a first pass compliance matrix (privia conf)
TRANSCRIPT
A First Pass Compliance Matrix in Under 10 Minutes: Fact or Fantasy?
Fergal McGovern, CEO
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
CEO and founder VisibleThread, a strategic Partner of Deltek & Privia
Works with Strategic Accounts to:
Help drive more efficient Capture and Proposal Process
Provide Language analysis insights
Establish better Language Heuristics for Winning bids
Prior to VisibleThread, was Product Management Director with
Compuware (NASDAQ: CPWR), a $1.3 billion a year ISV
Linked In: ie.linkedin.com/in/fergalmcgovern/
About Fergal
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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1. Brief context setting: Who is VisibleThread?
2. Some Compliance Matrix Background
3. Automating the Creation
4. Q&A
Today’s Agenda
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
4About VisibleThread – who are we?
©2013 VisibleThread
4 of the top 5 US Gov. Contractors use VisibleThread
Strategic Partnerships Better Bid / No Bid /
Teaming decisions
Clear Language
analysis of responses
Win Theme validation in
responses
Starter Compliance
matrix
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
So, what is a Compliance Matrix?5
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
This?6
Solicitation Requirement RFP Section Page Status Page OwnerThe contractor may be required to travel in support of some CLINs, as identified
in the attached PWS. Estimated travel costs associated with routine tasks shall
be included within the applicable CLIN for travel.
1.1.1 2 Open TJ
The purchase of hardware, software, telecommunications, and Cloud
Computing services is not covered in this requirement. However the contractor
will have to interact with third parties regarding the resolution of issues and/or
provision of these services in the course of supporting this requirement.
1.1.4 3 In Process BJ
The contractor shall perform the effort required by the resulting task order on a
firm fixed price and labor hour basis by CLIN as proposed in Section B.12, Draft
Section B Tables. Travel and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) will be estimates with
not to exceed (NTE) dollar amounts for each base and option period.
1.1.5 4 Closed 18 RK
ABC Company ProposalGovernment Solicitation for Cloud Computing Services - Solic. # GS248R2040
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Or this?7
244 Columns!
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Agree on Common Characteristics8
• Typically created by hand
• Review each requirement
(e.g., „contractor will‟, „contractor
shall‟, „contract must‟, etc.)
• Copy the text into a spreadsheet (or
Word doc) - Copy/paste
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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• 72% (20) of these federal contractors
• 26% (8) primarily chasing commercial business
• All 28 North American based.
• All 20 of the federal contractors use a compliance matrix
The State of Play in 2011
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
10How Do Companies Produce Compliance Matrices Today?
Source: Deltek
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
11Level of Interest in Compliance Matrix Generating Tool – a survey
Average Rating = 4.3 out of 5
Deltek asked those
responsible for the proposal
what their level of interest
would be in having a tool for
generating Compliance
Matrices - (Survey 03/2012)
Source: Deltek
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
12The Typical Four-Step Process
Convert to MS Word
If solicitation is a
PDF, convert to MS Word.
1
Search
Using search, identify all
occurrences of „shall,‟ „will,‟ „must‟
and other indicators.
2
Copy Text
For each occurrence, populate a row in the compliance spread sheet. Include the page or paragraph number and the text of
the compliance statement.
3
Record Response Section Paragraph
Once all occurrences are in the spreadsheet, then for each row, fill in the
details relating to where in the response we meet
the requirement.
4
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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1. Can we automate some or all of the process?
2. If so, which steps?
3. Can we create it in under 10 minutes?
If we automate the process, can we keep it simple?
Is it possible with no prep work?
If we automate the process, is the output readable?
Can we „shred‟ both PDF and Word formatted
solicitations?
Some Key Questions
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Can We Automate Some or All of the Process? If So, Which Steps?
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Convert to MS Word
If solicitation is a
PDF, convert to MS Word.
1
Search
Using search, identify all
occurrences of „shall,‟ „will,‟ „must‟
and other indicators.
2
Copy Text
For each occurrence, populate a row in the compliance spread sheet. Include the page or paragraph number and the text of
the compliance statement.
3
Record Response Section Paragraph
Once all occurrences are in the spread sheet, then
for each row, fill in the details relating to where in the response we meet
the requirement.
4
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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Yes, but…
it is a „starter compliance matrix,‟ a starting point
Simplicity over complexity leads to speedy results
How?
Can We Greatly Accelerate the Initial Creation of the Compliance Matrix?
Copyright Visible Thread 2011 – Confidential and Proprietary
“Starter Compliance Matrix” in 5 minutes
1. Upload your document(s) into a VisibleThread
folder.
2. Run a „dictionary‟ based scan, select „Run
Quality Scan …‟ and choose dictionary.
RFP & SOW from
NASA
Choose „will‟ „shall‟
„must‟ dictionary
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Flag ‘will’, ‘shall’, ‘must’…
'Will', 'shall', 'must' etc.
Numbers show occurrences
322 'wills'
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Extract the text…
Text Extract with all text
containing 'Will', 'shall', 'must'
etc.
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Export to Excel19
This export button is
above the text grid
and this is the output
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“It takes minutes instead of hours to begin a
compliance matrix.”
“It cuts about a day out of my efforts. Which I will
greatly appreciate.”
“I just went through this exercise manually and it was
very tedious and time intensive. Having an
automated tool to do it for me would have saved me
at least two days.”
Feedback from customers
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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What are the benefits?
Time: Cut much of the copy/paste hell!
Sense Check: Provides a quick sense for the major
requirements of a draft solicitation to help:
Make bid/no bid decisions
Identify key requirements a company may need to fill through
teaming partners
Deltek GovWin IQ clients have analyzed over 2,800 opportunities
Benefits and ROI?
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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Manual Review Still Required
You Need to Add Response Detail
File Types: Works for MS Word, PDF and Excel. Does not
extract text from scanned images.
Paragraphs: For PDFs, the matrix cross-references the page
number. Reliable extraction of paragraphs is technically tricky
and error prone, so we do not output paragraph numbers.
There Is No ‘Silver Bullet’!
A First Pass Compliance Matrix in Under 10 Minutes: Fact or Fantasy?
Phil Kent’s answer:
“A Compliance Matrix in under 10 minutes = Myth
A FIRST PASS Compliance Matrix in under 10 minutes =
Reality”
http://www.visiblethread.com/2012/03/a-compliance-matrix-in-10-
minutes-%E2%80%93-myth-or-reality/
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
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For more information:
visit www.visiblethread.com or email [email protected]
3 Minute online demos
Check out our blog at:http://www.visiblethread.com/blog/
http://www.visiblethread.com/2012/03/a-compliance-matrix-in-10-minutes-%E2%80%93-myth-or-reality/
Q&A
Thank You!