The document discusses benchmarks for improving proposal writing capabilities and win rates. It summarizes a study that identified 182 best practices across five areas from 23 high-performing companies. The top practices included using BD processes, proposal plans, storyboards, collaborative tools, and knowledge management. Selection criteria for automation solutions included ease of use, security, version control, and integration with other systems to support collaboration and processes.

1. Improve Win Rates and Capture
Ratios
“Benchmarks in World-Class Proposal Writing Capability”
® Capability Maturity Model, CMM, and CMMI are registered in the U.S Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University

2. Introductions
BD Institute
Howard Nutt, Executive Director
The BD-Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to
promoting BD excellence through the BD-CMM. We
provide direct support and services to organizations that
use BD-CMM as their framework, path, and guide for
managing and improving business development results
Privia by SpringCM
Ashok Sankar, Sr. Director, Product Management
Privia is the leading bid, capture and proposal
management solution that improves top-line revenues
through increased win rates and team productivity by
streamlining the competitive procurement process – from
opportunity identification to proposal delivery.
© 2008 SpringCM Inc. All right reserved. 2

3. Agenda
Overview of Benchmark Study
Best Practices in Use of Automation
Implied Criteria for Selecting an
Automation Solution
Summary and Questions
Entire research report available for
purchase at www.bd-institute.org

4. Motivations for the Study
Validate the state-of-the-art in
proposal writing capability
Improve the efficiency and
effectiveness across all types of
proposal writing activities
Establish an end-state for world
class proposal writing capability
Share results industry-wide
Study sponsored by:
BAE Systems Electronics and Integrated Solutions
Nashua, NH

5. Participants by Industry

6. Participants by Annual Revenue

7. Participants by BD-CMM Level
Benchmarks come from
high maturity
companies.

8. Summary of Benchmarks
182 best practices benchmarked across five areas
Proposal Steps, 51
Proposal Automation, 35
Organizational Constructs, 24
Training, 22
Other Factors, 50
32 companies screened, 23 studied

9. Top-10 Benchmark Practices
1. BD process guides
- Seen as essential for predictable results
2. Proposal plans
- Substantiated as way to optimize B&P expenditures
3. Storyboards in pre-proposal planning
- Found to ensure that strategies and themes are effectively
communicated and used
4. Collaborative environments
- Determined that success depends on commitment to tool and how it is
managed within the process
5. Active strategies for knowledge management
- Viewed as best way to maximize value of intellectual
property and give teams a head start

10. Top-10 Benchmark Practices
6. Professional writers
- Seen as best way to ensure that winning messages are effectively
communicated
7. Corporate branding
- Found to be relevant in substantiating value of customer offering
8. Appropriate and timely staffing
- Linked to team efficiency and success
9. Facilities aligned with process
- Determined that effective virtual environment for BD is dependent on
broader Corporate commitment to virtual work environment
10. Coherent training strategy
- Validated that “best” training is multi-layered and aligned with process
roles

11. Agenda
Overview of Benchmark Study
Best Practices in Use of Automation
Implied Criteria for Selecting an
Automation Solution
Summary and Questions

12. Collaborative Environments
A variety of significant tools used for collaboration
on bid responses
Successful execution was not specific to the
technology or brand used
Highly dependent on how organizations
institutionalized the tool
Use of secondary tools that integrate well

13. Knowledge Management Systems
Range from repositories of past bid responses to
actively managed content libraries
Degree of sophistication selected based on the
anticipated need for content reuse
Use of a knowledge management staff that
provides a competitive advantage
Large organizations – dedicated content management team that
comprises 5 percent to 15 percent of the proposal staff
Small organizations –part-time responsibility assigned and
supported

14. Data and Art Repositories
Searchable repository for artwork as a key part of an overall
knowledge reuse strategy
“Action captions” associated with artwork either as part of the
individual file or, better still, in a separate, associated entry
Unique tracking number associated with each graphic
Branding and image reinforced with graphic repositories
maintained by corporate media groups
Consistency, quality and conformance to corporate media
guidelines ensured by graphics style guide
Symbol library of often-used graphic elements maintained for
incorporation into actual graphics

15. Document Layout and Assembly
Ease of real-time production of drafts and review
copies at any stage identified as significant
advantage
Document layout and assembly facilitated through
version control and configuration management
Formal configuration management techniques for
proposals
Process incorporated into automation strategy and tools

16. Agenda
Overview of Benchmark Study
Best Practices in Use of Automation
Implied Criteria for Selecting an
Automation Solution
Summary and Questions

17. Key Automation Criteria
Ease of use
Security and access control for employees, competitive divisions,
subcontractors, and partners
Appropriate support for subcontractors and partner access essential
Version control and retention
Integration with a knowledge management systems
Process Management
Record responsibilities
Track status of response elements and milestones
Distribute notifications
Manage intervention
Distribute team information
Track action items
Support workflows

18. Key Automation Criteria (cont’d)
Enhanced communications for the response team
Contact lists, messaging, etc.
Availability of project specific reference library
Ability to support storyboards and structured writing
templates
Collaborative spaces for project teams, review teams,
and various SME teams
Repository for necessary tools and templates
Ability to easily generate real time copies for
management and color teams reviews

19. Agenda
Overview of Benchmark Study
Best Practices in Use of Automation
Implied Criteria for Selecting an
Automation Solution
Summary and Questions

20. How to Use the Results
Understand the current state of proposal writing
capabilities
Compare internal operation with “ideal state”
benchmarks
Class “B” BD-CMM Appraisal
Identify alignment and gaps
Develop appropriate action plans
Commitment to improvement
Invest and train as appropriate
Align metrics

21. Privia Solution
Proposal Opportunities
Task Orders
Change Orders
Standardization and Quality
Management Tools Best Practices Process
• Opportunity Status Privia • Capture Phase Solution Development
• Dashboard Visibility Workflow • Proposal Development
• Exception Management • Task Order Management
Customized to Your Business
Content Reuse and Repeatability
• Secure Consolidated Proposal Repository
• Secure Artifact Library
• Resumes
• Past Performance
• Opportunity Tracking and Reporting
21
© 2008 SpringCM Inc. All right reserved.

22. Privia by SpringCM
• Central repository
promoting content reuse &
sophisticated search
Collaboration Tracking and
• Security and access control Notifications Reporting
IM / Presence
• Integration with opportunity E-Mail Opportunity Status
Dashboards
sources Ad-Hoc
• Version control and
configuration management
• Process Management
• Enhanced communications
Document Process
• Virtual collaboration and Management Management
reviews Version Control Time Constrained
Security Customizable
• Status & milestone tracking Collaborative Review
© 2008 SpringCM Inc. All right reserved. 22

23. Best Practices To Meet New Challenges
Virtualization
Organizational Integration
Concurrent Activity
Standardize Processes
© 2004-2007 Business Development Institute International. All Rights Reserved.
© 2008 SpringCM Inc. All right reserved. 23

24. Privia Customers
Privia® is used by over 10,000 business capture and proposal development
professionals and executives in the government contracting market.
24

25. Customer Proof-points
25
© 2008 SpringCM Inc. All right reserved.

26. Contact Information
Business Development Institute International
Howard Nutt, Executive Director
hwnutt@bd-institute.org
+1-602-502-5100
Business Development Institute International
www.bd-institute.org
“Benchmarks in World Class Proposal Writing Capability” orders
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=20bd885d-011f-
4284-90c8-e8fa0e1dc76e
• Privia by SpringCM
www.springcm.com
Email: sales@springcm.com
Phone: +1-877-362-7273

27. In Closing…
THANK YOU!