The Bid Management Process

Executive Compass has extensive experience of managing the tender submission process. We understand the difficulties faced when putting together a tender submission and have created a set of management processes to ensure that any submission we are involved in stays on course without any reduction in quality. This article will provide you with a glimpse of some of the processes we use, that could be incorporated within your bid management process should you engage us.

Challenges:

The Submission process is littered with challenges for both the submission and management teams. I felt it important to list a number of challenges that we face on a daily basis and the ways that we have developed in overcoming these challenges through our bid management processes.

• Conflicting ideas in terms of content and design of the document

• Time constraints, often not their core job employees will often find it difficult to manage their time and responsibilities

• Locations of employees: may not be working within the same building or country

• No group cohesion, never worked together before

• Lack of motivation to complete the work to a high standard

• Clashing personalities with the bid team

Our experience in Bid management has led us to create a set of management processes to overcome the challenges mentioned above.
Why is it important to have a clearly designed process?
A clearly defined set of processes ensures that the bid runs smoothly and is capable of winning. I have listed below a number of ‘tricks of the trade’ that we incorporate through our management processes.

A Gantt chart: how can that help

A Gantt chart is a vital management tool used during the Bid Management process. It creates a focal point of reference that is accessible to everyone involved, supporting clear development stages, with the project schedule. The charts are a graphical illustration, providing a checklist of key dates and milestones, which enables progress to be monitored. This progress monitoring allows the planned allocation of resources needed to complete the task, making best use of people’s time and ensuring that the submission is on track. A Gantt chart is a key management tool that needs to be implemented before the tender writing process can begin.

ibid: Bid management software
We have developed our own bespoke bid management software, to help facilitate the bid process. We have used our extensive experience within the sector to develop a management tool that adds real value to the submission process, allowing version control and real time progress tracking with email alerts. The system allows the user (client) control to log onto our system remotely and track the progress of the bid and make any amendments to their submission. This unique piece of software ensures that duplicate documents are not created due to the signing in/out of documents principles, promoting sustainable working conditions. The software allows the client to take as much ownership as they want within the bidding process, demonstrating our transparency throughout the bid.

The article has aimed to provide you with an insight into the world of bid management and some of the ‘tricks of the trade’ that we utilise when managing bids, regardless of their size. This is not an extensive list by any means; as we do not want to tell you all our secrets ;) but if you are encouraged by what you have seen or you are interested in our services please do not hesitate to give me a call and I will be happy to discuss the ways in which together we could create winning submissions.

luke@executivecompass.co.uk
The Jedi