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How to write an RFP for RPA

Requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria specific to RPA procurement

7 min read

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) procurement demands a clear understanding of the shift from simple task execution to autonomous orchestration, especially in customer experience (CX). RFPs are critical for evaluating vendors' ability to deliver resilient, scalable, and AI-driven automation solutions, not just basic robotic capabilities.

What makes RPA RFPs different

RPA RFPs in CX are unique because they must address the unsustainable complexity of modern contact centers. Organizations need solutions that overcome the limitations of human agents managing multiple disparate customer data systems. The RFP must clearly define integration requirements with existing CRM, ERP, and communication platforms, as well as the need for handling both structured and unstructured data through Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).

Furthermore, compliance with data privacy regulations like PCI and HIPAA is paramount, requiring specific security and audit logging capabilities.

  • Integration resilience (API vs. UI automation)
  • Agentic orchestration and centralized governance
  • Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) capabilities
  • Security and compliance with relevant data privacy regulations

RFP vs RFI vs RFQ

Here's when to use each document type when procuring RPA 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 RPA in CX, an RFI is useful for initial market research to understand the range of vendor offerings and emerging AI capabilities. An RFP is essential for a detailed assessment of technical fit, scalability, security, and long-term vendor vision, particularly regarding Agentic AI and Hyperautomation. RFQs are generally unsuitable due to the complexity of integration and customization needed.

Technical requirements checklist

Use this checklist when defining your RFP scope.

Core RPA Capabilities

  • Attended and unattended automation
  • Orchestration and centralized management
  • Exception handling and error reporting
  • Scalability and performance under load

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)

  • OCR accuracy and language support
  • Data extraction from semi-structured documents
  • Machine learning-based document classification
  • Integration with content management systems

Integration Requirements

  • CRM integration (Salesforce, ServiceNow, etc.)
  • Contact center platform integration (e.g., Genesys, Twilio)
  • ERP integration (SAP, Oracle)
  • API connectivity for custom applications

Security and Compliance

  • Data encryption at rest and in transit
  • User access controls and authentication
  • Audit logging and reporting
  • Compliance with PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, and other relevant regulations

Agentic AI and BOAT Capabilities

  • Self-healing automation
  • Computer Use (CU) capabilities
  • Generative AI integration for prompt-driven automation
  • Multi-agent framework orchestration

Questions to include in your RFP

Agentic Orchestration & Governance

  • Describe your platform's centralized Orchestrator and its capabilities for managing the entire lifecycle of bots.
    Ensures centralized oversight and prevents a "bot graveyard" of unmanaged scripts.
  • How does your platform support a multi-vendor "multi-agent" framework, and how does it handle task handovers between human agents and AI bots?
    Tests for agentic capabilities and cross-functional workflow orchestration.
  • Detail your platform's role-based access control features and audit logging capabilities.
    Essential for security and compliance in handling sensitive customer data.
  • Explain your approach to version control and change management for automated processes.
    Ensures stability and reduces the risk of automation failures during updates.

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)

  • Describe your IDP capabilities, including OCR accuracy, language support, and ability to extract data from semi-structured documents (e.g., invoices, emails).
    Essential for automating processes that involve unstructured or semi-structured data.
  • How does your platform use machine learning to improve document classification and data extraction accuracy over time?
    Ensures continuous improvement and reduces manual intervention.
  • What pre-built document processing templates or accelerators do you offer for common CX use cases (e.g., claims processing, customer onboarding)?
    Accelerates implementation and reduces development costs.
  • Detail the integration capabilities with content management systems and other document repositories.
    Ensures seamless data flow between RPA and existing systems.

Integration & Connectivity

  • Describe your platform's integration capabilities with major CRM, contact center, and ERP systems (specify versions supported).
    Ensures compatibility with existing infrastructure and avoids integration bottlenecks.
  • Does your platform support both API-level and UI-based automation, and how do you prioritize API integration for stability?
    API integration is more resilient than UI automation, reducing maintenance costs.
  • Explain your approach to handling authentication and authorization when connecting to different systems.
    Ensures secure access to sensitive data and prevents unauthorized access.
  • How does your platform monitor and manage API usage to prevent performance issues or service disruptions?
    Maintains system stability and prevents automation failures.

Security & Compliance

  • Describe your platform's security features, including data encryption, user access controls, and audit logging.
    Protects sensitive customer data and ensures compliance with regulations.
  • How does your platform ensure data masking and least privilege security when a bot is interacting with PCI or HIPAA-regulated data on a remote agent's desktop?
    Critical for risk mitigation and preventing unauthorized access to backend systems.
  • What compliance certifications does your platform hold (e.g., SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS, HIPAA), and can you provide documentation?
    Validates security posture and demonstrates commitment to compliance.
  • Explain your approach to data residency and data sovereignty, especially for international deployments.
    Ensures compliance with local data privacy laws.

Deployment & Scalability

  • What deployment options are available (cloud, on-premise, hybrid), and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
    Allows organizations to choose the deployment model that best fits their needs.
  • How does your platform scale to handle increasing transaction volumes and bot deployments?
    Ensures that the automation solution can meet future demands.
  • Describe your platform's disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.
    Minimizes downtime and ensures business continuity in the event of a disruption.
  • What are the infrastructure requirements for deploying and running your platform (e.g., virtual machines, servers, network bandwidth)?
    Helps organizations plan for the necessary infrastructure investments.

Pricing & Licensing

  • Provide a detailed breakdown of your pricing model, including licensing fees, implementation costs, and ongoing maintenance fees.
    Ensures transparency and allows for accurate cost comparisons.
  • What are the different licensing options available (e.g., per-bot, per-user, per-transaction), and which is most suitable for our use case?
    Helps organizations choose the licensing model that best fits their needs and budget.
  • Are there any hidden fees or additional costs that are not included in the initial quote?
    Avoids unexpected expenses and ensures accurate budgeting.
  • What discounts or incentives are available for long-term contracts or large-scale deployments?
    Reduces the overall cost of the automation solution.

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 AOC.

HIPAA

Required for healthcare data. If applicable, request BAA template and HIPAA compliance documentation.

GDPR

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

SOC 2 Type II

Required for service organizations handling sensitive data. If applicable, request SOC 2 Type II report and relevant security documentation.

Evaluation criteria

Here is the suggested weighting for RPA RFPs.

Functionality Fit How well the solution meets stated requirements
25%
Total Cost of Ownership Implementation, licensing, and ongoing costs
20%
Integration Capabilities
15%
Security and Compliance Adherence to relevant industry standards and security best practices
15%
Vendor Stability and Roadmap Financial health and long-term vision for Agentic AI and Hyperautomation
10%
Ease of Use and Development Low-code/no-code capabilities and citizen developer support
10%
Customer Support and Training Availability of training resources and responsive customer support
5%

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.

  • Lack of self-healing demo

    If they cannot demonstrate how a bot recovers from a changed UI element, you are buying a maintenance nightmare.

  • No customer references in your industry

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

  • Fragile "surface-only" scraping

    Vendors who lack a robust API connector library will lead to unreliable automation in the long run.

  • Poor support during evaluation

    If the vendor is unresponsive during the sales process, they will be nonexistent after the contract is signed.

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.

Percentage of deployments utilizing self-healing or AI-driven maintenance

Reveals the platform's technical maturity and reduces ongoing maintenance costs.

Customer satisfaction scores related to implemented automations

Demonstrates the impact of automation on customer experience.

Reduction in average handling time (AHT) for specific processes

Quantifies the efficiency gains from automation.