RFP submissions need to be audit-ready and easy to defend internally
Dr. Jim Fredericks
Sr. Vice President, Public Affairs
NPMA
The results show buyers are looking for proof, not promises. Procurement teams rank compliance and certifications( 68 %) and a proven track record( 61 %) above cost( 56 %), with response time and availability( 49 %) also near the top. In other words, businesses aren’ t just buying pest control, they’ re buying confidence that the program will hold up under pressure. That’ s why RFP submissions need to be audit-ready and easy to defend internally: compliance documentation( 64 %), pricing transparency( 56 %), and service scope and capabilities( 52 %) lead the list, followed by response times( 45 %) and references( 44 %). Vendors that win consistently are the ones who spell out response commitments, show sample reporting and make pricing easy to understand so the decision makers can justify the decision to safety, operations, and procurement in the same breath.
Buyers aren’ t just stating priorities, they’ re testing them on paper
Aaron McMillan
Senior Editor
Procurement Magazine
Compliance and track record beating cost outright( 68 % and 61 % versus 56 %) is a useful data point to put in front of finance stakeholders who assume pest control is a commodity spend. It isn’ t behaving like one. What’ s notable is how closely the RFP criteria mirror the evaluation criteria, buyers aren’ t just stating priorities, they’ re testing them on paper. That consistency is rarer in facilities categories than people assume.
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