RFP Checklist

How to Ask a Prospective Vendor about HTNG...

Are you writing an RFP to acquire a new system for your hotel or hotel company?  This page, together with HTNG Specifications and Certification by Product Category, is for you!

In order to foster greater awareness of HTNG's efforts in the vendor community, and their importance to hotels, HTNG suggests that hotel companies incorporate the following types of questions in RFPs for technology products and services. HTNG makes no recommendations with respect to whether or how the answers to these questions should be used in evaluating the merits of competing proposals.

There are two sets of questions you can ask in your RFP.  One set can be used with any RFP, regardless of the product or service.  Another set is appropriate for specific products, for which HTNG has published specifications.

Questions Applicable to Any RFP for Technology Products or Services

The following questions can be used to gauge your vendor's level of commitment to industry interoperability.

1. Is your company currently a member in good standing of Hotel Technology Next Generation? (Check your status at www.htng.org/about/members.htm).

This question helps ensure that a vendor is at least aware of and minimally committed to the principles of HTNG.

2. Is your company actively involved in one or more HTNG workgroups? If so, please identify the which ones (see www.htng.org/workgroups for correct names). 

Active participation in HTNG workgroups is evidence of a company's active commitment to HTNG's principles of interoperability.  But beware, many companies sign up and don't actively attend or contribute.  If you have any doubts, you can ask them to be specific with a question like this:

3. For each HTNG workgroup in which your company actively participates, please identify the individual(s) participating, and the nature of their participation and contribution.  Please include links to the HTNG collaboration site where they have posted any significant contributions.  You may also include any awards received from HTNG.

Active participation, as opposed to signing up and not participating, leaves breadcrumbs and is reasonably easy to check.  By asking this question, you give the vendor the opportunity to highlight the specifics of their contributions. 

Questions Applicable to RFPs for Specific Products

Many categories of products have one or more HTNG specifications that can be implemented.  The page with HTNG Specifications and Certification by Product Category identifies major product categories, and the applicable HTNG specifications.  This list changes frequently, so please check back each time you write an RFP.

In the table on that page, find the relevant product category or categories, and determine which of the specifications offer functionality that is relevant to you.  Then, you can ask a set of questions based on the Status of that specification (last column in the table).

Please note:  these are high-level questions, designed to determine whether a vendor is making a good-faith effort to comply with HTNG specifications.  HTNG's certification program provides detailed information to help you determine whether a product will meet specific business needs when interfaced to another certified product.  You must consult this information (relevant product and technical specifications, and Conformance Statement Questionnaires) to determine what if any work is necessary to achieve interoperability, and this exercise is beyond the scope of this page!

If the Status is "Certifiable":

Is the product you are proposing (or a recent version thereof) certified to the HTNG xxx specification?  If so, please provide a link to your certificate on the HTNG Certification Register.

If the Status is "Published" or "Published to Members":

Does the product you are proposing comply with the HTNG xxx specification?  Do you plan to seek HTNG certification when available?

You may want to be more specific based on information in the specification itself - see links in the table.

If the Status is "Approved" or "Pending Approval":

Are you aware of the pending HTNG xxx specification?  Was your product designed to comply with the approach of this specification?  Do you plan to seek HTNG certification if and when available?

You may want to be more specific based on information in the specification itself - see links in the table.

If the Status is "Under Development":

Are you aware of the work that HTNG is doing with respect to the xxx specification?  Are you participating in the development and/or have you reviewed any specifications for compatibility with your product roadmap?  Do you plan to seek HTNG certification if and when available?

You may want to be more specific based on information in the specification itself - see links in the table.