Enterprise Intelligence Group
Retail software selection, grounded in your requirements.
Define requirements, prepare RFIs and RFPs, evaluate vendors and test retail scenarios. EIG helps retail and CPG teams make implementation-ready decisions.
Independent requirements & vendor evaluation
Define what your business needs before comparing software. EIG supports business requirements analysis and documentation, RFI/RFP preparation and vendor evaluation for retail, CPG and distribution teams—with evidence, responsibilities and delivery dependencies made explicit.
START AT THE STAGE YOU NEED
Relevant decisions include merchandising and assortment, forecasting and replenishment, pricing and promotion systems, micro and macro space planning, product data and supplier collaboration.
Before an RFI or RFP
Evaluate the business problem, stakeholder needs, current processes and technical dependencies. Establish which requirements are essential and what evidence will demonstrate a fit.
When preparing a selection
Structure RFI/RFP requirements, evaluation criteria and scenario-led demonstrations. Separate mandatory requirements from preferences and unresolved assumptions.
When comparing vendors
Examine responses and demonstration evidence against agreed criteria. Document gaps, implementation dependencies and the reasoning behind a shortlist or recommendation.
WHAT THE REVIEW PRODUCES
Make the requirements clear before comparing solutions.
Business priorities
Decisions, constraints and intended outcomes.
People and workflows
Responsibilities, handoffs and exceptions.
Systems and data
Definitions, interfaces and existing limitations.
Independent requirements review
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Prioritized requirements
What the solution must support.
Demonstration scenarios
What vendors need to show.
Evaluation criteria
How the options will be compared.
Onsite and remote working sessions can combine operational input with system and document review. Scope and deliverables are agreed before work begins.
The four deliverables
- A prioritized business and technical requirements register for the agreed decision.
- A vendor evaluation framework, including scoring guidance and demonstration scenarios where included in scope.
- An evidence and gap register showing what has been demonstrated, what is assumed and what requires further validation.
- A decision summary with options, dependencies and recommended next steps for your accountable decision-makers.
SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
You can commission requirements analysis before selecting vendors, or a focused evaluation when options are already on the table. We agree which stages and how many workflows, solutions and evaluation sessions are included. A full RFP process is not mandatory for every decision.
Independent challenge, transparent relationships
We bring an independent perspective to the requirements and evaluation process. Relevant vendor relationships or incentives are disclosed and addressed when agreeing the engagement. Your organization retains purchasing authority and the final selection decision.
The review is a standalone paid engagement. Implementation planning, programme management, adoption and value-realization support can follow under a separate agreed scope.
Scope, deliverables, the mix of on-site and remote work, timing and commercial terms are agreed before the engagement begins.
Discuss your requirements or vendor selection
A WORKING SAMPLE
Five scenarios to test before accepting a retail technology demonstration
“Show us what happens when a promotion increases demand, a supplier cannot supply the full quantity, and some stores cannot hold the proposed stock. Who decides what changes, what evidence do they see, and how is that decision carried into execution?”
That question tests more than a screen. It exposes assumptions, handoffs and responsibility. Start with the decisions and constraints that matter to your business. Adapt these scenarios to the category, planning process and software being evaluated. They are not an exhaustive procurement framework.
| SCENARIO | ASK THE VENDOR TO DEMONSTRATE | EVIDENCE TO RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Promotion meets constrained supply | Change promotional demand, supplier availability and store capacity. Show the recommended response and how approval reaches execution | Input assumptions, constraint handling, result, decision owner and downstream action |
| 2. New-item data is incomplete | Introduce an item with missing history and a questionable pack conversion. Show validation, any proposed inference and escalation | Source, data-quality flag, assumptions, approval and ability to correct the record |
| 3. The range is not right for every store | Compare stores with different space, demand and operating constraints. Show how assortment and space decisions differ | Cluster rationale, capacity constraints, retained exceptions and change history |
| 4. A forecast is overridden | Have a planner change a recommendation. Show the reason, authority, downstream effect and later outcome review | Original and changed values, rationale, owner, effective period and result measurement |
| 5. Two teams recommend conflicting actions | Have a category objective conflict with inventory or service constraints. Show who resolves the conflict and how the decision is propagated | Shared objective, trade-off, escalation, approval and affected systems or agents |
Use evidence, not a polished presentation, to score
- 0: Not shown. A statement or roadmap promise is not a demonstration.
- 1: Partially shown. A material requirement remains unproven, or the scenario relies on an unresolved workaround outside the agreed operating model.
- 2: Demonstrated with gaps. The core scenario works but delivery dependencies or exceptions remain open.
- 3: Demonstrated for the agreed scenario. Evidence, limitations and responsibilities are recorded.
Record these fields for each requirement: priority/weight, mandatory status, scenario, observed result, score, evidence reference, assumption, accountable reviewer and next decision. Agree weights before demonstrations. A failed mandatory requirement cannot be hidden by a high weighted average. Mark unresolved evidence as unresolved, not as a pass. Deliberate human review or approval is not a defect: score the agreed operating requirement, not the absence of human involvement.
A sample-data demonstration is not production acceptance. Record what still needs testing with representative data, volumes, permissions and interfaces. Use synthetic or appropriately authorized data during early evaluation.
The question to take into the buying decision
What work must our organization and delivery partners complete to make the demonstrated outcome repeatable in our operation?
Need help turning the scorecard into requirements and a vendor evaluation? Discuss your technology selection with EIG.
RFP AND SHORTLIST QUESTIONS
Name the one decision before you shortlist a platform.
One decision before one platform: map one consequential decision, capture its knowledge, deploy one bounded assistant and scale only when the evidence supports it. The short answers below apply that principle to common RFP and shortlist questions.
How do you run an RFP for CPG forecasting software?
Start with the forecast decision the software must improve, for example how much to ship to a customer during a promotion, and who acts on the number. Write requirements against that decision: the demand signals you hold (shipments, customer orders and retailer sell-through where it is shared), the planning level and horizon, how promotions and new items are handled, and how a planner overrides and explains a forecast.
Ask every shortlisted vendor to run the same scenarios on representative, appropriately authorized history, and score the demonstrations against weights agreed beforehand, using the scorecard above. Keep data preparation, integration responsibilities and the way forecast performance will be measured inside the evaluation rather than leaving them for implementation.
Separate sell-in from sell-through before writing requirements
How do grocery chains structure an RFP for large in-store technology programmes?
A large in-store programme touches store operations, labor, devices, networks and several central systems, so run the selection in stages and define the store decision first.
- Define the store decision and its constraints: the work being changed, the store teams who will use the system, store formats, devices, connectivity and the central systems it must exchange data with.
- Use an RFI to understand the market and narrow the field before writing detailed requirements.
- Issue the RFP with mandatory requirements, store scenarios, integration and support questions, and the commercial information needed to compare responses.
- Run scenario-led demonstrations and, where justified, a limited store pilot with exit criteria agreed before it starts.
- Close with a decision summary that records the evidence, open gaps, delivery responsibilities and the scope to carry into the contract.
Involve store operations, IT, security, finance and procurement from the first stage, not at contract review.
What is an RFP in CPG?
A request for proposal (RFP) is a formal document a consumer packaged goods company sends to selected suppliers, asking how they would meet defined requirements, at what cost and on what terms. CPG companies use RFPs for many purchases, from packaging, co-manufacturing and logistics to agencies and technology. A technology RFP often follows a request for information (RFI), which gathers broader market information first, and commonly covers demand planning, trade promotion management and optimization, supply planning and product or master data.
A useful RFP names the business decision the system must support, separates mandatory requirements from preferences and asks vendors to demonstrate scenarios rather than only answer yes or no. Retailers also send RFPs to CPG suppliers, for example for private-label sourcing; this page covers technology selection.
How do you build a trade promotion optimization (TPO) vendor shortlist?
Shortlist against your own promotion decisions, not a market map.
- Name the one decision the platform must improve first, for example which promotions to repeat, change or stop for a key customer, and who approves that call.
- Check the data that decision needs: promotion calendars and mechanics, trade spend and deductions, shipments, retailer sell-through where it is shared, and how baselines are set today.
- Decide whether you also need trade promotion management (planning, funds and settlement) or optimization and post-event analysis alone. They are often bought together but are different capabilities.
- Agree the must-have criteria before any briefing: integration with ERP and planning systems, how baselines and incremental volume are calculated and explained, usability for account teams, and delivery responsibilities.
- Screen the market against those criteria through an RFI or structured briefings, and keep the shortlist small enough for every vendor to run your full scenarios.
Review promotions with six checks beyond uplift
RESEARCH CONTEXT
Gartner’s public summary of its May 2025 supply-chain planning technology selection research emphasizes alignment with business strategy and intended outcomes. Read the public research summary.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can we involve EIG after creating a shortlist?
Yes. A defined evaluation workstream can test requirements coverage, demonstration evidence, delivery assumptions and unresolved risks without restarting the entire process.
Do you sell the software?
EIG's offer is consulting and delivery expertise. Any relevant commercial relationship must be made explicit before the engagement.
Will you choose the vendor for us?
We support the evaluation and document the rationale. The final purchase and acceptance of commercial or technical risk remain with your authorized decision-makers.
Can AI help with the selection process?
AI can assist with organizing and comparing material when confidentiality, source traceability and validation are controlled. A generated summary is not evidence that a requirement is satisfied. Unclear claims still require a vendor response or demonstration.
PARTNER-LED EXPERTISE
Industry expertise behind the evaluation.
EIG’s partner-led approach connects retail and CPG operating requirements with software selection and delivery. Our partners bring industry and domain expertise to assessing business fit, challenging assumptions and identifying implementation dependencies.
Pricing software evaluation
Requirements, vendor evaluation and implementation readiness.
Assortment software evaluation
Evaluation guide and worksheet.
Demand planning requirements
Requirements worksheet and forecasting test.
Space planning evaluation
Micro and macro space software evaluation.
Supplier portal requirements checklist
Supplier onboarding software requirements.
Business requirements document example
A retail and CPG example, document outline and review checklist.
DETAIL · PRICING AND PROMOTION TECHNOLOGY SELECTION
Buying pricing software is a technology decision and an operating decision. EIG helps your team define requirements, test vendor claims against real retail scenarios and prepare the people, process and data needed to deliver value after go-live.
The work can include business and technical requirements, RFI and RFP preparation, vendor shortlisting, scenario-led demonstrations, data-readiness review and implementation planning. We consider regular pricing, promotions and markdowns in the context of your operating model, rather than assuming one capability covers every decision.
Start with a focused decision review. Agree the questions, evidence, deliverables and scope before committing to a wider engagement. Implementation and post-launch value-realization support are scoped separately around the platform, responsibilities and expertise required.
Involve us before you buy: Justyn is available to support contract discussions with the vendor or integrator, so scope and responsibilities are agreed before signature. See platform implementation support.
Discuss your next technology decision
Tell us what you are selecting, the stage you have reached and what needs to be clearer before you proceed.
Discuss your technology selection
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