High Tech Proposal Management – An Easy to use Guide for Winning
I produced this Proposal Management Guide for High Tech Proposal Management (open this link now and copy and save this file or read what follows first and then open and save the file) for Proposal Managers & Engineers. It is to offer a readily available useful synopsis of the topics that a Proposal Manager and contributing Engineers will be expected to address when managing and producing a winning proposal that is rich in technical content. I’ve enhanced its utility by incorporating key ‘Tools’ (templates, flow diagrams & checklists) identifying important information and strategies that need to be developed to help make the process of high tech proposal management easier. In addition, it provides insight into key aspects of a high tech proposal beginning with the steps leading to a team kick-off through executive review and submittal. As such, it is intended to present a perspective and thought process to stir interest and motivation with the goal of helping the lead manager and contributing engineers achieve winning proposals.
The Essence of High Tech Proposal Management
High Tech Proposal Management may be thought of as the management of an entire high tech program effort often time compressed into 30 days or less. It encompasses concept, development, production, and deployment considerations inclusive of total lifecycle support. High Tech Proposal Management requires the same rigorous adherence to discipline and procedure as does high tech program and engineering management. The end product is much more than just the document; it is the future of the company. Hence, learning the essentials of managing and ‘engineering’ high tech proposals to win is critical to a proposal manager and contributing engineers charged with this important responsibility.
Topics Covered in this Guide
- High Level Context – the business level commitment required
- Pre-Request and Request for Proposal (RFP) Activity
- Proposal Leadership – the assignment and role of a Program / Proposal Manager to lead the team
- Assembling the Team
- Executive Summary – to begin early
- The Design – needed before other functional groups can contribute
- Overtime: don’t fight it – embrace it!
- Long Lead Activity – e.g. NDAs, Supplier Agreements & Inputs
- Evaluating Functional Inputs
- Revisions – they will happen
- Internal Presentations
- Kick-Off
- Red Team Review – expect major revisions
- Gaining Executive & Corporate Support – This is an important part of managing high tech proposals to win and these reviews are discussed to include:
- Program Definition
- Marketing and Business picture – the importance to the company, the competition, and the potential pay-off relative any investment required
- Program Requirements
- Strategy: Technical Approach, Program Approach, Cost, Price & Price Strategy
- Risks & Mitigation Plans
- Opportunities & Realization Plans
- Proposal Status
- Overview Schedules – Program Schedule, Proposal Schedule
- Planned Manpower and Org Charts – Proposal Team & Program Team
- Bid & Proposal (B&P) cost – costs to date & estimate to complete
- Much more to enable managing high tech proposals to win
Key ‘Tools’ – Checklists, Flow Diagrams, & Templates
Listed below are the key tools that are provided in this guide. They are easy to use and powerful enablers to help a proposal manager and contributing engineers in managing high tech proposals to win. They are there to implement the above and develop the needed information and strategies to win.
- Top Level Capture Process Steps
- Red Team Expectations & Checklist of what a Red Team typically looks for beyond assuring compliance with the RFP instructions and responsiveness to the evaluation criteria
- The Engineering Development Proposal Process Flow Diagram showing the flow of activity discussed above
- A delineated Kick-off Package Check List
- A New Business Deep Dive Review (Fill-in the-Required-Information) Template identifying important information and strategies needed to be obtained and developed when managing high tech proposals to win and for executive review presentation purposes.
The following link provides this guide for free for you to copy/download. Hope it adds value to you when tasked with managing or contributing to the development of ‘winning’ proposals in a competitive environment when it’s important to win a high tech development project.
Proposal Management Guide for Managing High Technology Development Proposals