On Tue, 10 Mar 1998 22:44:05 -0500, Rich Urban <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>The Historical Society of Delaware is currently planning a new permanent
>exhibition which includes a number of computer interactives.  I'm
>interested in hearing from others who have any advice about evaluating
>bids from multimedia firms and/or references to articles on the subject.

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules for evaluating bids.
It depends on what you need.  If you are planning and storyboarding
the entire application yourself and just require production work, then
compare pricing, experience, and their track record.  If they will be
doing the design then look for companies that speak the same basic
exhibit design language as you do - goals, audience needs, evaluation
methods, etc.  A good company will want to know about your existing
resources (video footage, photographs, databases) before making a bid.
Let them know *exactly* what you need and when you need it completed.


Research the companies before contacting them.  A company with a low
bid that has done nothing but advertising multimedia may not be as
well suited as a company with a higher bid but a broader range of
experience.  Since these will be exhibit displays, its a good idea to
use a company with experience creating kiosks.  As mentioned in a
previous message, check their past clients and references.  Ask about
post-production support - how many months?  Don't be shy in asking
about their methods and procedures, flowcharting/scheduling software,
or anything else with which you are concerned.  Have them
explain/diagram/demonstrate any computer concept with which you are
unfamiliar. If you demand too much work up front they may want to
charge for it; not enough and you may be surprised later.

Finally, if a company you like makes a bid which is too high,
negotiate with them (if your bidding process allows for that). A lot
of companies will work on a sliding scale for non-profit organizations
just for the good publicity and exposure.

Hope this helps.


Joel Long
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http://www.interlog.com/~joellong/home.htm