Government business organizations operate with more restrictions than either enterprises or smaller commercial organizations. Regulations govern nearly all aspects of the way they conduct operations. Clear and reliable communication is still important. In fact, it may be more important than with other types of organizations. The reason for more emphasis on communication is the nature of doing business with government agencies. Government services businesses receive money from government agencies. That means they derive income from taxpayer money, as shown in FIGURE 2-10. The cost of receiving taxpayer money is the increase in visibility and validation requirements. In short, nearly every aspect of doing business with government agencies is subject to inspection.

Mandatory visibility ensures all organizations doing business with government agencies do so according to the agency’s regulations. The government life cycle process differs from the way commercial organizations conduct business. Enterprise business customers generally search for providers to meet their needs for products or services. They conduct the search using any available methods. In many cases, consumers respond to marketing efforts of one or more vendors. The emphasis is on the consumer’s response to the vendor’s initial efforts. Government agencies do not operate using the same model. Each step in the procurement process follows a set sequence. Businesses offering products and services to the government must comply with this process.

The overall procurement process for government agencies follows the request for proposal (RFP) model—see TABLE 2-1. The RFP model varies among organizations, but it shares many common steps. The general steps in the RFP model include:

1. Identify a need—An agency formally identifies a need for a product or service. The requirements documents provide an explanation and justification of a problem and specify requirements for a solution.
2. Acquire funding—After the agency validates the need, personnel request funding. This process can be lengthy and may span multiple years. Government agencies have limited budgets. For a procurement to proceed, funds must be allocated.
3. Issue an RFP—Once the agency allocates funds, it can issue an RFP. The RFP is a formal document that describes the problem and requests a solution. It asks organizations to submit proposals to meet the RFP’s requirements. The RFP sets the scope and rules that organizations must follow to conduct business with the agency. This document governs many of the communication interactions between the contractors and the agency.
4. Communicate with prospective respondents—Agencies generally hold formal meetings or provide methods for prospective RFP respondents to ask questions and receive answers. This communication process helps potential respondents develop their proposals.
5. Accept proposals—The agency receives all proposals that meet schedule and performance guidelines. It then assesses each proposal.
6. Select a vendor—The agency selects the vendor whose proposal best meets its needs.
7. Post-RFP procedures—Once the agency selects a vendor, it notifies the respondents. It then moves forward with the proposed project.

The entire RFP process helps avoid wasting taxpayer money. The process requires much more formal communication than other business models. It depends on defined rules and regulations. UC can help government vendors be compliant. Multimodal communication enables government businesses to communicate with agency personnel without violating necessary regulations. A UC-enabled environment can make sure all contact with agencies is authorized. The UC system can deny unauthorized contacts and redirect authorized contacts to authorized individuals. The system can also automatically document each contact and even alert appropriate people when mandatory action is approaching. Many RFPs include mandatory deadlines for many types of communication. A UC system can integrate with a scheduling system to help manage the RFP project.

UC can help organizations manage government projects they have won as well. The increased communication requirements do not stop with the RFP process. Awarded contracts come with additional requirements as well. In fact, agencies may require more communication with vendors once business processes start. Remember that all funds coming from government agencies originate from taxpayers. Agencies must set strict communication requirements for an organization with which they conduct business. UC can help make sure that both the agency and the vendors comply with communication regulations.