly due to the rapid evolution of AI and its integration into these platforms. Buyers must carefully assess the AI capabilities offered, including natural language processing (NLP), sentiment analysis, and the ability to automate tasks through agentic AI. Additionally, the level of integration with existing CRM, knowledge management, and contact center systems is a crucial differentiator.
Legal and compliance requirements surrounding data privacy and security in digital communications also add complexity.
Level of AI integration and automation capabilities
Integration with existing CRM, knowledge management, and contact center systems
Data privacy, security, and compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2)
Scalability to handle increasing chat volumes and evolving customer needs
RFP vs RFI vs RFQ
Here's when to use each document type when procuring digital chat 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 digital chat, an RFI is useful for initial market research to understand available features and deployment options. An RFP is necessary for detailed evaluation of specific vendor solutions, including AI capabilities, integration options, and security protocols. An RFQ is generally not suitable due to the complex and customizable nature of digital chat implementations.
Technical requirements checklist
Use this checklist when defining your RFP scope.
Channel Support
Web chat
Mobile in-app chat
SMS/Text messaging
Social media messaging (e.g., Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp)
Email integration
AI Capabilities
Natural Language Processing (NLP) for intent recognition
Historical reporting on chat volume, resolution time, CSAT
Agent performance metrics
Conversation intelligence and sentiment analysis reports
Customizable dashboards
Questions to include in your RFP
AI Capabilities
Describe your AI engine's ability to understand complex customer inquiries and intent.
Ensures the AI can accurately interpret customer needs.
Explain your approach to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and how it prevents AI from providing inaccurate or fabricated information.
Critical for ensuring AI responses are truthful and grounded in your data.
Detail your platform's sentiment analysis capabilities and how it triggers escalations to human agents.
Helps identify and address frustrated customers quickly.
Describe the AI's ability to automate tasks (Agentic AI) and provide examples of tasks your AI can perform.
Demonstrates the potential for AI to resolve issues without human intervention.
Integration and APIs
Describe your platform's integration capabilities with our existing CRM (specify platform), knowledge base, and other relevant systems.
Ensures seamless data flow and prevents data silos.
Detail your API offerings and provide sample use cases for integrating with custom applications.
Allows for extending the platform's functionality and integrating with unique business processes.
Explain how your platform handles data synchronization and ensures data consistency across integrated systems.
Prevents discrepancies and ensures accurate information is available to agents.
What pre-built connectors are available for common business applications?
Reduces integration complexity and implementation time.
Security and Compliance
Describe your platform's security measures to protect customer data, including encryption, access controls, and vulnerability management.
Protects sensitive information and maintains customer trust.
Detail your compliance certifications (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR) and provide relevant documentation.
Verifies adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Explain your data residency options and how you ensure data is stored in compliance with regional regulations.
Meets data sovereignty requirements and avoids legal complications.
Describe your data retention policies and provide options for data deletion or anonymization.
Ensures compliance with data privacy regulations.
Deployment and Scalability
Describe your platform's deployment options (cloud, on-premise, hybrid) and the associated infrastructure requirements.
Determines the flexibility and cost of deployment.
Explain how your platform scales to handle increasing chat volumes and agent workloads.
Ensures the platform can meet future demands.
Detail your platform's disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
Guarantees service availability in case of unforeseen events.
What are the platform's requirements related to network bandwidth and latency?
Identifies potential infrastructure bottlenecks.
Reporting and Analytics
Describe your platform's reporting and analytics capabilities, including real-time dashboards, historical reports, and customizable metrics.
Provides insights into chat performance and customer behavior.
Explain how your platform measures customer satisfaction (CSAT) and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
Tracks the effectiveness of the chat solution and identifies areas for improvement.
Detail your platform's conversation intelligence capabilities and how it extracts insights from chat transcripts.
Uncovers valuable information about customer needs and product issues.
Can we create custom reports and dashboards to track specific metrics relevant to our business?
Ensures the platform can provide the insights we need.
Pricing and Licensing
Provide a detailed breakdown of your pricing model, including licensing fees, implementation costs, and ongoing support charges.
Ensures transparency and accurate budget forecasting.
Explain your pricing structure for AI-powered features, such as chatbots and sentiment analysis.
Helps assess the cost-effectiveness of AI capabilities.
Do you offer flexible pricing options based on usage or the number of active agents?
Provides cost savings for organizations with fluctuating chat volumes.
Are there any hidden costs or additional fees not included in the initial quote?
Avoids unexpected expenses and ensures accurate TCO calculation.
Compliance and security requirements
Depending on your industry, you may need to require proof of these certifications and standards.
HIPAA
Required if handling protected health information (phi). If applicable, request a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and documentation of HIPAA compliance measures.
GDPR
Required if processing personal data of eu citizens. If applicable, request information on data processing agreements, data subject rights, and data transfer mechanisms.
SOC 2 Type II
Required for demonstrating security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy controls. If applicable, request a SOC 2 Type II report from an independent auditor.
PCI-DSS
Required if processing credit card information. If applicable, request a PCI-DSS Attestation of Compliance (AOC) and documentation of security controls.
CCPA/CPRA
Required if processing personal data of california residents. If applicable, request information on compliance with CCPA/CPRA requirements, including data subject rights and data breach notification procedures.
Evaluation criteria
Here is the suggested weighting for digital chat RFPs.
AI Capabilities and AutomationThe sophistication and effectiveness of AI-powered features, including NLP, sentiment analysis, and agentic AI.
25%
Integration and API FlexibilityThe ease and depth of integration with existing CRM, knowledge management, and other systems.
20%
Security and ComplianceAdherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements, including data privacy and security measures.
15%
Scalability and ReliabilityThe platform's ability to handle increasing chat volumes and maintain service availability.
15%
Reporting and AnalyticsThe comprehensiveness and customizability of reporting and analytics dashboards.
10%
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)Implementation costs, licensing fees, and ongoing support charges.
10%
Vendor Experience and SupportThe vendor's track record, customer references, and support services.
5%
Some weights were adjusted based on your priorities.
Increase if automation and deflection are critical goals.
Increase if complex integration requirements exist.
Increase for high-growth businesses or those with seasonal demand fluctuations.
Red flags to watch
Inability to demonstrate RAG implementation
Indicates a potential risk of AI hallucination and inaccurate responses.
Lack of transparency in AI training data
Raises concerns about data privacy and potential bias in AI responses.
Limited integration options with critical business systems
Creates data silos and hinders seamless workflows.
Vague or incomplete security documentation
Signals potential vulnerabilities and compliance risks.
High per-resolution pricing for AI-powered features
Can lead to unpredictable and escalating costs.
Key metrics to request
Ask vendors to provide benchmarks from similar customers.
AI Deflection Rate
Indicates the percentage of customer inquiries resolved by the AI without human intervention.
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score
Measures customer satisfaction with the chat experience.
Average Handle Time (AHT)
Tracks the average time it takes for agents to resolve customer inquiries.
First Contact Resolution (FCR)
Measures the percentage of inquiries resolved during the first interaction.
Bot-to-Human Handover Rate
Indicates how often the AI needs to escalate inquiries to human agents.
Implementation Time
Helps understand how quickly the solution can be deployed and generate value.
