Boosting Bid Efficiency through Collaboration

Bid Winning Success

There is always a stark difference between those organisations which win bids and proposals versus those that don't. Much of it comes down to the team dynamic and relationship for success. As well as the level of business management available within the organisation.

In any team it is essential to maximise efficiency. Collaborate fully working together. This will improve the quality of the bid. Five of the best strategies include:

1. Resource Allocation

Leaders should always seek to prioritise high-value opportunities, which means having a solid bid/no bid strategy. This ensures that resource is always allocated in the correct manner. A business should never be going after all opportunities, this is not effective or sustainable. There is often the notion that it is a game of probability. However, going after an unsuitable opportunity is a waste of everyone's time. The aim is to maximise growth always.

Delegation is key. Assign bid related tasks based on the resource you have available which best fits your team members. This will be focused upon their individual skill sets. This includes financial analysis, project management, or technical writing as core examples.

2. Streamline Processes

Business Management is the main underlying necessity within a structured bid management process. The use of strong policy and processes will help a dedicated bid team. Standardised processes will make the team more effective across multiple bids. Having a strong Bid Library with resources which are easy to access saves time and energy. It also ensures consistency and value with each opportunity.

Proposal Management Software can be useful for team functionality. The usefulness of this software will often depend on the size of the team. It will also depend on the business and the types of opportunity involved. A good CRM system is also a great tech tool. It should be implemented in any business to bring together the information for all. Both of these options give an improved ability to track progress, collaborate more effectively and automate routine.

3. Training & Development

To have the best equipped team, you need to invest in your people. Ongoing training and development makes this possible. This includes enhancing skills within writing, project management or negotiation for example. Regular training ensures your team stays up to date on best practice. They remain informed about industry changes and new software. This can enhance the outcome of the bids submitted.

4. Team Collaboration

Developing stronger communication across teams is also a huge win. Encouraging the involvement of others within the bid process also support the team dynamic. Any opportunity usually requires the support of:

• sales

• marketing

• HR

• finance

• procurement

• legal

• operations

• senior leadership

Involving all departments from the start, being appreciative of their input and support can go a long way. Putting the work in to develop these relationships can be hugely beneficial in the long run. Winning work is a cross-team activity not just the sole responsibility of a bid or sales team.

Developing a strong review process both internally and externally will help to understand the strengths. It will also highlight areas of improvement associated with each opportunity. Too many times, people rely solely on client feedback, when understanding your own improvements is just as valuable. As an experienced bid team, you will always know where you can improve. If you had more time, you could draw from a policy or process. You could also use more case studies or testimonials to prove a point. The value of the bid process happens in the down time between bids. What improvements can be made to make the next opportunity more winnable?

5. Continuous Improvement

A bid team should always seek to develop a very keen critical eye. They should always review from the point of view of the customer. Tracking metrics like the win rate, resource allocation and time spent on each bid. Analysing such information gives senior leaders a greater insight in improvements which are necessary going forward.

Post-bid analysis from the client is hugely important as it can offer valuable insights. These can help to refine the bid strategy for future opportunities. But as mentioned earlier, it is just as important to have a keen understanding of your own strengths. You should also be aware of your weaknesses. This can be gained from an internal review.

The best performing businesses have the Bid team as a central function reporting directly into Senior Leadership. Other notable characteristics will be:

• they will be listened too and respected

• SLT will step in when information is not provided by others

• other team members will be keen to work together

• the opportunity is treated with great importance

Leadership and support in this way always comes from the top.

Next Steps

Often a business will hand over a bid opportunity to their team, but offer no support at all. It is always a team effort. A win is for everyone, just as a loss is. Too often the blame for not winning comes down to that team. This is never the case when you have a win! Any opportunity is always multi-faceted. It needs information from many areas of a business. This is why including any stakeholders from the beginning is of high importance.