25/08/2026
Most Martech RFP scorecards have a column missing.
It is the reason the platform that looked best on paper is the one teams end up working around eighteen months later.
Across the RFP processes we run, five gaps show up before a single vendor is shortlisted:
1๏ธโฃ ๐ก๐ผ "๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐" ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐๐บ๐ป
Real vendor answers are rarely yes or no. "Offer, but only via webhook." "Offer, but not for that channel." A scorecard built for yes/no hides exactly the detail that causes problems six months in, because there is nowhere to record it.
2๏ธโฃ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
Requirements get written by whoever is in the room first, usually marketing. By the time IT or data sees the shortlist, the criteria are already set and their input becomes a reaction, not a contribution.
3๏ธโฃ ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐
Renewal, cost, capability gap, migration. Each is a different problem and should shape a different evaluation. Most RFPs run the same generic process regardless of why they started, which means the process answers the wrong question well.
4๏ธโฃ ๐ ๐ถ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป
The scorecard compares platform fees side by side. It rarely compares what it costs to move data, rebuild automations, and retrain the team, so the cheaper platform on paper is not always the cheaper decision.
5๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ
A "yes" in a spec sheet and a "yes" a vendor can actually show you live are not the same claim. The gap between them usually only shows up after the contract is signed.
Any one of these is fixable mid-process. Two or more, and the RFP is comparing vendor pitches, not evaluating fit.
Before your next RFP goes out, check whether your scorecard has room for "sometimes." If it does not, that is where to start.
1๏ธโฃ