What's inside
- Data and integrations: 6 requirements
- Plan configuration: 9 requirements
- Rep experience: 5 requirements
- Approvals and disputes: 4 requirements
- Audit and ASC 606: 4 requirements
- Security and compliance: 5 requirements
- Implementation: 5 requirements
- Pricing: 3 requirements
Plan configuration covers marginal and retroactive tiers, accelerators and caps, split credit, clawbacks, draws, multi-currency and effective-dated plan versions. Audit covers change history and ASC 606 commission cost amortization; security asks for a current SOC 2 Type II report or ISO/IEC 27001 certificate rather than a checkbox answer.
How to run the RFP
- Check whether you need software at all with the fit check and estimate the payback with the software ROI calculator.
- Edit the Requirements sheet: delete what does not apply, add what is specific to you, and set weights (3 = must have).
- Shortlist three to five vendors from our commission software comparison and send the questionnaire.
- Ask each finalist to demo your own plan, ideally reproducing a past period's payouts.
- Score each requirement 0 to 3 from evidence, then compare weighted totals and category subtotals on the Summary sheet.
Our own rankings use published criteria; see how we rank commission software for the method, which you can borrow for your scoring.
Scoring formulas
- Weighted score:
Priority weight × Score - Weighted total:
SUMPRODUCT(Weights, Scores) - Maximum possible:
SUM(Weights) × 3 - Score %:
Weighted total ÷ Maximum possible - Category subtotal:
SUMIF(Category, category name, Weighted scores)
Frequently asked questions
How many vendors should I send the RFP to?
Usually three to five. Fewer limits your negotiating position; more turns scoring into a project of its own. Use a short fit check first to narrow the list.
How should I score a requirement?
0 = not supported, 1 = workaround or custom work, 2 = supported with limits, 3 = fully supported out of the box. Score from a live demo or documentation, not from a yes in a questionnaire.
What if a vendor misses a must-have?
Treat a must-have scored 0 as a potential deal-breaker regardless of the weighted total. Totals are useful for comparing vendors that all clear the must-haves.
Should I ask for a proof of concept?
For complex plans, yes: give each finalist your real plan and a sample of anonymized deals and ask them to reproduce last period's payouts. The plan templates and spreadsheet help you prepare that test.