With limited resources, severe time constraints and a largely manual process, proposal teams have many challenges. However, the future of proposal development is starting to take shape. Advanced software technology now automates much of the compliance, comparison and review activities within the proposal development process.

1. Automation Support for
Proposal Development
Association of Proposal Management Professionals
Chesapeake Chapter
May 25, 2017

2. Your Panelists and Host
Name/Organization Highlights
Erik Johnson
General Dynamics
Information Technology
• Extensive experience managing and
producing proposals
• Leading implementation of tools
• Wrote government contract requirements for
RFPs
Fergal McGovern
VisibleThread
• Extensive experience with marketing and
proposal software tools
• Perspective of how industry is using tools
Tracy Witmer
Northrop Grumman
• Extensive experience managing and
producing proposals
• Technical and Program perspective
Melisa Paye
MPM Writing Services
• Extensive experience writing and editing
compelling proposal content
• Develop tools and recommended
technologies to support proposal
development

3. Agenda
• Automation: Features and benefits
• Tool Demonstration
• The Burning Questions

4. Proposal Development Process
• Analyzing and comparing
RFP versions
• Managing and locating
content
• Translating content
• Assembling documents
• Formatting documents
• Understanding agency
mission and needs
• Formulating the message
• Differentiating the
organization
• Drafting targeted content
• Building in quality
RFP Analysis and Proposal Generation Activities
20%
Strategic Tactical
80%

5. How Can Automation Help?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Manual
Automation
DaysSpent
Thirty Day Proposal Effort
Automation shifts the time allotment among proposal process activities.

6. Automation Benefits
• Focus efforts on value-added solutions
• Start with a basic RFP burst vs cut-and-pasting a
compliance matrix from scratch
Time
• Consistent formatting and content
• Increased qualityConsistency
• Supports and automates process management
• Provides a consistent experience regardless of
proposal team role
Coordination
& Efficiency
• Analyze performance against outcome
• Identify strengths & weaknesses for continuous
process improvement
Insights &
Analysis

7. Demonstration Overview
• Technology – overview and “state of the state”
• Functions we will review today:
1. Shredding RFP into Compliance or Responsibility Matrices
2. Comparing RFP Versions
3. Acronym Integrity
4. Readability and Clear Language Evaluation
5. Use Discovery for Resumes and Qualifications
6. Win Theme Usage and Consistency

8. 1. Shredding RFP – Compliance &
Responsibility Matrices
• Highly manual copy/paste process – can take hours/days
• OR if using MS Word macros, prone to error
• e.g. RFP Sections L&M, SOW, System Spec, Model Contract
• Automation can’t think for you but it can cut down the heavy
lifting
• Beware – which automation approach
• Option 1: Training the tool by prepping the content.
Pitfall, energy and time required to prep can be prohibitive
• Option 2: Ingest the doc as is. Get quick results but need
tweaking
80-20 rule (get 80% there with 20% of effort)

9. 1. Shredding RFP – Compliance &
Responsibility Matrices

10. 2. Comparing RFP Versions
• I’ve used MS Word to compare a draft RFP against the final
revision of the RFP.

11. 2. Comparing RFP Versions
• I’ve used MS Word to compare a draft RFP against the final
revision of the RFP.

12. 2. Comparing RFP Versions
• I’ve used MS Word to compare a draft RFP against the final
revision of the RFP.
Some issues with Microsoft Word Compare :
 designed to merge documents, not compare differences side-by-side
 difficulthard to seeread all ofthe merged documents paragraphs
 hard to identify and line up the related paragraphs in each document
revision
 Word performance seems to be a problem
 once important changes are identified, how do you assign tasks &
manage the workflow ?
Let’s see how VisibleThread “compares”…

13. 2. Comparing RFP Versions

14. 2. Comparing RFP Versions
 Easy to read side-by-side comparison
 Compares text changes only, ignores formatting
 Quickly see which paragraphs have changed – Identical,
Modified, Deleted
 Use Excel to filter on Modified, Deleted paragraphs
 Add additional columns to manage workflow e.g. status,
owner
 Ability to exclude text/patterns from the comparison e.g. page
numbers, dates, renamed products, entities

15. 3. Acronym Integrity
• Checking for correctly defined Acronyms painful
• Time consuming.
• Simple search fine, but…also need to consider:
• Conflicting definitions
• Usage before definition
• Repeated definitions
• No definitions

16. 3. Acronym Integrity

17. 4. Readability & Clear Language
Evaluation
• Need single tone of voice
• Not all SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) write well
• How to ‘score’ and fix in an objective way?

18. 4. Readability & Clear Language
Evaluation

19. 4. Readability & Clear Language
Evaluation

20. 5. Use Discovery for Resumes &
Qualifications
• Finding the right resumes to put into a Proposal can be tricky,
& labor intensive
• Who has the right Clearance Levels (TSI etc.)?
• Who has the PMI certification or has done Agile projects?
• Who knows Java or is a cyber expert?
• Etc.

21. 5. Use Discovery for Resumes &
Qualifications

22. 6. Win Theme Usage & Consistency
• Are we aligned with the customer?
• Using the right language & mirroring their approach?
‘Risk Abatement’ versus ‘Risk Mitigation’
• Addressing all factors/sub-factors?
• Emphasizing our win themes?

23. 6. Win Theme Usage & Consistency

24. Final Questions or Comments?

25. Thank You!
With the greatest appreciation to you and your organization!
Erik Johnson, Senior Proposal Manager
General Dynamics Information Technology
Tracy Witmer, Senior Proposal Manager
Northrop Grumman
Additional Information:
Fergal McGovern
CEO, VisibleThread
fergal.mcgovern@visiblethread.com | 301-793-1355
Melisa Paye, MPM Writing Services
APMP Chesapeake Chapter (Past Chair)
mpmws@outlook.com | 410-804-9143