HAPPY YEAR 2026!

When you run a global ocean RFP, it never really “starts” the day you send out the file. The real work starts months earlier - in quiet conversations, messy spreadsheets, and the way you line up your own team.

I always tell people to picture the end date first. If you need contracts ready for an April 1 start, you do not want to be reacting at the last minute. You want a clean sequence - plan, invite, negotiate, and land agreements weeks before go-live.

The biggest mistake I see is letting “lowest rate” define success. Before a single bid comes back, get blunt with yourself and your leadership: are we solving for cost, service stability, flexibility, or capacity security? That answer should drive who you invite and how you score.

Then turn inward. A global RFP exposes misalignment fast - procurement, logistics, finance, and commercial teams all want different things. Name one owner, assign data and negotiation leads, and lock decision rules and scoring weights before bids arrive.

Finally, build a provider portfolio that can survive a tough year. Anchor your big, predictable lanes with carriers, and lean on NVOs/forwarders for volatile or complex trades - while avoiding too much volume with any one group. A well-run RFP is also where you build relationships: if you bring a true team, your providers will too. Those relationships are what save you when peak season gets ugly.

For junior pros: If your ocean spend is big enough to matter, push your leaders to treat the RFP like a serious project. Competitive does not mean cheapest - it means market-strong value from partners who will show up later.

 Table 1. What to lock before bids arrive

Lock this down early

Why it matters in ocean

Define the win (cost vs. stability vs. flexibility vs. capacity)

You cannot score bids fairly if success is fuzzy.

Scope & assumptions (lanes, terms, Incoterms, minimum requirements)

Prevents “apples vs. oranges” offers and surprise gaps.

Total cost rules (accessorials, free time, demurrage/detention)

The “cheap” number often is not the real cost later.

Service expectations (reliability, exception handling, visibility)

Performance failures show up as inventory, expedite, and customer pain.

Provider strategy (carrier vs. NVO/forwarder mix, allocations, backups)

Builds resilience and avoids over-concentration risk.

Timeline & governance (rounds, negotiation cadence, contract sign-off)

Keeps you from awarding late and scrambling at go-live.

Tip: put these items in writing before Round 1. It saves weeks of arguing later.

Table 2. How WOWL helps clients run RFPs that stick

WOWL support

What the client gets

Align the team fast

Clear roles, scoring, and decision rules before bids land.

Clean and package the bid

Standard lanes, volumes, and assumptions for true comparability.

Shape the right provider mix

A portfolio built for both steady lanes and disruption.

Run the cadence and keep it moving

Round management, feedback loops, and negotiations that stay on schedule.

Make the award stick

Allocations, KPIs, QBR rhythm, and escalation paths post-award.

 Close: Run the RFP early, run it disciplined, and use it to build the partners you will depend on later. AndyG@WOWL.io

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