In the proposal evaluation process, different people play key roles at different points in the vendor selection process. The entire body of people involved in the decision are the Decision Making Unit or DMU. Your goal is to identify the key person who has the power to say "Yes!" to your proposal. To do that, it helps to understand the various roles people play.
What would you do on a big RFP if Col. Johnson, the man in charge, were to call you and tell you to watch for the BAFO amendment, but you probably don't need to do much, since your bid at $16.4 million is way low, as the second bid is $19.2?
Capture management involves developing an understanding of the customer, the solution, and the competitive environment, and then turning that understanding into a plan for how to win the bid. One can never have enough information. Like the pursuit of perfection—impossible to achieve but necessary to try.
Many business people avoid new business development that requires written proposals. They believe common myths about the subject that are, in fact, false. The following five myths about proposal writing refute and demystify the process.
What is wrong with the following list of reasons why the customer should select you in a proposal?
Imagine that you have a full time job as a professional person in the federal government. And someone dumps 30 proposals in four large boxes in your office and says: "Remember the boss put you on the evaluation committee for the big XYZ project? We need evaluation results by next Monday."
Must Win opportunities are important. A Must Win opportunity demands an even more heroic effort than all the other pursuits that people pour their hearts and souls into trying to win. Nobody really knows what the extra "something" should be, but if it's a Must Win opportunity, it's got to have it.
Most companies just try to do "the best job they can" at collecting intelligence and preparing for an RFP release. If they have any structure to their process at all, usually it emphasizes collecting intelligence to justify a bid decision.
As a part of Government solicitations, the customer will occasionally offer the option for offerors to submit an Alternate Proposal. My experience as a Proposal Manager tells me that this is rarely, if ever, a good idea, for the following five reasons:
During the proposal creation process, there are several key roles. Among these are the Capture Manager (Top Management's representative to the proposal team), the Proposal Manager (has two responsibilities: discover the best case, and do the best job of communicating that case), and the Program Manager-Designate (the individual to lead the program during program execution).