In this article:
Overview
A strong RFP process ensures competitive pricing for outsourced legal work in your department.
LawVu RFPs are connected to the original matter. You can create an RFP for matters with a Matter Manager from your legal team or for unassigned matters. The RFP is sent to multiple suppliers to request proposals and quotes for the work. The winning proposal becomes the assigned firm and Matter Manager for the matter.
Regular use of the LawVu RFP capability allows clear reporting on savings. You can compare accepted proposal prices with the highest received proposals.
To access RFPs, click the Spend icon in the left-hand menu bar and select RFPs.
Required permissions for utilizing RFPs in LawVu
Users can only create RFPs if their profile has the Assign Matters to Service Providers permission activated.
The Members tab on the RFP governs access to an RFP.
When an RFP is created, the owner and the delegates from the originating matter are added as RFP members by default. Those members can then add additional members as needed.
To accept an RFP, a user must be a member of the matter.
To see the complete list of their organization's current RFPs, a user must be added to the RFP Administrators Group, which can be accessed via Settings > User Management > Administrator Groups.
How to send an RFP in LawVu
Navigate to the matter that you intend to send to outside counsel. Please note that you can only create RFPs for matters that have had no prior external counsel involvement on that matter.
Click the ellipsis button and select Create RFP. Ensure you are the assigned matter owner/manager to see this option from the menu.
A create modal will appear. By default, it will assume the same name as the matter. However, you can edit the name of the RFP if needed. Enter a response deadline if required and click Proceed.
If a budget has already been specified within the matter, the RFP create modal will pull this figure across.
If you want to be transparent about the budget to attract more competitive bids or ensure vendors propose solutions within the budget, tick the box next to Disclose budget to recipients.
Key in the scope of work details and attach the relevant files.
At any point, you can Save it as a Draft. This draft can then be accessed from within your RFP list.
Add the recipients, type in a message, and click the Send request button. You can add recipients until the winning proposal has been selected.
Note: You can send the RFP to the Legal Service Providers' intake queue or a specific person or people within the organization.
The recipients will receive both an email notification and an in-app notification within LawVu (depending on the user's notification settings), and you will be notified when new responses are posted.
Note that once an edit is made to an RFP, the existing recipients are notified and invited to review the changes and amend their proposal accordingly.
How to accept an RFP
To check on the status of your Request for Proposals, click the Engage icon on the left-hand menu bar and select Requests for Proposal.
The STATE column indicates the status of the RFP at your end.
Draft indicates the RFP is still being worked on.
Active indicates the RFP has been sent out to recipients.
Closed indicates a proposal has been accepted.
Cancelled indicates the RFP was effectively voided.
To check responses or make changes to the RFP, click on the relevant matter. This opens the Scope tab, which displays a summary of the scope, response deadline, and budget. The attached files are listed on the right.
Click Edit to make any necessary changes to the scope.
Click the Recipients tab to see how your recipients have responded to your RFP.
The Waiting state indicates the recipient has yet to respond to the RFP.
The Received state indicates the recipient has sent a proposal.
The Review state indicates the recipient needs to review changes made to the scope since they submitted their earlier proposal.
The Accepted state indicates the winning proposal.
The Lost state indicates a rejected proposal.
To review the proposal in detail, click on View Proposal.
The law firm's proposal and any attached supporting documents are then displayed. The conversations panel on the right allows you to communicate with the law firm.
If you agree to the terms of the proposal, click the Accept button.
As per the example below, a warning will be issued if a) the proposal exceeds the RFP budget or b) a proposal is submitted with a lower cost than the one being accepted. In both these cases, you are still free to accept.
The winning law firm becomes the Matter Manager for that matter, and work can commence.
How to delete an RFP
To be able to delete an RFP, you need to be a member of the RFP Administrators Group. You can delete an existing RFP by going to the originating matter or directly from the RFP window.
