The time-tested request-for-proposal (RFP) model that has shaped enterprise buying for nearly six decades now feels increasingly outdated. It is the growing lack of trust between buyers and vendors that fuels this dysfunction, and procurement technology alone cannot bridge that divide.
According to Loopio’s 2025 RFP Trends Report, the average RFP response consumes between twenty and twenty-eight hours. WebinarCare’s analysis shows that even top-performing teams still devote roughly twenty-five hours per response, and a 2024 survey of 1,650 organizations by the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) found that RFPs account for approximately 38 % of annual company revenue.
It’s little surprise that both buyers and vendors have grown fatigued by the procurement process. Still, vendors invest thousands of dollars navigating opaque evaluation methods. Many believe decisions are already made, viewing RFPs as compliance exercises designed to justify incumbent renewals or generate “column fodder.” As a result, a growing number of smaller vendors are opting out of the process altogether.
"The breakdown has to do with trust," says Tonya Turrell, founder and CEO of TechnologyMatch.com (formerly known as The Launchpad), which ranked #123 on the 2023 Inc 5000 with 3,900% growth. "Buyers doubt vendors' claims, and vendors doubt they will be evaluated fairly. That dysfunction has been eroding this process for years."
When Procurement Algorithms Meet Sales Fiction
The RFP software market is expected to grow from $2.6 billion in 2024 to $7.5 billion by 2031, according to Cognitive Market Research. These platforms can deliver vendor-matching outcomes in days instead of months. Yet the introduction of fully automated systems often deepens mistrust between stakeholders.
The same tactics vendors once used to game traditional RFPs now appear in algorithmic systems. Keyword manipulation boosts profiles, while capabilities are overstated to secure algorithm-driven selection rather than genuine fit. The “ideal” matches buyers choose via algorithms frequently unravel when cultural misalignment, customization demands, or leadership changes surface. The most critical success factors remain invisible to structured data.
Research from Responsive shows that organizations with mature strategic response management generate 55% of revenue from response activities, compared with 41% for laggards. Meanwhile, Loopio’s assessment of 1,500+ teams places the average RFP win rate at 45%. Despite technological advances, more than half of all proposals still fail.
Algorithms excel at parsing requirements and comparing prices, but they struggle to detect exaggerated claims and cannot evaluate collaboration styles or a team’s ability to navigate project challenges.
The Hybrid Procurement Approach
Increasingly, organizations are using technology to enable trust while retaining human oversight for critical decisions.
TechnologyMatch.com exemplifies this approach through partnerships with companies such as Disney, Microsoft, IBM, Verizon, HP, Dell, and Apple. The platform applies AI to assess thousands of vendors by capability, budget, and requirements, while humans oversee trust-building and final judgment.
Buyers remain anonymous until they choose to engage, eliminating traditional sales pressure. Vendor matches are based on verified capabilities rather than marketing claims, with pattern recognition and filtering allowing both sides to begin conversations with shared understanding instead of rigid scripts.
Growth has come from facilitating authentic communication. Buyers initiate contact on their own timeline, evaluating vendors without pressure. Vendors gain clarity on real needs and can present honest strengths and limitations during discussions.
Ultimately, people decide on team fit and delivery confidence. Relationship building remains difficult to fully automate.
Overcoming Procurement Resentment
Joint research by Art of Procurement and RFP360 shows most respondents spend fewer than five hours per request on vendor communication. The inability to ask clarifying questions or receive post-RFP feedback leaves vendors frustrated. Weak communication erodes trust and drives misaligned expectations.
Leading organizations prioritize collaboration over competition, enabling structured dialogue where authenticity replaces performance. Buyers receive candid insights into capabilities and constraints, while vendors understand needs beyond generic requirements.
With 72% of organizations now applying go/no-go frameworks before responding to proposals, and 69% of top performers using RFP response software, according to WebinarCare’s 2024 data, procurement has shifted toward more selective engagement. In these cases, implementations succeed because expectations are aligned from the start, rather than discovered months later.
For IT leaders, this means moving beyond procurement strategies centered solely on specifications and pricing. Successful outcomes now depend on cultural alignment, collaborative problem-solving, and real partnership. Key adjustments include:
- Restructure evaluation criteria. Balance cultural fit and communication style with technical capability. Request examples of failed implementations and lessons learned—not only success stories.
- Invest in relationship building. Create space for meaningful interaction beyond scripted demos. Use working sessions to solve real problems together before contracts are signed.
- Leverage technology strategically. Apply AI for filtering and compliance, but retain human judgment for final decisions. Platforms that preserve buyer anonymity while enabling controlled engagement strike the right balance.
- Measure beyond cost savings. Track time to value, implementation success, and relationship longevity. The most satisfied organizations prioritize partnership quality over transactional efficiency.
From Bankruptcy To Building A Procurement Tech Future
Turrell rebuilt after bankruptcy following the 2008 financial crisis, closing one business on a Friday and launching another the following Monday. She later grew Leads On Demand to a multimillion-dollar exit. When her five-year non-compete expired in 2020, she founded The Launchpad, now rebranded as TechnologyMatch.com. Within two weeks of announcing the new venture, the company says it generated more than $1.5 million in business.
“Those using traditional RFPs are already behind, but pure automation ignores how B2B actually works,” said Turrell. “Companies were aching for a process like ours that removes the waste preventing real relationships from forming.”
RFP transformation is ultimately about trust, not algorithms. Research from Infosys BPM and SAP shows adoption of Gen AI and procurement technology continues to accelerate, but the impulse to fully automate must be restrained.
Technology should enhance transparency and authentic engagement—not replace human judgment. Organizations that understand this build durable vendor relationships that fuel innovation. Those chasing full automation merely digitize existing problems.
Procurement technology should amplify human expertise rather than displace it. The future belongs to organizations that blend algorithmic efficiency with relationship intelligence. McKinsey research indicates that while external spend often represents 50% to 80% of a company’s cost base, it typically receives less focus than sales or productivity initiatives. Striking the right balance between technology and judgment defines competitive advantage.
The traditional RFP process has changed little in decades. Its successor will be faster, more transparent, and distinctly human-centered—supported by advanced automation, analytics, and AI. Organizations that recognize this shift and adapt will thrive alongside their vendors. Those clinging to outdated models or fully mechanized processes risk isolation from the partnerships they need most.
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