CDP RFP

Template

Published by
 CDP RFP Template
Introduction
Companies purchasing a Customer Data Platform often run through a formal selection process including
a Request for Proposal. This document presents a standard template for a CDP RFP. It uses
requirement categories presented in the CDP Institute’s Use Case Template.

Background
Customer Data Platforms are more difficult to purchase than many systems because user needs and
available systems both vary widely. Needs vary based on a company’s current situation and intended
uses. CDP systems vary greatly in the scope of features available, as well as pricing, vendor experience,
and other attributes. The variation in CDP systems makes it more likely that buyers will find an option
that closely fits their needs, but this can only happen if those needs are clearly defined and
communicated. The CDP Institute’s Use Case Template describes a process for defining requirements.
This template helps to convert those requirements into an effective Request for Proposal.

An effective RFP includes both requirements and information about the purchasing company. The
company information is needed for the vendor to properly understand the buyer’s needs and deliver a
proposal that is tailored to meet them. Assembling this information is useful even when buyers don’t
issue a formal RFP, since the RFP format provides a convenient way to organize information about
potential vendors for easy comparison.

RFP Template
A standard RFP contains the following sections.

1. Proposal Instructions

A. Schedule: describe your schedule for receiving RFP replies, additional evaluations, making a final
choice, and implementation. This gives the vendor an idea of how you expect to proceed.
B. Contact: gives the name, address and phone number of the person to contact with questions
and to send the completed RFP. This is presumably you.
C. Ownership and Confidentiality of RFP Documents: a general statement along the following lines:
D. "The RFP Documents and other data appended or related to them are the property of the Issuer
and are delivered only for the purpose of enabling each Respondent to prepare a response. The
information contained or referred to in the RFP Documents, or appended to them, is not to be
disclosed or released for any other purpose and must be returned to the Issuer when
requested."

2. Background Information

A. Business Description: a general description of your business, aimed at providing the vendors
with enough information to understand the business needs behind your specific system
requirements. Pay particular attention to marketing and sales activities.
B. Systems Environment: your existing systems plus any planned changes. This allows vendors to
ensure their proposed solution is compatible with your capabilities.

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 1

 CDP RFP Template
C. Project Objectives: business goals you hope to achieve with this project, plus any specific
systems you expect to be part of the solution. These can be based on your use case templates.
Detailed functional requirements are described later.
D. Implementation Strategy: your expected approach to implementing this project, including the
schedule and deliverables for major phases, use of in-house vs. external resources, and metrics
for success.
E. Volume and Growth Projections: expected data sources, volumes, outputs, and numbers of
users for the system. The vendor needs this to develop his proposed solution.

3. Information Required

A. Company Information: vendor company history, financials, staff levels, qualifications, services
and references.
B. System Information: technical information such as hosting options, data store used, and
programming languages used to work with the system. Ask when the system was introduced,
how many installations are in production, and how many of these are approximately the same
size as your expected system.
C. General Systems Requirements: your needs for user interface, functions available to end-users,
security, routine maintenance, backup and disaster recovery.
D. Processing Requirements: specific functions the system must perform. These are based on use
cases. See Appendix A for a master list. This list includes several sets of functions that are
beyond the scope of most CDP projects. These include most delivery system features, content
management, and marketing administration. They are included because some might provide
feeds into a CDP or read CDP data. Of the remaining categories, campaigns and analytics are
found in some CDPs and are required by only some CDP projects. Data functions are provided
by nearly all CDPs and are required in nearly all CDP projects. Specific items within these
categories may not be needed. Be careful to only include requirements that are actually
relevant to your needs. This enables the vendor to respond most appropriately.
E. Service, Support and Training Services: service, support and training services provided with the
system.
F. Database Structure: a description of how the database would be organized and what is required
to add, change, or modify data elements.
G. Implementation: schedule of the tasks and dates required to implement the vendor's proposal,
and how implementation is managed to ensure success.
H. Pricing and Compensation: estimated costs to implement the vendor's proposal, including
hardware, software, customization, training, maintenance, and support. This should include
pricing for at least two years.
I. Other Information: any other information the vendor wishes to provide.
J. Alternative Recommendations: allows the vendor to suggest changes to requirements that
would significantly lower cost or improve value.

4. Appendix: this information can be drawn from your use case templates.

A. Logical Data Structure: describe the primary data entities in your system, the major data
elements within each entity, and how the entities are related.
B. Input Data: list the major data sources, with volumes, update frequencies and record layouts if
possible.

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 2

 CDP RFP Template
C. Sample Queries: provide samples of simple, average and complex queries expected to be run
against the system. This applies primarily to systems used for list selection and data analysis.
D. Sample Outputs: provide samples of major types of outputs the system is expected to produce,
such as segmentations, customer lists, and reports.
E. Sample Analysis: provide samples of the major types of analytical outputs the system is
expected to produce, such as predictive models, customer profiles, and journey analyses.
F. Sample Campaigns: samples of the marketing campaigns the system is expected to produce.
These could include outbound lists, real time interactions, single messages, multi-step flows,
multi-channel programs, etc.,

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 3

 CDP RFP Template

Appendix A – Master Requirement List

Delivery (by
channel)
execute delivery system can deliver messages in its channel
optimize delivery system can optimize message selection in its channel
create content delivery system can create content for its channel
accept CDP message delivery system can accept personalized message content from the CDP
accept CDP audience delivery system can accept audience lists from the CDP
accept CDP data delivery system can accept data from the CDP
CDP can send data CDP can send data to the delivery system (see Data/Access)
send data to CDP delivery system can send data to the CDP
CDP can ingest data CDP can ingest data from the delivery system (see Data/Ingestion)
Decisions
Campaigns
no-code interface system interface lets users set up marketing campaigns without writing
code (e.g. SQL, scripts, etc.)
dynamic lists system interface lists users set up lists (segments) which are automatically
updated as customers qualify or no longer qualify based on changes in their
data
multi-step system can run campaigns with sequence of messages sent over time
including branching based on customer behavior during campaign
multi-channel same campaign can deliver messages across multiple channels
journey framework system can track customers through journey stages, can use journey stage
in campaign rules, and add or remove from campaigns based on movement
into or out of journey stage.
schedule based system can execute campaigns (single or multi-step) on user-defined
schedule e.g. daily or every 10 seconds
trigger based system can add or remove customers from campaigns based on trigger
events
real time interact system can execute campaigns (single or multi-step) based on real time
data including reaction to trigger events and rules incorporating real-time
behaviors
rules select messages system can select individual-level messages based on user-defined rules
that access individual-level data
scores in rules system rules can incorporate individual-level predictive model scores
generated by the system and based on system data
Analytics
segment system can extract segment of customers based on conditions defined user
and drawing on system data
BI/ explore system provides tools to analyze system data, including visualization, cross
tabs, etc.

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 4

 CDP RFP Template
ideal customer system can generate an ideal customer profile based on user inputs
manual models system provides tools for skilled users to build predictive models
automated models system can automatically generate a predictive model for non-skilled users
prebuilt models system is delivered with prebuilt models such as churn risk, next purchase,
etc.
recommend products system can automatically generate product recommendations for individual
customers
campaign arbitration system can automatically select the best treatment for each customer
across multiple campaigns, considering treatment eligibility, response
likelihood, expected value, priority, etc.
incremental system can estimate incremental impact of a marketing campaign on user-
attribution specified metrics such as conversions and purchases
Content
no-code templates system provides interface that lets users create marketing content without
coding in HTML or other languages
content store system provides a content library that lets users store and access created
content
workflow system provides a workflow engine to track the steps in content creation,
approvals, and deployment
cross-channel the content library can include items that support multiple channels. A
single item may be limited to a single channel or contain versions for
multiple channels.
dynamic content system-generated content can show different materials to different people,
based on rules that access data about those people
auto-test/ optimize system can automatically test different versions of a piece of content,
identify the most effective, and, in some cases, automatically deploy the
most effective
auto-classify (NLP, system can automatically analyze content text and/or images to classify it
video) based on product, offer, positioning, images, mood, etc..
Admin
budgets system enables users to enter marketing budgets at various levels
(campaign, product, channel, etc.) and track actual spend
project mgmt system provides a project management feature that tracks all steps in
marketing projects, including task assignments and status
marketing plans system enables user to enter marketing plans with lists of campaigns, dates,
and targeted results
simulate results system can estimate the results of a proposed marketing plan including
expected initial results of promotions and long-term impact such as future
purchases by new and existing customers
optimal spend by system can automatically identify the optimal mix of marketing spend by
channel channel, based on estimated incremental results of spend in each channel
and constraints including total budget and maximum and minimum spend
by channel
Data
Ingestion/sources

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 5

 CDP RFP Template
structured system can ingest structured data such as tables from a relational database
or conventional file system
semi- & un- structured system can ingest semi-structured and unstructured data such as Web logs,
event streams, chat transcripts, text of articles, etc.
no-code set-up system provides an interface that lets non-technical users add new data
sources without writing in a programming language
high volume system can ingest, store, process, and share large volumes of input data.
"Large" is a relative term that is best interpreted as handling the data
created by the largest companies in a given industry.
batch system can ingest data provided via batch file inputs
real time system can ingest, store, process, and share data provided in real time.
Specific requirements will depend on the application and may include how
quickly new data becomes available, how quickly existing data can be
requested and returned, how many interactions can be handled
simultaneously, etc.
stream system can ingest, store, process, and share data provided in streams, such
as location, temperature, velocity, system load, market prices, etc. This
often requires parsing the input stream to extract relevant information.
API system can ingest data provided via API connections
SQL system can ingest data by running SQL queries against source systems
site tag system can ingest data by placing its own tag on a Web site and capturing
data from that
prebuilt connectors system has prebuilt connectors to ingest data from source systems
find changes system can compare new data with previous data and retain only items that
have changed. This may identify events, find new addresses, capture
changes in customer status, etc.
Storage/elements
persistent data system can store ingested data for as long as user requires
raw detail system can ingest and retain all details provided from source systems
multi-table data system can associate a customer with entities such as messages sent,
model products purchased, Web site sessions, customer service interactions, etc.,
and associate specific information with each entity such as time, date,
location, price, duration, etc.
auto-add attributes system can automatically capture new attributes as they appear in source
data, without these being defined in advance
in-memory system can store substantial portions of its data in-memory, enabling fast
access and updates
dynamic scaling system can automatically adjust the resources it uses, such as processors
and storage, to maintain specified service levels
industry data models system has standard data models available for specific industries such as
retail, travel, financial services, etc.
B2B data model system has standard data models available for B2B, including separate
contact and account levels
manage consent system has functions to store and enforce customer consent for data usage
to comply with privacy regulations. Customer-facing interface to gather

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 6

 CDP RFP Template
consent data is optional.
read external system can read data from external sources in real time and make the
results available to other systems. This is used for data that changes
frequently and must be kept current, such as location, weather, account
balances, recent Web behaviors, etc.
Identity
manage cookies system can manage Web site cookies to track visitor identity
manage PII system can manage personal identifiers in ways that comply with legal
requirements and corporate policies for security, privacy, consent, etc.
stitch system can store relationships among identifiers that are directly attached
to the same individual, business, or household. These relationships are
based on specific ('deterministic') information such as two identifiers
appearing on the same account record or being associated with the same
interaction (e.g. responding to an email on a device).
offline match system can identify relationships by matching offline data, such as versions
of a postal address that are similar but do not match exactly
cross device match system can identify relationships by matching behaviors of devices, such as
being consistently used in the same time and place
identify devices system can identify specific devices using attributes such as model, IP
address, configuration, and other information that creates a 'fingerprint'
even if the device's actual ID is not available
persistent ID system can assign an individual, household or business a permanent ID
which is linked to other identifiers from other systems and remains
unchanged regardless of changes in the other identifiers
lead to account system can find and store relationships between individuals and businesses
anonymous to known system can assign a persistent ID to an anonymous individual, household, or
business and later associate that ID with personal, household, or business
identifiers when these become available
golden record system can apply rules to create and share a 'golden record' with the
attributes most likely to be correct for a specific individual, household or
business
Enrichment
clean & standardize system has functions to clean and standardize input data. This may include
identifying missing or invalid data, using rules and reference tables to
standardize values, and applying transformations.
location system has prebuilt connectors to ingest location data, link it to customers,
and store the result
intent system has prebuilt connectors to ingest intent data, link it to customers,
and store the result
personal system has prebuilt connectors to ingest personal identifiers such as name,
address, and phone number, link it to customers, and store the result
postal system has prebuilt connectors to ingest company and individual-level
postal data, clean and standardize it, link it to customers, and store the
result
B2B data system has prebuilt connectors to ingest business data, link it to customers,
and store the result
Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 7
 CDP RFP Template
cookie synch system has prebuilt connectors to ingest data by synchronizing cookies with
third party cookies.
feature extraction system can analyze unstructured text and visual inputs to extract structured
information such as company names, business events, products used, etc.
external device graph system can access an external database that links devices that appear to be
used by the same individual, business or household
external ID graph system can access an external database that links personal identifiers that
appear to belong to the same individual, business, or household
derived variables system can create derived variables based on user-defined formulas,
including calculated values, trends, and events.
Access/connectors
extract system can share data with external systems by running batch extraction
processes to create files
API system can share data with external systems by letting them access call an
API or API-based connector
SQL/HQL system can share data with external systems by letting them run a SQL or
similar query against its data
real time system can share data with external systems in real time by letting them
query for information about a specific customer
analytical data sets system can share data with external systems by converting its data into
structures needed for analytical systems, such as a SAS data set or
'flattened' comma separated file
prebuilt connectors system can share data with external systems through prebuilt connectors
for common products
on-premises option system can store data on a client-controlled server
Admin
governance system alerts users when input data violates user-specified standards
security system meets standards for secure access, encryption, backups, etc.
user rights administrators can control which users have access to specified functions,
data elements, and segments (regions, customer types, consent status, etc.)

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 8

 CDP RFP Template
About the CDP Institute
The Customer Data Platform Institute educates marketers and marketing technologists about customer
data management. The mission of the Institute is to provide vendor-neutral information about issues,
methods, and technologies for creating unified, persistent customer databases. Activities include
publishing of educational materials, news about industry developments, creation of best practice guides
and benchmarks, a directory of industry vendors, and consulting on related issues.

The Institute is focused on Customer Data Platforms, defined as “packaged software that maintains a
unified, persistent customer database which is accessible to external systems.”

The Institute is managed by Raab Associates Inc., a consultancy specializing in marketing technology and
analysis. Raab Associates defined Customer Data Platforms as a category by Raab Associates in 2013.
Funding is provided by a consortium of CDP vendors.

For more information, visit [Link].

Copyright 2019 Customer Data Platform Institute [Link] Page 9