O bjectives

Sample RFP for an On-Demand Learning Solution

Saba | 2400 Bridge Parkway | Redwood Shores | CA 94065-1166 | USA | www.saba.com

Table of Contents

1. Objectives.......................................................................................................................... 3

2. Company Profile.................................................................................................................4

3. LMS Functional Requirements...........................................................................................6

General.............................................................................................................................. 6

User Access....................................................................................................................... 7

Classroom and Curriculum Management...........................................................................8

Blended Learning.............................................................................................................11

Resource Management....................................................................................................11

Course Registration.........................................................................................................12

Course Delivery................................................................................................................13

Performance, Competency, and Succession Planning....................................................14

Compliance Training & Certification Management...........................................................16

Course Evaluations and Assessments.............................................................................19

Informal Learning/Collaboration.......................................................................................21

Content Authoring............................................................................................................22

Real-Time Learning..........................................................................................................23

Globalization.................................................................................................................... 25

Configurability..................................................................................................................26

4. Reports............................................................................................................................ 27

5. Architecture and System Requirements...........................................................................28

6. Security............................................................................................................................ 29

7. Implementation Services..................................................................................................31

8. Support & Hosting Requirements.....................................................................................33

9. Training Requirements.....................................................................................................35

10. Quality Assurance & Industry Standards..........................................................................36

11. References....................................................................................................................... 37

12. Pricing, Terms and Conditions.........................................................................................38



1. Objectives

The driving forces behind an organization’s incentive to implement a web-based learning management system may include the need to:

Replace the current manual, informal process of training throughout the organization — This includes bridging the gaps between the creation of instructor-led training material and the organization’s ability to track employees’ training record (e.g., online assessments, certification training).

Provide web-based training to employees, customers, and partners.

Boost training participation by making training available to employees anywhere at any time.

Decrease overall training costs due to reduced travel expenses for instructors and improved organization of course content.

Ensure the organization complies with regulatory requirements by providing up-to-date certification and compliance training.

Help the organization track employees’ training history.



2. Company Profile

1. Please provide a brief description of your company's history.

2. What distinguishes your company and its offerings from others available in the market?

3. Provide a brief description of your company's financial and overall stability. Include most recent audited annual report.

4. What percentage of your revenue is dedicated to Research and Development?

5. Please describe your experience implementing Learning Management Systems (LMSs) globally.

6. Please describe your company’s vision for the future? What are you currently doing to achieve that vision?

7. Has your company assumed a thought leadership role in the learning market? Does your management team participate in industry forums?

8. Please describe how your company partners with its customers on their learning management and e-learning initiatives.

9. Please answer the following questions regarding your customer base:

What is your current number of customers?

What is your largest customer in terms of learner numbers?

In which countries have you implemented your LMS?

10. What partnerships do you have with technology vendors?

11. What partnerships do you have with e-learning content providers?



12. Do you offer hosted, on-demand, and “behind the firewall” implementations?

13. Do you have a hosting partner?

14. When was the LMS originally released? How often do you release upgrades?

15. Describe any acquisitions your company has made to expand your product offerings.

16. What makes your system superior to others in terms of its technology platform (open standards-based, system architecture, scalability, security model, data models)?

17. List any awards or industry recognition you have received. Include awards your customers received in recognition of the LMS you implemented for them.



3. LMS Functional Requirements

Please use the following legend to indicate compliance with the requirement:

1 = Out-of-the-box

2 = Standard tailoring (i.e., no code re-write or programming)

3 = Customization required

4 = Partner

5 = Future release

6 = Not available

Number LMS Requirement Compliance Vendor Response

General

1. Describe your ability to integrate with industry-standard e-mail and scheduling applications.

2. Is the system modular, allowing deployment of only the required functionality for phase 1 (e.g., in an accelerated deployment)?

3. Can the system provide a different look and feel for each department where it is deployed?

4. Does the system support different business rules for each department?

5. Does the system allow for different security settings (e.g., what data is visible)?




User Access

6. The system should support easy course self-enrollment process.

7. Does the system require sign-on identification with login and password?

8. Can learners use self-service to retrieve a lost password?

9. Does the system provide a personalized learning plan?

10. Can learners personalize the learning interface to reflect their interests and commonly used functionality, like My Yahoo!?

11. Describe the “fallback” features of your notification system. For example, if the learner does not have an e-mail address can the system generate a fax notification? If there is no fax number, can the notification then be passed to an administrator?

12. Does the system provide the learner with access to his/her own training transcript?

13. Can the learner add training to his/her own transcript (e.g., for outside education completed)?

14. Explain how the user interface can be modified.

15. Are there any limitations on the number of custom




User Access

or unique fields?

16. Describe the system’s search capabilities.


Classroom and Curriculum Management

17. Can administrators add, update, reschedule, and remove courses quickly without requiring support from IT organization?

18. How are qualified instructors mapped to courses? Can administrators schedule instructors based on their qualifications and availability?

19. Does the system provide access to and track completion/test results for all courses: classroom, online, instructor-led, and broadcast?

20. Can an administrator schedule a room for classroom events?

21. Can an administrator verify the availability of equipment and facility for training?

22. Does the system allow administrators to limit and override class size?





23. Does the system allow administrators to manage waitlists?

24. Does the system support the ability to define pre-requisites and restrict access to courses until the pre-requisites are met?

25. Does the system support the ability to override cut-off dates, prerequisites, waiting lists, and class location?

26. Does the system support the ability to require manager and/or administrator approval for course registration?

27. Can the system restrict access to courses based on specific criteria (e.g., restrict by job function, location, country)?

28. Does the system support automatic e-mail notification (e.g., via Outlook) of training scheduled?

29. Does the system establish, track, and report on exams throughout a modularized curriculum?

30. Does the system maintain learners’ training history regardless of changes in job function or location?

31. Does the system support the ability to enroll and un-enroll individual or groups manually?





32. Does the system support the ability to automatically assign learning (courses, curricula or certifications) to individuals or groups or enroll them in courses?

33. Can the system assign due dates for course completion?

34. Can the system attach files to notifications (i.e., information to be studied before taking the course)?

35. The system should enable the creation of a single catalog for all learner audiences yet invoke the appropriate security for each user based on role in the organization.

36. How does the system handle new versions of an existing course?

37. Describe how the system can facilitate course planning (e.g., based on historical demand statistics, learner interests, preferences)

38. Does the system support course equivalencies, providing learners with choices for alternate learning content?

39. Can administrators flag changes in skill or knowledge requirements for learners based on role in the organization, geographical location, hire date or other personal attributes (i.e., prescriptive learning)?




Blended Learning

40. Does the system support blended learning activities? For example, can the system mix a series of components in different delivery formats (e.g., pre-test, instructor-led course, on-the-job assignment) and roll them up into a single course?

41. The system should be able to set up different learning paths or tracks for different learner types (e.g., create a longer course for some workers and a shorter version for managers).


Resource Management

42. Do calendars reflect resource availability (e.g., taking into consideration current resource bookings and holidays)?

43. Can the system set up instructor profiles?

44. Can the system manage the relationship between locations, facilities (including maps of the facilities), and classrooms?

45. Can the system assign instructors to course offerings?




Resource Management

46. Can resources be associated with an hourly cost and calendar?

47. Does the system allow administrators to run reports that show utilization rates and costs of resources?


Course Registration

48. Can users be added to the system in various ways, including registration by clients, self-registration, and batch registration?

49. Can extra fields, such as “mentor” or “coach”, be added to registration forms?

50. Does the system handle the following registration activities: wait-listed learners, reserved learners, learner withdrawals, learner cancellations, multiple learner registrations and multiple registrations for the same event?

51. Does your system restrict registration based on department, job role, profile, training cost?

52. Can class seats be reserved for different user groups?




Course Registration

53. Describe how pre-requisites are defined and checked for completion before enabling learner registrations.

54. Does the learner automatically receive notifications for confirmations, changes, and cancellations?

55. Can the learners view their registration status on the Web at any time?

56. What happens to a learner’s registration if a new version of the course is deployed?


Course Delivery

57.Does your system support bookmarked for self-paced learning?

58. Does the system track the individual learning objects a learner has accessed or completed?

59. Does the system support course delivery to external users?

60. System should automatically issue certificate upon course completion.




Course Delivery

61. Learners should be able to print their own certificates.

62. Describe the system’s ability to deliver “learning objects” (small, interrelated learning blocks).


Unified Solution with Performance, Competency, and Succession Planning

63. Can the system manage and automate the entire performance review process as a unified solution with the LMS?

64. Does the system provide performance management capabilities (e.g., for career management, performance reviews, goal management).as a unified solution with the LMS?

65. Does your system guide learners to courses based on pre-assessments, job role requirements, and other criteria defined by a manager or coach?

66. Does the system provide reminder notifications to ensure reviews are submitted on time?

67. Users should be able to access their profile (e.g., status development plans, goals, training) on demand.




Unified Solution with Performance, Competency, and Succession Planning

68. How much flexibility does the system have to handle unique competency models, proficiency levels and behavioral descriptors?

69. Can the system allow learners to easily close their competency gaps by taking actions such as finding the right courses to furhter develop themselves?

70. Describe how a curriculum is developed and managed within the system.

71. Describe the hierarchical structure of employee profiles and how senior managers can drill down on the profiles of all individuals within their organization.

72. The system should allow learners to self-identify their career interests.

73. The system should support succession planning. Learners can compare their own skill sets against other job positions in the firm and analyze deficiencies.

74. Can the system allow successors to easily take actions to address competency gaps?

75. The system should locate candidates for a specific position or project based on skill requirements.




Compliance Training & Certification Management

76. Does the system support the ability of employees to complete compliance training (e.g., for regulatory agencies)?

77. Does the system support business rules to control the behavior of certifications, such as enable/disable certification and recertification, how certification requirements are calculated and when various reminders are issued?

78. System should allow learners to view license requirements (e.g., specific to a particular industry, regulatory agency).

79. Does the system support “parent-child” certifications where the learner must have a current “acquired” status for the “child” certification?

80. Does the system have an automatic notification process to remind learners about certification requirements so they stay in compliance?

81. Does the system support the ability for administrators to run reports on the certification management process?

82. Does the system support the ability to assign different certification status, such as: “in-progress”, “Acquired”, “Expired”, “Overdue”, “Revoked”?

83. System should notify trainees prior to certification





deadlines.

84. System should track certification deadlines and reports on missed deadlines.

85. Can learners select different paths towards certification, including a “Recertification Path”?

86. Can learners view completed and uncompleted license requirements (i.e., learning modules required to complete certification training)?

87. Does the system support certification versioning so the learner can update their knowledge to stay in compliance with current requirements?

88. Does the system also support course versioning so that course updates completed by learning administrators are appropriately handled by the certifications in which the course appears?

89. Can administrators control whether a new course version affects a learner’s existing certification status?

90. Can administrators – with no programming knowledge - create and manage certifications?

91. Can administrators (or managers) assign ad hoc certifications to learners based on their knowledge acquired through on-the-job training?





92. Can the system track key certification dates and time periods?

93. Can learners view all of the certifications associated with their user profile in one place?

94. Can managers View their entire team’s certifications to see who is cross-trained or qualified for a specific task?

95. Does the system maintain a certification history that shows how and when learners initially obtained certifications and how they maintained their status?

96. Does the system allow a manager to revoke a certification and have the learner register to re-take the certification program?

97. Does the system support the certification requirements of government regulations such as FDA 21 CFR Part 11?


Course Evaluations and Assessments

98. Describe the system’s test and assessment capabilities.





99. Does the system include an interface for writing and deploying test questions?

100. Can the learner view detailed results of their test performance?

101. Does the system integrate with third-party testing and assessment software? Please list (e.g., QuestionMark, Articulate, Macromedia).

102. Does the system support the four fundamental levels of education:

Reactions/opinions

Learning improvement relative to objectives

Transfer of skills and knowledge for practical application

ROI or organizational changes that are outcomes of the training program?

Please describe support for each.

103. Can online course “happy sheet” and instructor evaluations be created and incorporated? Please describe.

104. Does the system support the use of Multi-Rater Assessments?





105. System provides both pre-testing and post-testing capabilities (including reports that compare pre- and post-test performance)

106. System should support following question types: multiple choice, fill-in the-blank, drag & drop, and matching.

107. Provide branching based on test item performance (i.e., if question is missed, automatically route the learner to a specific course location).

108. Administrator should be able to configure how many times a learner can take a test.


Informal Learning/Collaboration

109. Does the system support the informal learning process? Please describe how the following activities can be managed: mentoring, on-the-job activities, off-site seminars, and instant messages.

110. Assign coaches to monitor learner’s progress. Coaches, with appropriate permission, can access




Informal Learning/Collaboration

learner’s records.

111. Does the system support study groups and collaborative learning processes?

112. Does the system manage the storage of informational materials, such as white papers, job aids, and product manuals?

113. Can the system capture informal conversations and ad-hoc questions?

114. Can the system manage the exchange of information among subject matter experts (e.g., IM messages)?

115. Does the system create “Communities of Practice” that users can join based on their role in the organization and skill sets?

116. Can the system support collaboration around certifications or competencies?

117. Can learners be automatically assigned to communities?




Content Authoring

118. Do you offer services to develop custom content? Please describe the tools used (e.g., authoring, virtual classroom, simulation tools, LCMS).

119. How do your products and services help with converting legacy content into trackable e-learning?

120. What is the lowest level of content that the system can manage as an object?

121. Does the system support the ability to roll-back to a previous version of content?

122. Can the system deliver the same course using different combinations of reusable learning objects?

123. Does the system include a separate authoring tool? Please describe ability to create high quality content in a rich multimedia environment using a familiar Windows interface.

124. Can the authoring tool create content that is AICC and SCORM compliant? If so, what versions of AICC and SCORM are supported?

125. Can the authoring tool create/edit videos, audios, images, and embedded graphics with test questions?




Content Authoring

126. What knowledge of programming is required to create interactive content?

127. Do you provide any assistance (e.g., a testing lab) to content providers to test compliance with the LMS product?

128. What other services do you offer to help customers with content interoperability?


Real-Time Learning

129. Does the system support asynchronous self-paced learning in addition to synchronous live online learning?

130. Does the system support real-time collaborative learning?

131. Is the collaboration feature scalable to support e-meetings and enterprise-wide activities (e.g., 2,000 attendees) without requiring IT support?

132. Is the collaboration feature integrated with users’




Real-Time Learning

office applications (e.g., email, calendars)?

133. Does the system support instant messaging? Can the IM system reside behind the firewall?

134. Can learners ask questions of instructors in real-time?

135. Can the system link users to external applications, such as web sites?

136. Can the system record synchronous events for playback at a later time?

137. Can the system facilitate synchronous learning in a simulated classroom or simulated auditorium to a widely dispersed audience?

138. Can the system include a synchronous shared whiteboard (equivalent to a traditional flipchart or chalkboard)?

139. Are session recordings available for playback at a later time?

140. Can the e-meeting organizer hide or display the list of attendees?

141. Can e-meeting attendees take online surveys and




Real-Time Learning

participate in yes/no polling?


Globalization

142. How does your system handle multiple times zones?

143. Please explain the process for adding additional languages to an existing learning portal and provide a list of available language packs.

144. Can the system support single- and double-byte languages in a single environment?

145. How does the system manage courses that are delivered in multiple languages?

146. Does the system handle multiple currencies in the same environment? What administrative capabilities are available to help learning organizations roll out price changes worldwide?

147. Does the system support international date and time formats?




Globalization

148. Does the system support the development and delivery of multi-lingual content?


Configurability

149. System administrators should be able to set the default landing page for user login.

150. Features can be enabled or disabled.

151. Both learner and administrator interfaces should be configurable.



4. Reports

Number Reports Requirement Vendor Response

1. How many standard reports are available with the system? Please include samples.

2. The system should support graphical reports (bar charts and pie charts) out of the box.

3. Does the system allow administrators to create custom reports?

4. Does the system support integration with third-party report writers? Please list.

5. What skills does a user need to use the reporting tools?

6. Can a report be saved and sent via e-mail to another individual in the organization?



5. ARCHITECTURE AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Number Architecture & System Requirement Vendor Response

1. Provide a complete description of your system architecture. Include a diagram indicating each component’s location with respect to a corporate firewall. Describe the logical tiers of the product (e.g., presentation, business logic, data access).

2. What technology standards do you support (e.g., J2EE, .NET, web services, XML)?

3. Does the LMS require any client-side software other than the browser?

4. How does the LMS monitor system integrity, logs, intrusion detection, and system access (e.g., checking the logs to verify failed and successful logins, password changes)?

5. Describe your approach to load balancing.

6. How many concurrent users does the system support (or has been tested with)?

7. Hosting and Hardware. Discuss your hosting facility and what characteristics will result in maximum uptime. Also, list the hardware configuration you will use to support this project.



6. Security

Number Security Requirement Vendor Response

1. Describe your security model, including network, data, and application security, data center security, application and system support, upgrades and maintenance, and personnel access rights.

2. Describe the password and authentication policies and methods.

3. Please describe your disaster recovery/business continuity process, particularly as it pertains to hosted solutions.

4. Describe how security across the firewall, and with users on different sides of the firewall, is handled.

5. Describe the network protocols used to communicate between components of the system (e.g., HTTP, SQLNet, LDAP, SSL, Socket).

6. Does the system support 128-bit encryption and SSL?

7. Describe how features and content/data access can be enabled or disabled for specific learner groups.

8. Does the system have electronic signature/electronic record capability?



Number Security Requirement Vendor Response

9. Is every data or signature entry recorded in the database with a date & time stamp?

10. Does each entry in an electronic record contain the printable name of the operator with time and date stamp and meaning of the signature?

11. Can the organization control which functions are audited?



7. Implementation SERVICES

Number Implementation Vendor Response

1. Please describe your implementation methodology for accelerated deployments, including average implementation time.

2. Please include a sample project plan for an accelerated deployment. Include milestones and phase activities common to accelerated timelines.

3. Please identify the roles and responsibilities for your project team in an accelerated implementation.

4. Please identify the roles and responsibilities for the customer’s project team in an accelerated implementation.

5. What percentage of your implementations is on-demand (hosted) vs. on-site (“behind the firewall”) installations?

6. Describe your largest on-demand (hosted) installation in terms of number of learners and number of content items.

7. Define your process for setting up initial roles: learners, administrators, registrars to handle enrollments, instructors.



Number Implementation Vendor Response

8. Describe your methodology for migrating/importing content to your system.

9. List some key risks that could be encountered in an accelerated deployment. Explain how your methodology mitigates these risks.



8. Support & Hosting REQUIREMENTS

Number Support Requirement Vendor Response

1. Do you offer a SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution?

2. Provide a detailed description of your hosting services and environment.

3. Please describe your Customer Support policy for hosted solutions. Include information about response times, escalation policies, and hours of operation.

4. In which countries to you have support personnel?

5. Can users and administrators contact Support representatives via e-mail or log inquiries online during non-business hours?

6. Is support available for extended (e.g., 24x7) hours, including support for all global regions?

7. How frequently do you perform upgrades for hosted solutions? Do customers need to provide resources or is the upgrade performed by your IT resources?

8. Is your hosting environment SAS 70-Type II compliant? If so, how frequently are third-party audits performed?

9. Can you provide a copy of your SAS 70 Type II audit report (e.g., under non-disclosure)?



Number Support Requirement Vendor Response

10. Will you agree to put a copy of your source code in escrow?



9. Training Requirements

Number Training Requirement Vendor Response

1. Do you have a staff of experienced instructors?

2. How many days of training do you provide for an accelerated deployment?

3. Please identify any additional recommended training.

4. Do you provide on-site training? Please include a course catalog.

5. Do you provide customized training workshops?

6. Do you provide training via webcasts for learners in different geographical regions, including overseas?

7. Do you offer self-paced learning opportunities or the ability to play back training sessions (e.g., for learners who cannot attend at the scheduled class time)?



10. QUALITY ASSURANCE & INDUSTRY STANDARDS

Number Quality Requirement Vendor Response

1. Describe your software lifecycle development methodology.

2. Describe your QA process and approach to continuous improvement.

3. Do members of your management team participate on standards-setting committees?

4. Has your company participated in the development of LMS standards?

5. What regulatory standards does your LMS meet?

6. Is the system SCORM certified? If so, which version of SCORM is certified?

7. Is the system AICC certified?

8. Have you obtained SAS 70 Type II certification for your hosted environment?

9. Is your system compliant with Section 508, W3C, and WAI standards?

10. List any other standards committees of which your company is a participant.



11. REFERENCES

Number References Vendor Response

1. Please provide a list of three clients where you implemented accelerated projects of similar size and scope.

2. Please provide an overview of your customer base.

3. Do you have a global presence? Specifically, where do you have sales and support personnel and implementation resources? Do you employ contractors for implementation services?

4. Please include any additional information that would help us evaluate the strength of your offering (e.g., analyst reports, customer testimonials).



12. PRICING, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Number References Vendor Response

1. What is your pricing estimate for the proposed system in a hosted environment?

2. What is your pricing for an accelerated deployment?

3. Assuming an accelerated deployment for phase one, explain how you would implement follow-on phases (e.g., reaching a wider audience enterprise-wide, creating new content).

4. What are the hourly rates for services? Are services rates fixed for an accelerated deployment?

5. Please include a copy of your template Master Software and Services Agreements for an accelerated deployment.

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O bjectives