Demonstration

 

Requesting demonstrations and site visits

As part of the procurement evaluation process, selected vendors may be asked to provide product demonstrations or conduct site visits to share detailed insights and real-time information with the evaluation committee.

To ensure these activities lead to a productive outcome, this guide provides essential preparation information and key considerations for a successful vendor demonstration.

Preparation activities

The preparation activities are summarised as follows:

1. Define the structure and scope of the meeting
2. Supply relevant information to vendors
3. Engage key stakeholders
4. Develop and evaluation plan
5. Complete administrative tasks.

1. Define the structure and scope of the meeting

The evaluation committee will need to clearly outline the core functionality or services the vendors will need to showcase. For example, ‘The committee requires a detailed demonstration of specific clinical-related functionality, ease of integration, or security requirements.’

After determining the focus areas, the committee can set an agenda to ensure optimal interaction between participants during the meeting. The agenda should establish a structure that prioritises the focus areas and items for discussion. It should define the meeting duration to ensure the demonstration or site visit is limited to a reasonable timeframe. For example, 30 minutes to demonstrate product features and functionality, 20 minutes for integration and 10 minutes for Q&A.

Next, the evaluation committee should formulate questions. Areas to consider may include, but not be limited to:

• customisation: can the solution be tailored to your organisation’s needs? If so, what are the associated costs, if any?
• implementation: how long will implementation take? What type of resources will the vendor provide? What is the structure of the vendor’s Project Team, and what are their ways of working?
• security and compliance: what is the vendor’s Cyber Security maturity level according to the Essential Eight Framework?
• support and training: what level of support is offered post-implementation?
• scalability and flexibility: can the vendor meet future needs of your organisation, or adapt if requirements change during implementation?

2. Supply relevant information to vendors

The evaluation committee should provide requirements documentation, if this is relevant and not already included in the tender.

The evaluation committee should share specific organisation use cases. That is, provide vendors with relevant scenarios or use cases, so the vendor can demonstrate how their product would respond.

Note: make sure to share the agenda and other pertinent documentation in advance, ideally at least two weeks prior. This will allow the vendor to structure the discussion and presentation effectively.

3. Engage key stakeholders

Invite the evaluation committee members. The committee should consist of decision-makers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and end users such as clinicians. Including a range of perspectives and disciplines allows for a more robust assessment of the vendor’s offering.

4. Develop an evaluation plan

The evaluation committee should set evaluation criteria in advance. This should include defining a scoring system based on the organisation’s priorities. These might include, for example, functionality, ease of implementation, and cost. Defining the evaluation criteria helps ensure an objective assessment across vendors and committee members. Refer to the “Establishing a scaled scoring approach” document for more information.

Refer to the “Establishing a scaled scoring approach” document for more information.

5. Complete administrative tasks

Confirm the final arrangements of the meeting/demonstration. This includes the date and time; coordinate with the vendor and evaluation committee to select a mutually convenient date and time.

Also check the venue arrangement. If the site visit and demonstration is held at your organisation’s premises, ensure the meeting space is suitable, accessible, and equipped with necessary resources. Set aside time to test the equipment the day before the demonstration or site visit. Furthermore, liaise with your organisation’s reception team to organise visitor’s passes for the vendors, if required.

Finally, send the invitation. Verify attendees’ availability in advance and ensure that relevant stakeholders are invited and available. Send reminders before the visit.

During the demonstration/site visit

The facilitator should communicate the objectives by outlining the purpose of the demonstration or site visit once it starts. This will help remind all attendees of the outcomes the evaluation committee aims to achieve.

If applicable, the facilitator should arrange to record the demonstration. This will allow the evaluation committee to review the content later for reference and further analysis.

It is also recommended that the committee document key takeaways. Keeping a record of key points and insights from each demonstration or discussion can assist with the evaluation.

After the demonstration/site visit

The evaluation committee should debrief once the demonstration or site visit has ended. This includes gathering feedback from all attendees to discuss strengths, weaknesses and other relevant information regarding each vendor.

It may also be appropriate to request additional information. If questions were left unanswered, or additional questions came up in the debrief, follow up with the vendor for additional clarification.

Finally, the committee must evaluate the vendors. Committee members should update their evaluation sheets based on the vendor’s demonstration or site visit. For further guidance, refer to the “Evaluation Plan Template (DOCX, 212.48 KB).”