Lean Six Sigma principles can be applied to all business processes, and within the inefficient proposal management processes that are used in most companies,  we can find the case for it’s use.  We can find the best locations within all elements of the 6-Phase Capture as well as the Proposal Management phase for the use of wastes eliminating techniques.  The 7–wastes are ever present.  How we deal with them can make proposal development rapid, accurate, efficient, and cost-effective.  The Case For Lean Six Sigma in Proposal Development is based on the logic that a thorough, cost-effective, and timely production schedule will yield a compliant proposal that also has effective and efficient vignettes, call-out boxes, and data-based facts that WOW the Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB).

Lean Methods Attack Proposal Development Waste – “TIMWOOD.”

Proposal Lead Time can only be minimized by the elimination of the Seven Types of Waste.    In order to prevent costs from rising in proposal development we recommend the following steps.

1. Transportation (moving capture information and proposal materials from place to another)
2. Inventory (Proposal in queue for processing)
3. Motion (excess movement of RFP materials)
4. Waiting (delays caused by staff writer shortages, estimator shortages, and editor shortages)
5. Overproduction (producing more proposal starts than is needed)
6. Over-processing (adding more value into proposals and grants than the customer is willing to paying for)
7. Defects/Rework (correcting mistakes)

Our Proposal Development and Management Training will help you.  See our syllabus below:

ProSource Proposal Management Training Syllabus

The Beginning of a Destiny

Instructor Information

General Information

Description

Proposal Manager Training is typically a 4 Day Training Session (8 hours per day).  However, we have found that an extended course, 10 weeks, allows the Lean tools we teach, to become positively reinforced, and part of your proposal development culture.  This course is designed to develop strong, well-educated, and disciplined Proposal Managers who can captivate and lead a team to produce winning proposals.

Expectations and Goals

Each candidate is expected to proceed with their training in a positive, proactive, diligent, and faithful manner to accomplish the goal of becoming a ProSource Technology, Inc. Certified Proposal Manager.

Course Materials

Required Materials

• Training Handouts
• Training Outlines
• Training Slideshows

Optional Materials

• Note Pads
• Centurion Research Reports
• Proposal Solicitations

Required Text

Shipley Associates Capture Guide

Shipley Associates Proposal management Guide 3.0

CapturePlanning.com’s Must Win Process Manual

Course Schedule

Exam Schedule

Additional Information and Resources

Supplemental Reading

RFP’s Suck

Must Win Process – Captureplanning.com

Capture Guide – Shipley & Associates

Value Stream Mapping Handout

Proposal Management 3.0 – Shipley & Associates

Developing a Lean Approach to Proposal Management is taught and not caught.  Contact us to earn more.

If you are interested in more articles like this, please sign up for our RSS Feeds.  If you need Proposal Management assistance, contact us at 256-945-7774, or sheileman@prosourcetehcnology.com .  We will gladly support you.

Happy Hunting!

Sean Heileman

CEO, ProSource Technology, Inc.

http://www.prosourcetechnology.com

Are you tired of missing the cut?  Are you tired of being a good competitor; but, just not the winner?  Then perhaps the solution is a stronger capture.  As contractors, we sometimes believe that our prior work will be sufficient for the proposal.  However, this thought can cause complacency – leading to failure.

TRANSFERRING THE CASE

As a capture is transferred from the Capture Manager to the Proposal Manager, the handoff can leave out valuable information, data, hot buttons, and precious “golden nuggets” that can lead to a contract award.

A Capture Plan has a shelf life.  Therefore, we must be careful to design a capture model that considers all aspects of capture.  In order to prevent Capture Expiration we recommend the following steps.

• Execute a Competitive analyses (Black Hat)
• Develop a Gap analysis
• Perform a Requirement analysis
• Perform a Price To Win (PTW analysis
• Manage to the plan, understanding that reality will depart from the plan every day.

What can small businesses do to better manage a long range pipeline so there’s time to conduct a capture?  Most small businesses are opportunistic by necessity.  They must find revenue quickly, or be eliminated from play – quickly.

The Capture Process employed is entirely dependent upon your growth strategy.  As leaders, we must provide vision and discipline to achieve the growth plan.  So, how can we do that?  It starts with self-discipline.  I highly suggest you move from an ad hoc business development model to a growth strategy that includes a Business Development – Capability Maturity Model (BD-CMM) that escalates in rigor and confidence periodically.  Articulate your strategic capture and growth strategies to your internal team on a periodic basis.  Conduct weekly Business Development briefings, and review your pipeline using a proven Capture Checklist (we can provide one for you, free of charge) if you do not have one.  Eliminate unrealistic capture efforts from your pipeline as soon as practical.  Remember, all captures have a shelf life.

Keep your captures relevant through research and communication with your potential customers.   Time is the limiting factor.  Ensure you maximize the capture time, and you will avoid Capture Expiration and win more work. Never allow a capture to fail because the Capture Manager is replaced.

If you are interested in more articles like this, please sign up for our RSS Feeds.  If you need Capture Management assistance, contact us at 256-945-7774, or sheileman@prosourcetehcnology.com .  We will gladly support you.

Happy Hunting!

Sean Heileman

CEO, ProSource Technology, Inc.

http://www.prosourcetechnology.com

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We have all entered a Proposal development phase with a zealous Capture Manager who is able to assist, and want the very best proposal – at all cost.  The Capture Manager is enthusiastic and offers additional assistance every step of the way, and insists on a top quality proposal.  However, when you read the Section L of the RFP and reading the SECTION M, you realize that the proposal is a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Proposal (LPTA).  In this Best Value Scenario, where Price is the most important factor, you realize that an “A+” Book Report is not as important as the Capture Manager believes.  You realize that an “A+” price with a “C” Book Report may win the competition

CONVEYING THE FACTS

It is very important to convey your thoughts without creating animosity with the team; and especially with the Capture Manager.  The team will teeter on your every word.  Try conveying your message with analogies (just as we provided above).  The balance between keeping a Technically Acceptable Proposal and an excellent price means giving more attention to the particulars of the other Direct Costs (ODC), and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), special tools and equipment, geographic dispersion of personnel  on the contract, government furnished equipment GFE), and contractor furnished equipment (CFE).

It is important to keep Bid and Proposal dollar expenditures to a minimum to allow for contingencies up to and including a work stoppage.  You may have to shelve the proposal if the government states it is cancelling the competition; therefore, be cognizant of escalating writing costs.    In order to prevent focusing on the technical more than the Cost/Price volume we recommend the following steps.

• Read the RFP in it’s entirety before making assignments
• Conduct a Q&A session with your time to capture questions and inaccuracies in the RFP
• Refine your Gap analysis
• Refine your requirement analysis
• Test your Price To Win (PTW) against the Final RFP requirements
• Limit the amount of time your writers have to produce a first draft

Value is in the eye of the customer, and in a LPTA competition, the customer is telling us to focus on austerity and reductions.  The customer is embedded in the Source Selection Board (SSB), the contracting office, the end user, the COTR, and stakeholders at higher levels.  Be wise choose to balance your proposal management time with a heavier emphasis on “how” your price volume is developed, and control the time spent on the technical approach.

If you are interested in more articles like this, please sign up for our RSS Feeds.  If you need Proposal Management assistance, contact us at 256-945-7774, or sheileman@prosourcetehcnology.com .  We will gladly support you.

Happy Hunting!

Sean Heileman

CEO, ProSource Technology, Inc.

http://www.prosourcetechnology.com