Many Senior Executives do not understand the additional Value that Bid Management / Proposal Management has over Project Management. This presentation takes an overview look at this topic.

1. SS
Ten Slides in Ten Minutes:
Bid Management versus Project Management
[Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Prospects & Clients]
Presented by:
Bill Graham CP.APMP
June, 2014
bill.graham@sales-synthesis.co.za

2. Craft Proposal Client AdjudicationIdentify Qualify DeliverySubmit
The Client Engagement Process needs to be Robust
• Solid Win Strategy
• Bid Centre Support
• Organisational Teamwork
• Relevant Solution
• Selling on Value and not Price
• Industry
Knowledge
• Understanding of
Client’s Business
Strategy
• Good relationship
with Key
Decision-makers
• Resonating Win
Themes
• Solution
supporting
Client’s Business
Imperatives
• Building Track
Record
• Execution
Investment
• Robust Service
Delivery
• Professional
package
• Word Perfect
• On-Time
Submission
Robust Capture Plan Relevant Solution Resonating Submission
Professional Proposal / Bid Management Process
2
Underpinned by a Virtual Team

3. Bid Management is a process in the Sales Phase of the Service Delivery
Life Cycle
Prospecting
Lead
Generation
Qualification
Scope
Solution &
Services
Submission/
Bid Crafting
Submission
to Client
Bid Management
Account Management
Sales
Product Development & Commercialisation encompasses all aspects of the business
Sales Operations supports the complete Sales Phase
Solution Architecture
Products
3

4. Multiple Business Units are involved in Bids
Legal
Finance
MSA, T&Cs
Schedules,
Regulatory
Tax advice
P&L
Review/s
Tax implications
Review Gate Review GateReview Gate
Review Gate
Content providers are resources from various organisational units – creating a Virtual Bid Team
4

5. A Bid Manager Liaises with many Units of an Organisation
Sales
[incl. AM]
Solution/s
Architecture
Commercial
Prospect Lead gen. Qualify
Design
Craft Bid
Pricing
P&L
Review Submit
Bid Management
Legal/
Contracts
Regulatory
Regions Cost/Price
Sales
Technical
Design
Finance
Legal
Partners
Specialists
SMM/SME
Technical Solution
5
Note: The actual matrix will depend on each organisation and their internal structures
Underpinned by professional ‘Project Management Style’ Tracking

6. Major Differences between Bid Management & Project Management
6
Bid Manager: A professional resource capable of playing many of the roles required during a
bid: Capture Manager, Proposal Manager, Bid Support, Bid Assurance, QA, Reviewer etc.:
• Relevant Bid Strategy & Capture Plan [Developed from the Account Plan]
• Bid Control Plan [Crafting and Management thereof]
• Resonating Win Themes / Golden Thread [Developed across the Submission Content]
• Validating that the solution supports the Client’s Business Strategy/Imperatives
• Building track record
• Relevant reviews/sign-offs
• Professional packaging
• Timeous submission
• Focuses on the crafting of Client Resonating Content
Project Manager: A professional resource who is responsible for the planning, organisation,
resource management and discipline pertaining to the successful completion of a specific
project or objective:
• Focuses on an Action Tracker [Typically MS-Project – Gantt Chart]
• Focuses on Deliverables [ticks the boxes and escalates]
• Does not focus on the actual content – rather the delivery of content etc.
On time,
within budget
On time,
within budget

7. These reviews are designed to help select the right opportunities to bid, confirm win strategies,
address proposal and performance risk, and support development of high quality, winning proposals.
Source: Shipley Associates
• Purple Team: Assesses the probability of winning (Pwin) and alignment with organisational goals
• Blue Team #1: Reviews initial capture strategy and capture plan
• Black Hat Team: Predicts competitors’ solutions
• Blue Team #2: Reviews updated capture plan and solution set
• Pink Team: Reviews storyboards and mock-ups to confirm solution set and to validate
proposal strategy
• Green Team: Reviews cost/price solution
• Red Team: Reviews final proposal draft—including price—to predict how the customer will score
the proposal
• Gold Team: Approves final proposal and price
: Compiles lessons learned from capture planning through proposal development to
contract award
Professional Sales Organisations Support ‘Formal Reviews’
7
Reviews are Organised/Managed/Facilitated by the Bid Manager

8. Factual
knowledge is an
imperative
Internal politics
is self-
destructing
Know your real
competition
Relationships are key
to successful
engagements
Higher profitable
opportunities, the
higher the
investment
Merely Answering Client Questions will not a Winning Submission make…
8
Use intensive analytics to determine the correct growth strategies and territories [qualified opportunities]
Flatten the organisational structures as much as reasonably possible [rapid relevant structures for decision-making]
Move everything possible to a national level - with global ‘virtual’ teams [obtain national value and leverage globally]
Be aware of belief systems and allow for ‘all user/s’ interaction [spread the decision-making to the correct entities]
*
*
*
*
*Indicates support & structures required to ensure development of winning submissions

9. Project Management is Key to the Professional Delivery of the Solution
9
• Once the bid has been won – and the contract signed – the Project Manager takes over
the delivery (sometimes called ‘Build’) phase of the project
• For large complex bids, it is good practice to have the Project Manager involved during
the bid phase so that ‘full alignment & continuity’ is achieved.
Many and diverse Bid Team members are
necessary for ‘Success’

10. The Bid Manager is like a Conductor
of an orchestra. He may be able to
play particular instruments but he’s
actually there to pull all of the inputs
together to create a wonderful piece
of “professional music”.
The Bid Manager is a Maestro.
The Bid Manager is NOT merely an
administrator !
Summary: The Bid Manager is the Key Focal Point for Bids
10
For best results the Bid Manager functions alongside the Sales Operations function.
A Bid Manager is a fundamental
necessity for large, complex, strategic
opportunities.