WELCOME

August 24, 2016

Proposal Vitamins

to Boost Your Competencies

Learning Series 4 of 6

Assessing your Competencies

• Use the competency framework of the APMP Proposal Practitioner Assessment Questionnaire (PPAQ)

• Sources: • http://www.apmp.org

Certification menu => Practitioner • http://www.apmp.org/?page=BOK

APMP Body of Knowledge

Vitamin “M”

Proposal Vitamin “M”

Proposal “Management”

Proposal Management Competencies

Kickoff Meeting Management

Review Management

Report Management

Lessons Learnt Analysis and Management

Process Management

Vitamin “M”

Assessing your Competencies

Kickoff Meeting Management

• Have BOTH Mandatory Competencies: (M1) Require that a Kickoff meeting be held (M2) Review, critique, and authorize Kickoff meeting presentation and

documentation

• Have the following Desirable Competency: (D1) Direct and chair the Kickoff meeting

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Goals of a Successful Kickoff Meeting

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Source: http://bok.apmp.org/bok/kickoff-meeting-management/

Planning Your Kickoff Meeting

• Kickoff Meeting Agenda • Compliance Matrix • Content Plan • Executive Summary • Proposal Management Plan • Proposal Outline • Opportunity Plan • Requirements Checklist

Vitamin “M”

Sample Kickoff Meeting Agenda TIME IN

MINUTES PERSON TOPIC

5 Proposal Manager Welcome everyone and introduce participants

5 Senior Manager Deliver motivational remarks and indicate organizational commitment

10 Sales, Opportunity, or Marketing Lead Give background on the customer and the opportunity

45 Proposal Manager Distribute and discuss the proposal management plan, including outline, executive summary, WBS, writers’ packages, and content plans (when used)

10 Break

5 Technical Volume Manager Outline technical approach

5 Management Volume Manager Outline management approach

5 Cost Volume Manager Outline costing approach

15 Proposal Manager Discuss daily proposal operations and schedule

15 Proposal Manager Answer contributors’ questions and dismiss meeting

Vitamin “M”

Source: http://bok.apmp.org/bok/kickoff-meeting-management/ = 120 minutes

Improving Your Kickoff Meeting Competency

• Don’t confuse the Kickoff with the Initial Planning meeting

• An initial planning meeting should be an internal meeting with core team members immediately after the RFP is released

• The outcomes and directions of this initial planning are the inputs to the kickoff meeting

• Allow sufficient time to plan a kickoff

• Ensure your team has all key information and guidance in place

• Ensure your “Tools” are developed and in place prior to the kickoff meeting

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CONTENT OPPORTUNITY QUALIFICATION BID PURSUIT BID/NO-BID BID VALIDATION

Timing Soon after opportunity is identified

Initiation and funding of formal opportunity planning

Opportunity plan is substantially competed

Receipt of RFP or initiation of proposal preparation

Executive Summary Concept Detail Additional Detail Additional Detail

Opportunity Description Concept Detail Additional Detail Additional Detail

Customer Profile Concept Detail Additional Detail Additional Detail

Customer Issues/Hot Buttons Concept Detail Additional Detail

Customer Budget Concept Concept Detail Additional Detail

Opportunity Details Concept Detail Additional Detail

Competitor Intelligence Concept Detail Additional Detail

Competitive Position Assessment Concept Detail Additional Detail

Win Strategy Concept Detail Additional Detail

Teaming/Subcontracting Concept Detail Additional Detail

Price-to-Win Concept Detail Additional Detail

Solution Sets (Technical, Management, Past Performance) Concept Detail Additional Detail

Opportunity Risks Concept Detail Additional Detail

Customer Contact Plan Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing

Action Plans Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing

Initial Planning Meeting

Become the inputs to your Kickoff Meeting

Assessing your Competencies

Review Management

• Have BOTH Mandatory Competencies: (M1) Direct all types of bid reviews (M2) Promote the active use of defined reviews

• Have TWO of the three following Desirable Competencies: (D1) Approve selection of reviewers (D2) Ensure all actions from review are closed (D3) Use the review process adaptively

Vitamin “M”

Team Reviews and the BD Lifecycle

Source: http://bok.apmp.org/bok/review-management/

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TEAM REVIEW REVIEW TEAM LEADER ATTRIBUTES

Account Review BD expert and leader successful in growing business on major accounts and developing business on new accounts.

Competitive Review Business intelligence expert familiar with analytical processes for assessing competitors and familiar with sources of competitive information. Expert at facilitating competitive analysis sessions and reviews and providing guidance to teams on how to improve their competitive position.

Opportunity Plan Review Senior level Opportunity Manager who has been successful in developing and executing strategy to win large or strategic opportunities.

Proposal Strategy Review Senior level Proposal Manager or Proposal Operations Executive who has a proven history of delivering winning proposals.

Final Document Review Senior level Operations Executive, Opportunity Manager, senior level Proposal Manager, or Proposal Operations Executive who has a proven history of delivering winning proposals.

Business Case Review/ Senior Management Review Senior executives who have a history of successfully growing the business.

Lessons Learned Review Senior level BD managers assigned the role of managing the lessons-learned process or a Proposal Manager skilled at facilitating lessons learned and developing the analysis to have an influence on improving future processes and performance.

Vitamin “M”

Team Review Leads

Improving your Review Management Competency

• Good reviews often make the difference between winning and losing

• Review early

• Review management is a skill

• Let the Review Team lead it

• Include Executives as part of the review team

• Include your technical subject matter experts (SMEs) in the review

• Review price proposals to ensure quality submittals

Source: http://bok.apmp.org/bok/review-management/

Vitamin “M”

Proposal Vitamin “M”

Mentor Panel

Vitamin “P+”!

Assessing your Competencies

Report Management

• Meet this ONE Mandatory Competency: (M1) Develop reports / presentations for Senior Management and key

stakeholders

Vitamin “M”

What’s in YOUR Metrics Wallet?

Your program should ... Collect measurements into a management report that

connects relevant performance drivers

Include qualitative and quantitative measures to support performance measurement and process improvement

Capture metrics connecting the results desired to the organization level accountable for those actions being monitored

Address near-term results and long-term sustainability of resources

Learn more about Business Development Capability Maturity Model (BD-CMM): http://bok.apmp.org/glossary/business-development-capability-maturity-model-bd-cmm/

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Example Metrics (Commercial RFPs)

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83%

17%

F2016 RFP Mix

New BD

Existing

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Active Pending Won Lost

F2016 RFP Results

LOB 1 LOB 2

Estimated annual volume of $2,381MM

Estimated annual revenue of $1.84 MM

Industry # RFPs Sales Director # RFPs

Local Government 15 Sales Team 1 22

Food & Consumer 5 Sales Team 2 13

Energy & Gas 5 Sales Team 3 7

Not-for Profit 4 Sales Team 4 6

Manufacturing 3 Sales Team 5 2

Retail/Wholesale Trade 3 Sales Team 6 2

Technology 3 Sales Team 7 1

Assessing your Competencies

Lessons Learnt & Analysis Management

• Have BOTH Mandatory Competencies: (M1) Manage the Lessons Learnt process (M2) Ensure the feedback is captured and documented as Lessons Learnt

• Have ONE of these Two Desirable Competencies : (D1) Drive the Lessons Learnt process both internally and externally (D2) Recognize systematic process issues and drive their resolution

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You should have the ability to ...

• Share Lessons-Learnt Report • Strive for continuous improvement to achieve long-term business

objectives • Identify, question, and champion bid process practices to shape

organizational change • Create a forward thinking culture • Create a culture in which change is embraced for enhanced

performance

Vitamin “M”

Invest in Lessons Learned

• Helps increase your win rates • Helps you/your team understand

what went well and what needs improved (internally and externally)

• Provides valuable trend analysis for what drives wins and losses in your market

Source: http://bok.apmp.org/bok/lessons-learned-analysis-and-management/

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Sample RFP Debrief Survey (Commercial)

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Assessing your Competencies

Process Management

• Have BOTH Mandatory Competencies: (M1) Recognize best practice process, including roles and reviews (M2) Exploit process adaptively within organizations

Vitamin “M”

You should have the ability to ...

• Coach others in all aspects of process best practice • Define and champion process improvement • Strive for continuous improvement to achieve long-term business

objectives • Identify, question, and champion bid process practices to shape

organizational change • Create a forward thinking culture • Create a culture in which change is embraced for enhanced

performance

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Case Study: Championing Process Improvement

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Refining the RFP Support Process

Current Proposal Process works, however in an effort for

continuous improvement, we took the process and

thoroughly reviewed each phase to identify what’s

working and what can we improve on.

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Our evaluation identified

opportunities to create

consistency and efficiencies

with our Sales teams, with

the ultimate goal of

improving the win rate.

Case Study (cont’d)

28

Pain Point • Inconsistent process • Poor quality of

submissions

• Inconsistent process • Generally all requests

are fulfilled

• Win strategy & approach to RFP unclear

• Printing RFPs in house

• No formal post review • Lack of sales & proposal

manager feedback

• Reporting does not meet sales expectations

• Minimal internal analysis

Proposed Solution • Update checklist w/fewer and more relevant questions

• Standardize submission process

• Formalize support decision for sales

• Have options when support is not provided

• Formalize win strategy discussion with sales

• Outsource printing to Desktop Services

• Create survey to send after RFP is finalized

• Proposal manager feedback documented

• Revised scorecard by TPS Sales team

• Create internal monthly analysis/ reporting

Supporting Assets • RFP Qualifying Checklist • Intake Form • RFP Page on TPS Sales

Advantage

• RFP template • Proposal wizard • Past RFPs

• Kick-off session discussion guide

• Post mortem RFP survey • RFP tracking spreadsheet

• Quarterly RFP Scorecard • Additional data tracked

for ad hoc reporting

Intake Assessment Fulfillment Post Review Proactive Reporting & Ongoing Management

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

Case Study (cont’d)

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Championing Process Improvement

Your ideas?

Vitamin “M”

Proposal Vitamin “M”

Mentor Panel

Vitamin “P+”!

Resources - http://bok.apmp.org/tools-and-templates/

Contact us:

apmpmentors@gmail.com

September 14, 2016 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET

Proposal Vitamin “SO” (Sales Orientation)

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