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| Whether conducting the request for information (RFI) or request for proposal (RFP) process, a quality set of questions for potential [[laboratory information management system]] (LIMS) vendors to respond to provides a solid base for helping evaluate and narrow down potential vendors. The RFI in particular is good for this sort of "fact finding," acting as an ideal means for learning more about a potential [[cannabis]] testing LIMS solution and how it can solve your [[laboratory]]'s problems, or when you're not even sure how to solve those problem yet. However, the RFI should not be unduly long and tedious to complete for prospective vendors; it should be concise, direct, and honest. This means not only presenting a clear and humble vision of your own organization and its testing and informatics goals, but also asking just the right amount of questions to allow potential vendors to demonstrate their expertise and provide a clearer picture of who they are. Some take a technical approach to an RFI, using dense language and complicated spreadsheets for fact finding. However, vendors appreciate a slightly more inviting approach, with practical questions or requests that are carefully chosen because they matter to you and your laboratory.<ref name="HolmesItsAMatch">{{cite web |url=https://allcloud.io/blog/its-a-match-how-to-run-a-good-rfi-rfp-or-rfq-and-find-the-right-partner/ |title=It's a Match: How to Run a Good RFI, RFP, or RFQ and Find the Right Partner |author=Holmes, T. |work=AllCloud Blog |date=n.d. |accessdate=02 July 2021}}</ref>
| | If you're conducting a full RFI, you're going to lead with the standard components of an RFI, including: |
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| What follows are a carefully selected set of "questions" for cannabis testing LIMS vendors posed as, well, requests for information. This collection of questions is admittedly long. Keeping with advice about maintaining a concise RFI, you may not use all of these as part of your RFI process. Remember that an RFI is not meant to answer all of your questions, but rather is meant as a means to help narrow down your search to a few quality candidates while learning more about each other.<ref name="HolmesItsAMatch" /> Feel free to narrow this list down to those questions that are most important to your laboratory as part of this fact finding mission.
| | * a table of contents; |
| | | * an honest introduction and overview of your organization, its goals and problems, and the services sought to solve them; |
| The primary source used to compile this selection of RFI questions is the ''[[Book:LIMSpec for Cannabis Testing|LIMSpec for Cannabis Testing]]''. That specification document was designed specifically to take a regulatory-, standards-, and guidance-based approach to how laboratory informatics systems should address the needs of cannabis testing laboratories. As such, ''LIMSpec for Cannabis Testing'' turns to [[limswiki:ASTM E1578|ASTM E1578-18]] ''Standard Guide for Laboratory Informatics'' at its core, as well as more than 70 different regulations, standards, and guidance documents. Additionally, many elements from the "LIMS functionality requirements specific to cannabis testing" section of Chapter 1 are also tapped into. Other sources used to build this RFI include:
| | * details on how the RFI evaluation process will be conducted; |
| | | * the calendar schedule (including times) for related events; |
| * Most of the sources cited in the RFI questionnaires in Appendix 3 of the upcoming ''Choosing and Implementing a Cloud-based Service for your Laboratory'' | | * how to submit the document and any related questions about it, including response format; and |
| * A solicitation document by the Oklahoma State Department of Health<ref name="OMESSolicArch19">{{cite web |url=https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/omes/documents/Solicitation3400001663.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706222146/https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/omes/documents/Solicitation3400001663.pdf |format=PDF |title=OMES Solicitation #3400001663 |publisher=Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services |date=27 September 2019 |archivedate=06 July 2021 |accessdate=06 July 2021}}</ref> | | * your organization's background, business requirements, and current technical environment. |
| * A ''Labcompare'' article about LIMS and cannabis testing<ref name="WongCanna19">{{cite web |url=https://www.labcompare.com/10-Featured-Articles/355198-Cannabis-Testing-LIMS-and-Regulations/ |title=Cannabis Testing, LIMS, and Regulations |author=Wong, S.; Wood, S. |work=Labcompare |date=11 January 2019 |accessdate=06 July 2021}}</ref> | |
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| The ordering of the RFI questionnaire is as follows:
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| :RFI introduction
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| :Organization basics
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| :LIMS: Primary cannabis testing workflow
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| :LIMS: Workflow and operations maintenance and support
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| :LIMS: Interoperability and system performance
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| :LIMS: Software security, data integrity, and related policies
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| :Cloud infrastructure, security, and related policies
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| :Account management and support
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| :License agreements, service level agreements (SLAs), and contracts
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| :Service implementation
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| :Pricing
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
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