OMG Technology Adoption Process
Part I: Optional RFI Stage
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What is an RFI?
An RFI is a Request for Information. It surveys the computing
industry, collecting information that OMG members use to form and guide
new standards-setting efforts.
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Who can respond to an RFI?
Any person or company, OMG member or not, may submit material in
response to an RFI. If you submit, you may submit anything, in principle, but should
keep in mind that submissions will be evaluated by a small group of
volunteers. Therefore, the most effective submissions tend to be short and
to-the-point. Some submissions include extensive paper documentation as
backup, but the evaluation committee may prefer an electronic reference
instead. Don't send demos or code; TF members don't have time to load
demos or read code. Instead, if this is a key part of your response, include the URL of a
website running a demo. You should also keep in mind that
everything you submit becomes a public document.
All open RFIs are listed on the Work in Progress
page. Once you get
the page up in your browser, search for RFI. If you see one in an
area you know about, submit a response!
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What Happens to RFI responses?
The TF that issued the RFI usually schedules a time for submitters'
presentations at the one or more OMG technical meeting weeks following
close of the RFI. Submitters who are not OMG members attend as invited
guests. If your submission requires a demo, this is the place to
give it. If you're not an OMG member, you'll be attending as a guest and
will have to demo during your
presentation. If you are a member, you may sign up for a demonstration
table in the meeting lobby. This prominent location, well-populated
especially during meeting break times, serves the dual purpose of
demonstrating your application to OMG members interested in your RFI
response and also bringing it to the attention of potential users and
customers.
After all of the responses have been read, and all of the
presentations digested, TF members use the information to guide
technology adoption efforts. Some RFI results determine which RFPs get
issued (and, based on negative feedback, which don't!); others influence
the way a particular RFP is constructed.
One of the most useful types of RFI response comes from a potential
submitter to an RFP. By signaling the likelihood that they will respond
to an RFP, a company gives a lot of encouragement to TF members to write
and issue it. And, by including some technical material, a company can
influence the way the RFP is written, as well. (If the company is an OMG
member, its representatives are welcome to help draft the RFP
themselves, of course!)
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What do I have to bring to the Meeting?
The issuing TF will give you some length of time to present your
response at their meeting. You should bring enough paper copies of your
material to distribute among the attendees. You can ask the TF chair
about how many copies to bring when you get together about scheduling
your presentation. Bring the copies to the meeting; do not send them to
the OMG office even if the RFI document says to - this is an
obsolete requirement which sometimes persists even in recent RFI
formats.
You don't have to come to a meeting and present, but your
submission will have more impact on the OMG technology adoption process if you do.
And, your company will have the most possible impact if it joins OMG and
you participate in the adoption process as it moves along from RFP
through submissions to specification.
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What if my RFI submission will be late?
Unlike RFP submissions (which are not accepted after a
deadline for legal reasons!), RFI submissions may be turned in late, at
least on occasion. To find out if the TF's schedule can accomodate a
late submission, contact
the chair by email.
If your company is an
OMG member, you may submit material to a TF anytime you want,
whether there's an RFI outstanding or not. You may submit a document to juergen@omg.org
with a request that it be posted in the document archive of a particular
TF, and/or request time on the agenda to present on an issue relevant to
the TF's charter.
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Does every RFP require an RFI?
No - The RFI stage is optional. Some RFIs gather enough information to
generate more than one RFP. Some RFPs can be written without a preceding
RFI.
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Last updated on
06/28/2012 |
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