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ERP RFP Evaluation Effort Calculator

Inviting more vendors to an RFP feels safe, but every response needs to be read and scored by people who also have a job. This calculator estimates the hours, weeks and cost of evaluation so you can choose a sensible long list size and design a leaner process.

Your numbers

Vendors invited to respond

12 vendors

Expected response rate

Share of invited vendors that actually submit a full response.

Average response length

pages

Reading speed

pages per hour

Technical proposals read slowly when you are checking against requirements.

Scoring and notes per response per evaluator

hours

Evaluators per response

people

Evaluation hours available per person per week

hours

People still have day jobs.

Loaded cost per evaluator hour

per hour

Your results

Total evaluator hours

448

Calendar weeks if evaluators work in parallel

18.7 weeks

Each evaluator reads every response, so elapsed time equals one evaluator's total hours divided by weekly availability.

Expected responses

Hours per evaluator per response

Labor cost of evaluation

$31,360

Cost per response evaluated

$4,480

An effort estimate under stated assumptions. Split evaluators by section and use a two stage process to reduce the load.

Save results:

Evaluator hours by vendors invited

Sweeps Vendors invited to respond from 2 to 40, holding your other inputs fixed.

RFP process review

Optional: a short review of your RFP scope, long list and scoring approach.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use it

Enter how many vendors you plan to invite, how many typically respond, the response length and the reading speed. Add the scoring time per evaluator and the number of evaluators per response. Then enter the hours each person can actually give per week and a loaded hourly cost. The tool returns total evaluator hours, the elapsed weeks, and the labor cost. The chart shows how total hours rise as the long list grows.

The arithmetic

Responses equal invited vendors times the response rate. Each evaluator spends pages divided by reading speed, plus scoring time, on every response. Total hours multiply that by responses and evaluators. Elapsed weeks assume all evaluators work in parallel and each reads every response, so it equals one person's total hours divided by weekly availability. Cost multiplies total hours by the loaded rate.

Worked example

Twelve invited vendors at a 60 percent response rate gives about seven responses. At 120 pages and 10 pages per hour plus 4 hours of scoring, each evaluator spends 16 hours per response, so 112 hours in total each. With four evaluators that is 448 hours and, at 6 hours a week, nearly 19 weeks. That is far longer than most teams plan for, and it argues for a shorter long list.

Ways to reduce the load

Cut the response length with a structured questionnaire that forces short answers, and pre-qualify vendors with a request for information before the full RFP. Split evaluation by section so that a finance lead reads finance responses and an operations lead reads shop floor responses. Use mandatory requirements as a gate, so non-compliant proposals are screened out in minutes.

Use a pre-qualification round
Limit response length per section
Assign evaluators by topic, not all everything
Score against a fixed rubric

Frequently Asked Questions

How many vendors should I invite to an ERP RFP?

Many teams shortlist three to five after a lighter screening step. Inviting more increases effort sharply without always improving the outcome. Use the chart here to see the load at different long list sizes.

Does every evaluator need to read everything?

Not necessarily. Splitting by section reduces total hours a lot, but you still want at least one person to read each proposal end to end for consistency and to catch contradictions.

What response rate should I assume?

It depends on how well the RFP is targeted. A broad invitation list may see around half respond, while a short, well matched list may see most respond. Adjust to your own experience.

Can AI help read responses?

It can help summarize and map answers to requirements, but a human should score and check the output. Treat it as a first pass, particularly for confidential documents that should stay on private infrastructure.

If you would like help designing a leaner selection process, our team can share what we have seen work. The calculator needs nothing from us.

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