Key takeaways
- Send the RFP with your real ordering facts: who orders, which products, how often and under which approval rules.
- Ask for every answer in writing as yes, no, or by custom work with a price, so answers can be compared.
- Test the answers that matter with one real order: order, approve, proof, print and invoice.
- Approvals, invoices on purchase orders and data export are where portals differ most; weigh them first.
- Download the 30 questions as a CSV, delete what does not apply and add your own before you send it.
On this page
A procurement team that buys print through a portal is buying two things at once: printing, and the software staff use to order it. Most requests for proposal ask about the first in detail and about the second in one line. The result is a portal that prints well and orders badly.
This checklist is for the procurement team writing the request, and for the print shop preparing its answers. It covers the whole portal in 30 questions. What a portal is and how its approvals work is explained in what is a B2B web-to-print portal; the choice between a B2B store and a marketplace in B2B print store or print marketplace.
What is a print portal RFP?
A print portal RFP is a request for proposal that asks print suppliers and software vendors how they would run your company's print ordering through a private web-to-print portal. A request for proposal solicits proposals from potential suppliers for a product or service, so every supplier answers the same questions and the answers can be compared.
For a print portal, the questions cover more than prices and paper. They cover who can sign in and order, which products and prices staff see, how brand templates stay on brand, who approves spending, how proofs, delivery and invoices work, how the portal connects to your systems, and how you leave with your data.
How do you run the RFP?
Run a print portal RFP in five steps: collect your real ordering needs, send the questions with those needs attached, get every answer in writing, test the best answers with one real order, then score and decide. The test order matters most, because a portal that answers yes on paper can still need a support ticket for every approval.
- Collect needs. Count who orders, which products, how often, to how many addresses, and under which approval and budget rules.
- Send the RFP. Attach the needs and the checklist; ask for each answer as yes, no, or by custom work with a price.
- Read the written answers. Discard suppliers that answer with brochures instead of answers.
- Test with a real order. Order, approve, proof, print, deliver and invoice one job with the best two or three.
- Score and decide. Score the written answers and the test, then put the answers you rely on into the contract.
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<a href="https://solution.printcart.com/insight/b2b-print-portal-rfp-checklist"><img src="https://solution.printcart.com/insight/b2b-print-portal-rfp-checklist/rfp-process.webp" alt="Five steps of a print portal RFP: collect needs, send the RFP, written answers, test order, score and decide" width="1440" height="1080"></a><br>Source: <a href="https://solution.printcart.com/insight/b2b-print-portal-rfp-checklist">Printcart</a>Which questions should the RFP ask?
The RFP should ask 30 questions in seven areas: accounts and sign-in, catalogue and prices, templates and artwork, approvals and budgets, proofs and delivery, invoices and reports, and integrations, support and exit. The full checklist below gives for each question why it matters, how to test it and what a passing answer looks like; the CSV download carries the same rows.
Not every question applies to every company. A company with one office can drop the questions on several offices; a company without an ERP connection can drop that row. Delete what does not apply before you send the request, and add the questions your own policy requires, such as security reviews or a specific accessibility standard. For accessibility, WCAG 2.2 is the current W3C Recommendation to name.
Who should answer each part?
Each area of a print portal RFP has a natural owner on the supplier side and, often, a reviewer on your side. The print supplier answers for prices, production, delivery and invoices; the software vendor, which may be the same company, answers for accounts, sign-in, templates and integrations; your IT and finance teams review the answers in their areas.
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<a href="https://solution.printcart.com/insight/b2b-print-portal-rfp-checklist"><img src="https://solution.printcart.com/insight/b2b-print-portal-rfp-checklist/rfp-owners.webp" alt="Matrix of who answers each area of a B2B print portal RFP: print supplier, software vendor, IT or finance" width="1440" height="1080"></a><br>Source: <a href="https://solution.printcart.com/insight/b2b-print-portal-rfp-checklist">Printcart</a>If the print supplier uses a portal made by someone else, ask it to name the software and to answer for it in writing. A question such as single sign-on, one ID for several systems, is answered by the software, not by the print shop, and a supplier that cannot answer it should say so.
How do you score the answers?
Score each answer on what the supplier commits to in writing, not on what it shows in a sales demo. A simple scale works: met as standard, met by set-up, met by custom work at a stated price, or not met. Weigh the areas by how much your company depends on them, and check the answers you weigh most with the test order.
Areas where portals differ most deserve the most weight: approvals, purchase orders and invoices, integrations with your systems, and data export at exit. Catalogues and templates tend to look alike in demos; the differences show when an order needs two approvals, a purchase order number and an invoice your finance team can match.
Where does Printcart fit?
The Printcart B2B print store, in build, answers several areas of this checklist with standard parts: company accounts and roles, team member invites, catalogue access control, price lists by customer group, B2B quotes with expiry, purchase orders on net terms within a credit limit, and quick order and reorder. It is built on the Printcart plugin for WooCommerce and sold as the Store B2B package.
Other rows are set-up or custom work and are answered per project in writing: approval steps through corporate printing portal workflow setup, and connections to an ERP or accounting system through Printcart ERP and accounting integration. If you are a print shop answering an RFP for a client, send us the questions through the quote form below and we tell you which rows the store covers.
| Number# | Check | Why it matters | How to check | Passes when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. Company accounts and roles | Staff must order as your company, with different rights for buyers and admins | Ask for the list of roles and what each can do | At least requester, approver and admin roles, set by your admin |
| 2 | 2. User invites and leavers | People join and leave every month; access must follow | Invite a test user, then remove them | Your admin invites and removes users without the supplier |
| 3 | 3. Sign-in method | Your IT may require single sign-on or a password policy | Ask which sign-in methods exist today and which are custom work | A written answer per method, with a price for custom work |
| 4 | 4. Several offices or companies | Groups need one portal with separate offices, addresses and budgets | Describe two offices and ask how each is set up | Each office has its own users, addresses and limits |
| 5 | 5. Private catalogue | Staff should see only the products you agreed | Sign in as a requester and browse | Only your agreed products and options are visible |
| 6 | 6. Contract prices | Every order must use your agreed prices, not list prices | Compare three portal prices with the contract | Prices match the contract for every option and quantity |
| 7 | 7. Price changes | Price changes must be agreed before they apply | Ask how and when a price list changes | Changes are dated and announced; past orders keep their price |
| 8 | 8. Quotes for unlisted jobs | Not every job fits the catalogue | Request a quote for a custom job | A quote with an expiry date that becomes an order when accepted |
| 9 | 9. Brand templates | Local staff must not break brand rules | Fill a template as a requester | Brand fields are locked; only agreed fields are editable |
| 10 | 10. Artwork upload | Some teams send finished files | Upload a low-resolution file | The portal warns or the supplier flags it before print |
| 11 | 11. Live preview | Requesters must see what they order | Edit a template and watch the preview | The preview shows every change before ordering |
| 12 | 12. Approval rules | Spending above a limit needs a second person | Set a rule by amount and place an order above it | The order waits for the approver and cannot print before |
| 13 | 13. Approval levels | Large companies may need two levels | Ask how many levels exist and who sets them | A written answer, with a price if levels are custom work |
| 14 | 14. Return with reason | A returned order without a reason comes back wrong | Return a test order as approver | The requester sees the reason and can fix the order |
| 15 | 15. Budgets or credit limits | Departments must not overspend | Ask how a budget or credit limit stops an order | Orders above the limit are blocked or sent for approval |
| 16 | 16. Reorder | Most corporate print is repeat print | Reorder a past job | One click repeats the job at the current contract price |
| 17 | 17. Proof before print | Printing an unapproved file wastes money | Approve and reject a proof | Nothing prints until the proof is approved |
| 18 | 18. Delivery addresses | Orders go to many offices and events | Order to two addresses | Saved addresses per office, with split delivery if you need it |
| 19 | 19. Order status and tracking | Requesters ask where their order is | Follow a test order to delivery | Status and tracking are visible to the requester |
| 20 | 20. Production lead times | Deadlines decide events and campaigns | Ask for lead times per product in writing | Lead times per product and a rule for late orders |
| 21 | 21. Purchase orders | Finance pays against a purchase order | Place an order with a PO number | The PO number appears on the order and the invoice |
| 22 | 22. Payment terms | Companies pay on terms, not by card | Ask for the terms and credit limit in the offer | Net terms and a credit limit per company, in the contract |
| 23 | 23. Invoices | Finance needs invoices it can match | Ask for a sample invoice | One invoice per PO or per period, as you choose |
| 24 | 24. Spending reports | You must see who ordered what and for how much | Ask for a sample report | Spend by office, user and product, exportable |
| 25 | 25. ERP or procurement system | Orders and invoices may need to flow into your systems | Name your system and ask how it connects | A written answer: standard, by export, or custom work with a price |
| 26 | 26. Data export | You must be able to leave with your data | Ask for an export of orders, users and templates | A full export in a common format, on request |
| 27 | 27. Accessibility | Every employee must be able to order | Ask which accessibility standard the portal follows | A named standard, such as WCAG 2.2, and known gaps listed |
| 28 | 28. Personal data | The portal stores staff names and addresses | Ask where data is stored and who processes it | A written answer you can give to your data protection officer |
| 29 | 29. Support | Orders stop when the portal stops | Ask for support channels and response times | Named channels and response times in the contract |
| 30 | 30. Set-up and exit | Start and end are where projects slip | Ask for the set-up plan and the exit terms | A dated set-up plan and written exit terms with data handover |
Frequently asked questions
What is an RFP for a print portal?
It is a written request that asks print suppliers or software vendors to propose how they would provide a portal for your company's print orders, answering the same questions so the proposals can be compared fairly.
Should the print supplier or the software vendor answer the RFP?
Often both. The print supplier answers for prices, production, delivery and invoices; the software vendor answers for accounts, sign-in, templates and integrations. Ask the supplier to name the software and answer for it in writing.
How many suppliers should get the RFP?
Enough to compare, few enough to test. Three to five written answers are usually manageable, and only the two or three best should do a test order, because a real test takes time on both sides.
Which RFP questions matter most for a print portal?
The ones about approvals, purchase orders and invoices, integrations and data export. Catalogues and templates look similar across portals; how money and data move is where they differ and where a wrong choice costs most.
Sources
About the author
Huy Nguyen (David)
Founder & CEO, Printcart
Huy Nguyen (David) is the Founder and CEO of Printcart. Questions about this article go straight to him and the Printcart team.
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