The team behind the
Global Business Travel Association Foundation's newly formatted hotel request-for-proposals
template said the document would greatly increase efficiency and reduce errors
in the often-tedious process, although it expects most buyers to wait another
year before adopting it.
Reviewing and updating
the RFP to keep up with industry developments is a standard GBTA practice. To
give buyers a chance to adapt, this year's substantial update was released
several months in advance of negotiations for 2013 hotel rates. The new
template includes significantly revised questions that are less U.S.-centric
than before and designed to allow for more consistent answers. It also allows
for automated data transfers and web service functionality. Whereas in the past
the process generally involved transferring Excel or text files, the new XML
capabilities ensure all data can be clearly identified, said GBTA Foundation
executive director Daphne Bryant.
"Any time you can transfer
data electronically and have a streamlined process to do so, you mitigate the
risk of human intervention," said Laurie Kazimer, chair of the GBTA's
steering committee for the hotel RFP. "You'll still need to collect data
to make a decision about your hotel program, but using this adds to the
efficiency."
The overhaul also
included restructuring fields to reduce confusion around questions and answers,
said Glenn Erickson, director of business development and support for Nexus
World Services and a GBTA hotel committee member. Even questions that seem like
common sense in the hotel RFP process can produce confusion, he said. It's not
unheard of, for example, for a green hotel staff member to respond to questions
about blackout dates with assurances that the power stays on at the hotel
year-round, Erickson explained.
The new format
standardizes answers that have dates and includes many more yes/no questions. This
should make responses and comparisons of those responses more clear for buyers
and third-party RFP services, Erickson said.
"We didn't want to
leave any wiggle room in responses," he added. "Everything needs to
be data-driven"
Even with the early launch,
Bryant said she expected many buyers to stick with the old format for the
upcoming RFP season. Buyers will need time to make adjustments to their
databases, but she expects wider adoption for the 2013 RFP season, she said.