proposal development: an art or a science?. apmp bid & proposal con 2015 | page 2 proposal...

Proposal Development: An Art or a Science?

APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 2

Proposal Development:AN ART? A SCIENCE? WHICH IS IT? ONLY ONE? BOTH?


APMP's Mission and Vision Statement

APMP promotes the professional growth of its members by advancing the arts, sciences, and technologies of winning business. APMP is the worldwide authority for professionals dedicated to the process of winning business through proposals, bids, tenders, and presentations.


Art, the Creative Aspects of Proposal Development

Art is form and content Form means—

Elements of art such as form and space Principles of design Actual materials used

Content means— What is meant to be portrayed What is actually portrayed How we react to the intended/actual messages


The Notion of Art

Something: More than just process More than just “meat and potatoes”

Thinking outside the box to: Know the break point on “price to win” Identify the right person to champion for you Recognize a key failure or success Leveraging creative media


Art in Achieving a Favored Position

After M. E. Porter, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, The Free Press, 1980, 1988

OpportunityDiscovered

Customer,Opportunity,

and CompetitorsResearched

CustomerInfluenced Company

Positionedto Bid and Win


Competitor Analysis

After M. E. Porter, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, The Free Press, 1980, 1988


Competitor Analysis


Early Competitive Focus


Exploiting Early Efforts


Visuals Improve Document Comprehension

Two channels of cognition Visual Auditory

Reading uses auditory channel Learning occurs as mind sorts, filters, and

integrates Complementary visuals and text improve

learning and command attention


Visuals Make the Point Quickly


Introduce visuals before they appear.

Integrate visuals into the text.

Orient visuals vertically.

Minimize text in visuals.

Understandable < 10 seconds.

Are relevant, not just decorative.

Correct Use of Visuals to Sell


Use Action Captions So Visuals Stand Alone

Figure 7. Flexible Security Surveillance System. Operators can select, zoom, and record any image from any video source using our system because diverse camera sources and locations are networked into an integrated command and monitoring center.


Visuals Improve Retention


Style Sheets and Formatting


Persuasive Organization


Why is Proposal Development Art?

Requires Creativity Focuses on the simple yet sublime (the solution)(Chinese art) Must tell a story (orally or written) that inspires/stimulates the

right decision Uses language/actions symbolically to create a desired result Relies on the creation of a mosaic to understand the

customer, competitors, and self


Science, the Technical Aspects of Proposal Development

Science is knowledge attained through Study or practice

Measurable results through testing and analysis

Based on fact, not opinion or preference Body of knowledge that can be—

Rationally explained Reasonably applied


The Notion of Science

Something: is repeatable is mechanical is based on metrics is pushed forward by process and tools

Companies that understand proposals to be “science” develop processes, tools, techniques, training

Science can be labeled as “meat and potatoes”


Compliance


Compliance Checklist in Three Steps

Capture verbatim requirements from RFP with references

Separate into single requirements

Simplify, organize, eliminate redundancies, resolve contradictions


Capture All Requirements



RFP Paragraph Compliance Requirement

B Requirements for production delivery and schedule (see RFP Section B table)

C.2.1 DESIGN ACTIVITIESThe Contractor shall develop the design and accompanying documentation for the DUDS specified in this SOW. The design and documentation shall meet the requirements of Section 3 of this SOW. Specific design activities shall include:The Contractor shall design a prototype dropsonde. This dropsonde shall meet the technical specifications given in Section 3 and shall be the weight and have the size as given in the Contractor’s proposal. These units shall be powered in normal use in a manner determined by the Contractor. The prototype dropsondes shall also be capable of being powered externally for testing to allow full operation for extended test periods without loss of capability.The Contractor shall design a prototype on-board receiver and data processor (ORDP) capable of being operated over a temperature range of 0 to 120 degrees F. The prototype ORDP shall meet the technical specifications given in Section 3 and shall be the weight as given in the Contractor’s proposal. The prototype ORDP shall be powered from a single DC voltage source with voltage as given in the Contractor’s proposal. The prototype ORDP shall be capable of receiving signals from the dropsonde units and communicating with the ground station and operating with them both as specified in Section 3.The Contractor shall design a ground station capable of operation in a shelter located on the Earth’s surface. The ground station shall meet the technical specifications given in Section 3. The ground station shall be capable of receiving the data from the ORDP by line-of-sight radio or satellite/internet link and displaying the profile data locally. The ground station will be powered by standard 60 Hz, 120 VAC, single-phase electrical power provided by the Government.


Separate the Requirements



RFP Paragraph Sub-Requirement Compliance Requirement

B Requirements for production delivery and schedule (see RFP Section B table)

C.2.1 DESIGN ACTIVITIES

1 The Contractor shall develop the design

2 and accompanying documentation for the DUDS specified in this SOW

3 The design and documentation shall meet the requirements of Section 3 of this SOW.

4 Specific design activities shall include:

4.1 The Contractor shall design a prototype dropsonde.

4.1.1 This dropsonde shall meet the technical specifications given in Section 3

4.1.2 and shall be the weight

4.1.3 and have the size as given in the Contractor’s proposal.

4.1.4 These units shall be powered in normal use in a manner determined by the Contractor.

4.1.5 The prototype dropsondes shall also be capable of being powered externally for testing to allow full operation for extended test periods without loss of capability.

4.2 The Contractor shall design a prototype on-board receiver and data processor (ORDP)

4.2.1 capable of being operated over a temperature range of 0 to 120 degrees F.

4.2.2 The prototype ORDP shall meet the technical specifications given in Section 3

4.2.3 and shall be the weight as given in the Contractor’s proposal.

4.2.4 The prototype ORDP shall be powered from a single DC voltage source with voltage as given in the Contractor’s proposal.

4.2.5 The prototype ORDP shall be capable of receiving signals from the dropsonde units

4.2.6 and communicating with the ground station


Simplify and Organize



RFP Paragraph Sub-Requirement Compliance Requirement

B Requirements for production delivery and schedule (see RFP Section B table)C.2.1 4.1, 4.1.1 Contractor shall design a prototype dropsonde meeting technical specifications in Section 3 of SOW

C.2.1 4.1.2 Dropsonde shall be weight given in Contractor's proposalC.2.1 4.1.3 Dropsonde shall be size given in Contractor’s proposalC.2.1 4.1.4 Dropsonde units shall be powered in normal use in a manner determined by ContractorC.2.1 4.1.5 Prototype dropsondes shall be capable of being powered externally for testing to allow full operation for extended test

periods without loss of capability

C.2.1 4.2 Contractor shall design prototype on-board receiver and data processor (ORDP)C.2.1 4.2.1 ORDP shall operate over a temperature range of 0-120 degrees FC.2.1 4.2.2 Prototype ORDP shall meet technical specifications in Section 3C.2.1 4.2.3 ORDP shall be weight given in Contractor’s proposalC.2.1 4.2.4 ORDP shall be powered from single DC source with voltage given in Contractor’s proposalC.2.1 4.2.5 Prototype ORDP shall receive signals from dropsonde units

C.2.1 4.2.6 Prototype ORDP shall communicate with ground stationC.2.1 4.2.7 Prototype ORDP shall operate with dropsondes and ground station as specified in Section 3C.2.1 4.3 Contractor shall design ground stationC.2.1 4.3.1 Ground station shall operate in shelter located on Earth’s surfaceC.2.1 4.3.2 Ground station shall receive data from ORDP by line-of-sight radio

C.2.1 4.3.3 Ground station shall receive data from ORDP by satellite/internet link

C.2.1 4.3.4 Ground station shall display profile data locally


Outlining: Follow a Structured Process




Build the Outline As Prescribed


Scheduling


The All Important Kickoff Meeting


Use Key Milestones to Manage the Proposal Process


Decision Gates


Customer Focus Indicators

Vision statement

Link between vision and this buy

Hot buttons prioritized

Hot button ownership

explicit

Organization announced and

followed

Buyer named before seller

Buyer named more often than seller

Benefits listed before features

Customer-relevant proofs

Summary and next steps


Use Customer’s Language

Ask and Listen

Scan Documents

Write Exact Words

Identify Hot Buttons

Verify in Exact Words


Why is Proposal Development Science?

Uses facts and data to win (empirically based) Exploits axioms of competitive law that work consistently Leverages key features of linguistics and neuroscience to

achieve effective communication Uses psychology to alter customer behavior Exercises physics and engineering to prove that features

will provide benefits


Proposal Assessment Study


38

Fast Facts of Study

1999-Present Over 340 Over 100 (B2G, B2B; international, local)

12 (Americas, Europe, Asia-

Pacific, Middle East, Africa)

~5,700 hours


Proposal Assessment Criteria

39


Composite Proposal Assessment Rating by Criterion


Summary of Industry-Specific Assessment Averages


This analysis confirms that the biggest weaknesses we see in proposals stem from inadequate pre-proposal activity, resulting in sub-standard customer responsiveness and competitive focus.

Study Leader Observations


Why is Proposal Development Both?

Combines subject, color, and perspective to create a winning picture Relies on illustration to present complex engineering ideas Elevates thinking through facts, data, and graphics Taps into archetypes (circles, squares, triangles, lines, icons) to

convey symmetry, attractiveness of solution, and avoidance of risk


Proposal Development:AN ART? A SCIENCE? WHICH IS IT? ONLY ONE? BOTH?


Regardless, We All Know The Typical Phases of Proposal Development Unbridled enthusiasm Guarded optimism Cool objectivity Mutual confusion Partial disengagement Utter disenchantment Search for the guilty Punishment of the Innocent Awards to the non-participants


APMP's Mission and Vision Statement

APMP promotes the professional growth of its members by advancing the arts, sciences, and technologies of winning business. APMP is the worldwide authority for professionals dedicated to the process of winning business through proposals, bids, tenders, and presentations.


Questions

What are your questions/comments/examples?


Ed AlexanderVice PresidentShipley Associates1 - (801) 726-8282 [email protected] www.shipleywins.com

Contact Us

APMPPO Box 77272Washington, DC20013-7272 Phone: +1 - (202) 450-2549www.apmp.org

proposal development: an art or a science?. apmp bid & proposal con 2015 | page 2 proposal...

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