Can we copy this specification into our own tender?

Yes, it is written to be copied and edited. Delete what you do not need, adjust the priorities and keep the IDs, so every bidder answers line by line and the same IDs carry through to the demo and the acceptance tests.

Should a tender ask for a positioning accuracy figure?

Only with the method attached. Ask bidders to report accuracy measured on your site, with the number of test points, the phones used, the error at a stated percentile and how often the floor was right. A figure without a method cannot be compared between bidders.

How should we score the bids?

Treat each Must as pass or fail on its evidence, and score Should items on a small scale, such as 0 to 2. Score price separately. A bidder who marks something Not offered is easier to evaluate than one who says yes to everything.

Should we require security certifications?

Ask which certifications or attestations the bidder holds, with scope and expiry, and ask for the documents behind its security practice. Making one certificate a pass-or-fail gate can rule out capable bidders, so consider accepting equivalent evidence and scoring it.

Who should run the acceptance tests?

Your own staff, on the installed kiosks and on their own phones, with the supplier present. Write the pass criteria into the contract before installation so nobody argues about them afterwards.

Digital wayfinding tender specification template

How to use this template

Tenders name this system in different ways: “digital way finding system”, “indoor navigation system” or “interactive directory”. Whatever your document calls it, the tables below cover what it has to do, in words any capable bidder can answer.

You

Requirements

Copy the tables, set Must, Should or May, and fill in the values in square brackets.
Bidders

Compliance matrix

Each bidder gives every ID a status and a piece of evidence, not a yes.
You and the shortlist

Scripted demo

Shortlisted bidders run the acceptance tests on your own floor plan.
You and the winner

Site acceptance

The same tests, on the installed kiosks, decide payment milestones.

The tables on this page feed every stop, so keep the IDs from start to finish.

Before the requirements, give bidders what they need to price: buildings, floors and floor area; the drawings you hold; kiosk and screen locations; visitor languages; your hosting rule; your accessibility standard; and whether an approved emergency plan exists.

Map data and authoring

MAP: building the map and keeping it current
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
MAP-01	Import the buyer’s CAD drawings in [DWG or DXF]. State every other format accepted and which conversion steps are manual.	Must	Format list with status; one floor converted from the buyer’s drawings
MAP-02	Model doors, corridors, lifts, stairs, ramps and escalators as a routable network across floors and buildings.	Must	Live route across two floors
MAP-03	The buyer’s staff rename places, change opening hours and hide rooms without the supplier’s help.	Must	Done by the buyer’s staff in the demo
MAP-04	Role-based access, with map changes reviewed and approved before they are published.	Must	Role list; approval shown live
MAP-05	Scheduled publishing, and rollback to any earlier version in one step.	Should	Rollback shown live
MAP-06	Export the complete map in an open format such as IMDF or GeoJSON at any time, at no extra charge.	Must	A sample export file
MAP-07	An audit log of who changed what, and when.	Should	Screenshot of the log

Visitor wayfinding

WAY: what visitors get on every screen
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
WAY-01	Search by name, category, everyday synonym and room number, tolerant of spelling mistakes, in every visitor language.	Must	Demo with the buyer’s list of test words
WAY-02	Numbered step-by-step directions with distance, walking time and floor changes, naming landmarks.	Must	Directions for three test routes
WAY-03	The same map and directions on kiosks, on visitors’ phones in a web browser without an app, and on the buyer’s website.	Must	All three shown on one route
WAY-04	A kiosk route moves to a phone by QR code, keeping destination, language and accessibility settings.	Must	Scanned on an iPhone and an Android phone
WAY-05	Opening hours per place, taken into account when a route is given.	Should	A route to a place that closes soon
WAY-06	Phone positioning (a moving “blue dot”) as an option, under the POS requirements.	May	See POS-02

Kiosks and screens

KIO: kiosk software, hardware and fleet
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
KIO-01	Runs on the hardware listed in the bid (minimum memory, operating system and browser), portrait and landscape, at Full HD and 4K.	Must	Hardware list; demo on the proposed model
KIO-02	Each kiosk has a fixed position and facing direction on the map, so routes start where the visitor stands.	Must	Kiosk set-up shown in the CMS
KIO-03	The session resets after [60] seconds idle, clearing search, route, language and accessibility settings.	Must	Acceptance test T6
KIO-04	Keeps searching and routing from a stored map when the network fails, and recovers without a site visit.	Must	Acceptance test T5
KIO-05	Remote monitoring: online status, offline alerts, remote reload and screenshot.	Must	Fleet screen shown live
KIO-06	Map, directory and notices available to the buyer’s existing signage players by URL or feed (for example RSS, JSON Feed or iCalendar). List the player models tested.	Should	Player list with test status

Accessibility

ACC: routes and screens for every visitor
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
ACC-01	Step-free routes never use stairs or escalators. Where no step-free route exists, the system says so.	Must	Acceptance test T2
ACC-02	Route options for at least wheelchair users and visitors avoiding stairs.	Must	Both shown live
ACC-03	A kiosk mode that brings every control within reach of a seated user, following [the accessibility standard named by the buyer].	Must	Shown on the proposed kiosk
ACC-04	Large-text and high-contrast modes. State the contrast ratio achieved.	Must	Measured ratio; demo
ACC-05	Spoken directions in each visitor language, on the proposed hardware.	Should	Played on the kiosk in each language
ACC-06	A written accessibility statement naming the WCAG version and level the visitor interface is designed to, with any independent audit report and its date.	Must	The statement and any report

Languages

LAN: visitor languages
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
LAN-01	All visitor-facing text in [English, Arabic, Hindi], with right-to-left layout wherever a language needs it.	Must	Kiosk shown in each language
LAN-02	An on-screen keyboard for each script listed in LAN-01.	Must	Each keyboard shown
LAN-03	Search matches common spelling variants in each language, such as Arabic letter forms.	Must	Demo with the buyer’s test words
LAN-04	The buyer approves each translated string before it is published.	Should	Approval workflow shown
LAN-05	The bid lists every LAN-01 language for which a font, keyboard or interface translation is not included.	Must	The list, or a statement that none is missing

Live operations and emergencies

OPS: closures, notices and emergency messages
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
OPS-01	Closures and notices reach all or chosen screens within [60] seconds without republishing the map, and active routes avoid them.	Must	Acceptance test T3
OPS-02	An emergency message on every screen in every visitor language, started and ended only by authorised staff.	Must	Acceptance test T7
OPS-03	A route to the nearest available exit, using exit data approved by the buyer. It supplements, and does not replace, alarms, signs and staff.	Should	Demo on the buyer’s floor plan
OPS-04	Notifications to other systems, such as signed webhooks, when an emergency starts or a kiosk goes offline.	Should	Event list; sample payload

Phone positioning (optional)

POS: only if WAY-06 is offered
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
POS-01	Phone positioning delivered first as a pilot in [one zone], before any wider roll-out.	May	Pilot plan
POS-02	Accuracy measured on the buyer’s site: test points, phone models, error at the [95th] percentile and share of fixes on the correct floor.	Must	Measurement report from the pilot
POS-03	Supported phones and operating systems, and whether visitors need to install an app.	Must	Written list
POS-04	Any beacons: model, spacing, battery life, survey method and maintenance plan.	Should	Installation and maintenance plan

Hosting, security and privacy

SEC: where it runs and how it is protected
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
SEC-01	Every hosting option offered: supplier cloud in a region named in the contract, dedicated cloud, or a server on the buyer’s network.	Must	Deployment diagrams
SEC-02	If on-premises: installation on the buyer’s server, with backup, restore and upgrade procedures, and a list of every outbound connection.	Must	Operations manual; connection list
SEC-03	Operation with no internet connection, with offline updates.	Should	Shown on a disconnected server
SEC-04	No personal data collected from visitors at kiosks. Statistics are anonymous, with the retention period stated.	Must	Data inventory; acceptance test T10
SEC-05	Staff sign-in with roles, and single sign-on through [SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect].	Should	Configuration guide
SEC-06	Security documents: architecture or threat model, a completed security questionnaire, and the report or scope of independent penetration testing.	Must	The documents, under NDA if needed
SEC-07	The certifications or attestations held (for example ISO/IEC 27001), with scope and expiry, or a plain statement that none are held.	Must	Certificates, or the statement
SEC-08	A mapping of the system’s controls against [the applicable data-protection law], for the buyer’s legal review.	Should	The mapping document

Statistics, integration and support

DAT and SUP: data, delivery and after go-live
ID	Requirement	Priority	Evidence to ask for
DAT-01	Statistics on searches, destinations, searches with no result and kiosk use, exportable as CSV with [the columns the buyer specifies].	Must	Sample export
DAT-02	A documented API, with access keys that can be limited to one venue.	Should	API reference
SUP-01	A project plan with phases, listing what the buyer must provide and when.	Must	The plan
SUP-02	Operator and administrator manuals, and training for the buyer’s staff with a sign-off.	Must	Manual contents; training outline
SUP-03	Support hours, channels and response times in the contract, and how kiosk faults are fixed on site.	Must	Draft support schedule
SUP-04	Any availability commitment, with how it is measured and reported.	Must	Draft contract clause, or a statement that none is offered
SUP-05	References for comparable installations, or a plain statement that none exist yet.	Must	Names and contacts, or the statement

Status words for the compliance matrix

Ask for the matrix as a spreadsheet with one row per ID: status, evidence reference and any limit.

Evidenced

Means

Shipped and working today, in the version you would receive.

Evidence

A live demo, a test record, a document or a reference you can call.

Scoring

Full marks, once you have seen the proof.
Partial

Means

Works with a stated limit, or needs work by you or a third party.

Evidence

The same as Evidenced, plus the limit in writing.

Scoring

Part marks. Read the limit carefully.
Roadmap

Means

Planned, not available today.

Evidence

A delivery date the bidder will put in the contract.

Scoring

Treat as not met unless the date is contractual.
Not offered

Means

The bidder does not provide this.

Evidence

None. An honest “no” beats a vague yes.

Scoring

Not met. On a Must, it rules the bid out.

Ask bidders to use only these four words. “Compliant”, “Yes” and “Supported” are not statuses.

Reading a matrix: an example

This extract is invented. It shows why the evidence matters more than the status a bidder picks.

Compliance matrix, extract

Bidder A · Wayvale Civic Centre · fictional example

ID	Bidder’s status	Bidder’s evidence	Evaluator’s note	Result
KIO-04	Evidenced	Video of a kiosk routing with Wi-Fi switched off	A good start. Repeat it live in the demo with the network cable pulled.	Pending demo
ACC-01	Evidenced	Brochure, page 6	A brochure is not evidence. Partial until a step-free route is shown with the lift closed.	Partial
LAN-02	Partial	Arabic keyboard today; Urdu keyboard “planned for Q3”	The Urdu half is Roadmap. Ask for the date in the contract.	Partial
POS-02	Evidenced	“Accuracy 1 m”	No site, no test points, no phones named. The method POS-02 asks for is missing.	Not met
SEC-07	Evidenced	Statement that no certifications are held; security questionnaire attached	Meets SEC-07, which asks for a plain answer. Score the documents under SEC-06.	Met
SUP-05	Evidenced	Two reference sites named, with contacts	Call both, without the bidder on the line.	Pending calls

Five of the six lines say “Evidenced”. After reading the evidence, one of those five is met, one is partial, one is not met and two wait for a live demo or a phone call.

Acceptance tests

Run these in the scripted demo on your floor plan, and again on the installed system before final payment.

Test	Covers	Method	Pass when
T1 Search	WAY-01, LAN-03	Type [20] words from the help-desk list, including misspellings, on two kiosks	At least [19] lead to the right place
T2 Step-free	ACC-01	Route between two floors with step-free on, then close the lift it used	The route moves to another lift, or the screen says no step-free route exists
T3 Closure	OPS-01	Close a restroom in the CMS	Every screen shows it and routes avoid it within [60] seconds
T4 Phone hand-off	WAY-04	Scan the kiosk QR code on an iPhone and an Android phone, on mobile data	Same route, language and step-free setting on both
T5 Offline	KIO-04	Disconnect a kiosk’s network for [30] minutes	Search and routing keep working; it shows as offline, then recovers
T6 Reset	KIO-03	Walk away from a kiosk mid-route	Everything clears after the idle time
T7 Emergency	OPS-02	Start a test emergency message, then end it	Every screen, every language; only authorised staff can end it
T8 Export	MAP-06	Export the map	The file opens in a third-party GIS tool
T9 Rollback	MAP-05	Publish a change, then roll back	The earlier version is live on every screen
T10 Privacy	SEC-04	Inspect a statistics export	No personal data; search text handled as the bid stated

For a fuller set of on-site checks on each kiosk, use our kiosk acceptance testing checklist.

Clauses to leave out

An accuracy figure with no method. Use POS-02, or bidders will quote their best laboratory number.
One vendor’s feature names. They narrow the field and invite challenge.
“Unlimited languages”. List yours, so bidders say what is missing.
A yes or no box for accessibility. Use ACC-06, and test ACC-01 on site.
One certificate as a pass-or-fail gate, when the SEC-06 documents tell you more.

If you are still choosing a kind of system, read how to choose indoor wayfinding software. For public buildings that must keep data on site, see wayfinding for government buildings.