Solicitation Planning

Correct Answer: Identify project needs and define the scope

The first step in soliciting vendors for a software development project is to 'Identify project needs and define the scope'. This step involves understanding what the project needs are and defining the boundary of the project. This is essential to ensure that vendors provide accurate and relevant proposals. Thereafter, you can 'Conduct vendor meetings' (pk: 146171) to discuss needs and requirements. It is not correct to 'Directly select a preferred vendor' (pk: 146173) without first identifying the project's needs and defining the scope. This could lead to selecting a vendor who is not capable or suitable for the project. Finally, before you can reach the 'Contract signing' stage (pk: 146172), a careful selection process must take place, which begins with understanding the project's needs and defining its scope.

Correct Answer: Assess the supplier's ability to fulfill the project's needs properly despite the low bid.

The correct course of action when one supplier's bid is significantly lower than the others is to assess the supplier's ability to fulfill the project's needs properly despite the low bid. Accepting the lowest bid immediately may not always be a wise decision. There could be potential issues with the quality of materials, reliability, or capacity to deliver. On the other hand, ignoring the lowest bid without investigating it thoroughly could lead to missed opportunities for cost-saving. Trying to get other suppliers to match the lowest bid is not always feasible, as it might result in lower quality or poor service.

Correct Answer: Begin immediate solicitation for a new accommodation supplier while assessing the impact on the project schedule.

The best course of action when a supplier, in this case, the accommodation supplier, backs out at the last minute would be to begin immediate solicitation for a new supplier while assessing the impact on the schedule. This approach maintains the objective of the project, ensures the attendees are well accounted for, and involves considering how the situation would affect the timeline of the project. It's sensible, proactive, and puts the interests of the project at the forefront while managing unexpected risks. The option to cancel the conference and reschedule it to a new date is not optimal because of the cost, effort, and time that's been invested into organizing it. This could cause major setbacks and dissatisfaction among the attendees and other stakeholders. Asking attendees to manage their own accommodation does not convey a professional image for the organization and can lead to customer dissatisfaction. This is not a proper risk management response. Proceeding with the conference without supplying any accommodation does not address the issue at all. It simply sweeps it under the rug and moves forward, likely leading to significant issues down the line when attendees arrive and find out there's no accommodation.