When you are tasked with developing a Request for Proposal (RFP) it is tempting to find a template that has been used in the past in order to get things moving quickly. The problem with this method is that the "boiler plate" templates used in the past were likely designed for a very different situation than yours and designed to satisfy needs that may not parallel your company's needs. It can result in "boiling the ocean", collecting a lot of information that is irrelevant to your situation, and not getting the information you really need to make the right supplier selection decision.