This is the third post in a series on standardizing your company's AGV/AMR fleet manager software. Read the first post about the benefits of standardizing this technology or download our free Fleet Manager RFI/P/Q templates.
What is an RFP?
RFP is an abbreviation for Request For Proposal, a type of procurement document that a company distributes to gather relevant and specific information from product and service vendors.
The aim of an RFP is to move from a medium length list of potential partners (most often 3-5) to a final shortlist of just two or three, who might later be asked to submit a full Request for Quote (RFQ).
If a Request for Information (RFI) is an early-stage fact-finding document, an RFP delves deeper. It requests a high level of detail from vendors, spanning not only their off-the-shelf solutions but also any customizations or additional development that may be required for them to meet the specifications of your AGV/AMR program.
It is also common for a fleet manager RFP to include multiple client-specific questions, concerning how a vendor would tackle management of your company’s existing AGV/AMR installations, how their fleet manager would be integrated with your other existing software, architecture proposals and so on.
Regarding cost, many RFPs demand pricing information – leading to RFPs sometimes being called, mistakenly, a ‘request for price’ – while others do not. If you do not plan to follow your RFP with an RFQ, it probably makes sense to talk in detail about pricing now.
A fleet manager RFP is commonly sent to a list of 3-5 vendors, compared to 2-3 for a contract-deciding RFQ.
Download: AGV/AMR Fleet Manager RFI Template
Why write a fleet manager RFP
Large companies that have, or are looking to deploy, several fleets of automated vehicles such as AGVs and AMRs – often in operation at multiple sites – are increasingly looking to standardize the fleet software they use to manage these installations, by partnering with a single supplier.
There are several potential benefits to this approach:
- Just one fleet management software for local sites and/or global automation teams to learn and manage.
- One set of virtual vehicle paths per site – saving space, reducing complexity, and increasing on-site efficiency.
- One global point of contact for high-level fleet manager support.
- Improved knowledge retention and lower training costs: with just one fleet management software on-site there are fewer systems to learn and a lower risk of losing vital operational knowledge due to staff turnover.
- Simplified installation management and maintenance: allowing regional or global automation teams to better manage risk.
- Reduced space demands: just one set of virtual vehicle paths per site.
- Higher throughput: due to smoother handling of traffic control and different mission types.
- Reduced cyber security risk: just one fleet platform to monitor and maintain.
- Easier vehicle sourcing: ability to buy AGVs only from the most suitable vendors, with no compromise on quality.
- Interoperability made easy: operate different types and brands of vehicle, seamlessly in the same fleet, without needing high levels of custom programming.
- Simple support: One global point of contact for high-level fleet manager assistance.
- Lower short- and long-term costs: fewer interfaces and communication protocols mean simpler integration and improved operational reliability.
Issuing a Request for Proposal, or RFP, which is sent to different potential fleet management suppliers, can be a key step in the procurement process.
Important to note it may not be necessary for your company to go through the full process of issuing RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs. Instead, the more advanced your team’s fleet manager knowledge and research, the further along in the process of RFI, RFP, RFQ you can begin.
As such, creating and distributing an RFP is a good plan if you and your team have solid fleet manager experience already, or if you have already completed an initial RFI process, and you are now looking to narrow your final choice down to 2-3 partners.
Download: AGV/AMR Fleet Manager RFP Template
What to include in a fleet manager RFP
A vendor will want to know about your organization and the fleet manager partnership you are envisioning. They will also need to know what specific information you need from them, including what level of detail, and by when.
A solid fleet manager RFP will therefore include the following sections:
1. General information
Describe your company, the industry in which you work, and any additional market context that is relevant.Also, define the purpose of your RFP document, and include the goal(s) of your RFP process (e.g. “We aim to shortlist 2-3 fleet management software vendors to move to RFQ stage/confirm our partner, by xx date xx”).
Sidebar: Make sure your RFP’s title is ultra-clear, so that only relevant vendors submit information. A good example might be RFP for Global AGV/AMR Fleet Manager Partnership.
2. Business challenges
What challenges is your company facing that are driving this RFP process? What problems are you looking to overcome by partnering with a fleet manager company?
Providing this information can spark some valuable vendor input - especially alongside section 3 below - as there may be ways of addressing your existing challenges that your team has not considered.
3. Project detail
Here the aim is to describe, in detail, your company’s existing AGV, AMR and fleet management software status, as well as the desired status after your procurement process is complete and a partner chosen.
3.1 What is the high-level goal of your project?
This executive summary can reference the business challenges referenced earlier.
3.2 Existing automated vehicle infrastructure
What AGVs, AMRs, fleet manager programs, and associated software integrations are in place today, which a new fleet manager partner would need to manage or replace?
For example:
- Which of your company’s sites have automated vehicles (AGVs/AMRs) in operation today?
- Which types and brands of vehicle are used, per site?
- What transport processes do these perform, per site?
- What software is used to manage these vehicles today?
- How are intersections/traffic managed?
- Is vehicle/fleet management software integrated with other on-site software (ERP/WMS/MES etc.)? If so, which?
- Is any middleware currently employed?
- Do vehicles interact with other equipment/resources on-site (automatic doors/machinery etc.)?
- Which suppliers are currently involved in integrating/maintaining your AGV/AMR and fleet manager operations?
3.3 Desired automated vehicle infrastructure
What is your dream scenario, in terms of an efficient software and vehicle set-up, which is potentially replicable across processes and sites?
For example:
- What is your preferred vehicle/fleet manager infrastructure?
- How do you see your AGV/AMR and fleet manager technology stack being structured? What wider software and equipment integrations would be needed? If possible, provide a sample of a typical site’s ideal system architecture.
- Do you, or will you, require functionalities that are not currently in operation today (e.g. indoor/outdoor operation, automatic truck loading etc.)?
- Do you need your automated vehicle installations to comply with any specific industry standards, such as Germany’s VDA 5050 AGV interface?
- What additional plants and processes do you plan to automate with AGVs/AMRs in future (that are not currently automated)?
3.4 Fleet manager functionality
For any fleet management solution to be considered, what key functions must it offer?
For example:
- Mission scheduling
- Real-time visualization
- Project simulation
- Automatic traffic control
- Battery charge management
- Dedicated API for interfacing with equipment and software
- Management of mixed multi-brand fleets
- Tracking of manual vehicles
3.5 Support & project maintenance
- What will a supplier be responsible for in terms of product support, project maintenance, and updates?
- What kind of support reaction time are you likely to require?
- Would third-party support/integration partners be acceptable?
3.5 Relevant contacts
Who will the fleet manager vendor work with inside your company? If possible, provide a basic organizational chart, or a section of this, to explain who does what inside your company.
3.6 Out of scope
It can be helpful to give details of what you consider ‘Out of Scope’. In the case of a fleet manager RFP, this might include the technologies, systems, and business processes that you are currently unwilling, or unable, to change or adapt (e.g. existing I.T. infrastructure such as your ERP, MES, or WMS system, the replacement of recently purchased AGVs/AMRs, changing manufacturing processes or machine integrations etc.).
4. Vendor-specific questions/requests
Do you have questions about a vendor’s specific fleet management technology or business model? List them here, along with any other requirements for visits, product demonstrations, customer references/visits etc.
- Is there anything about the functionality of a vendor’s fleet management product you would like to clarify?
- What level of fleet manager demonstration do you require: virtual, on-site, at a customer site etc.?
- Do you require examples of a vendor’s existing fleet manager partnerships?
- Do you intend to address pricing in your RFQ? Here you can request information on the cost of a vendor’s fleet management software/licenses and any associated support/services.
- If you have open questions about how a fleet manager would be integrated into your current operation, you can ask vendors to propose approaches/sample architectures here.
Note: If you are looking for specific technical documents, schematics, or similar information, it may be logical to include some type of checklist here, so that vendors understand exactly what you expect to receive.
5. Selection process
5.1 Procurement process
Give an overview of your preferred procurement process, including any key phases, with dates if possible.
- For example, will you issue an RFQ after your RFP process is complete?
- Will you choose one or more vendors to run Proof of Concept (PoC) projects at specific sites? If so, will these PoCs replace or proceed any RFQ?
- Once a partner is chosen, what is the likely roll-out of projects over the coming 1-3 years?
5.2 Decision criteria
It can be helpful to give vendors an idea of how you will prioritize different factors when making your partnership decision, by giving each of these a weighting. This will enable vendors to spend the correct amount of time and energy addressing these different criteria. This, in turn, which should reduce back and forth, speeding up your decision-making process.
For example:
- What X% of your decision will be based on a fleet manager’s functionality?
- What X% will be based on the vendor’s range of compatible vehicles?
- What X% will be based on the cost of licenses and associated support?
- What X% will be based on vendor experience or geographic reach?
- What X% will be based on the strength of the vendor’s team/management?
- What X% will be based on the level of vendor innovation?
6. Vendor (supplier) information
Ask vendors to first provide company information, such as their company name, size, and structure, areas of expertise, contact info, and lead contact(s) for the RFP process.
You can also request product- and service-related information here, covering: a full fleet manager overview, key functions, support models, customer references, relevant related teams & staff, along with their locations and languages spoken.
7. Submission requirements
Define exactly what type of information you will accept, in what format, to whom this should be sent, and by what deadline. Using a standard RFP Template that all vendors fill out can help simplify any future vendor comparisons. Add any other documentation, such as schematics, site maps etc. as appendices.
Don’t forget: To avoid confusion give your RFP document a version number, as you may create several reiterations following vendor feedback.
Download: AGV/AMR Fleet Manager RFP Template
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ANT server is BlueBotics' powerful AGV & AMR mission and fleet management software. This proven tool is used to control and manage interoperable fleets of ‘ANT driven’ and/or VDA 5050-based vehicles.
