GSLC · Question #479
Ned is the program manager for his organization and he's considering some new materials for his program. He and his team have never worked with these materials before and he wants to ask the vendor…
The correct answer is B. RFI. An RFI (Request for Information) is the appropriate document when a buyer needs to gather general information, demonstrations, and samples from a vendor before defining formal requirements.
Question
Ned is the program manager for his organization and he's considering some new materials for his program. He and his team have never worked with these materials before and he wants to ask the vendor for some additional information, a demon, and even some samples. What type of a document should Ned send to the vendor?
Options
- AIFB
- BRFI
- CRFP
- DRFQ
How the community answered
(46 responses)- A2% (1)
- B91% (42)
- C2% (1)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
An RFI (Request for Information) is the appropriate document when a buyer needs to gather general information, demonstrations, and samples from a vendor before defining formal requirements.
An IFB (Invitation for Bid) is used when requirements are fully defined and the buyer wants competitive sealed bids evaluated primarily on price - it is not a tool for information gathering.
An RFI is specifically designed for the early information-gathering phase of procurement, used when the buyer lacks familiarity with available products or services and wants to learn about vendor capabilities, request demonstrations, and obtain samples - exactly matching Ned's scenario where his team has no prior experience with the materials.
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is used when requirements are partially defined and the buyer wants vendors to propose solutions - it is a more formal procurement step that follows the information-gathering phase.
An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is used to solicit pricing for well-defined goods or services - it is not appropriate when the buyer needs education about the product or service itself.
Concept tested: Procurement document selection - RFI for information gathering
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok
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