AI as Sat Nav for Proposals

Every bid involves finding our way through a complex landscape of documents, instructions, requirements, and questions. We search for crucial pieces of information that could make or break our bid and we carefully plan a route to submit a winning proposal on time.?

But it’s an intensely manual process. A bit like driving by following an old road atlas, it’s challenging to drive and navigate, especially when things change and we find we’re following a fixed route and outdated directions based on static information.

Perhaps it’s time to start managing bids with the guided precision of a smart navigation system?

In a world without GPS

Imagine a world in which satellite navigation with GPS is yet to be invented or, if you’re of a certain age, simply remember back to that time. We’re planning a road trip to an exciting new destination, and to get there we’ll need three things:

1. A paper map
2. The ability to read the map and plot a course
3. Someone to follow the map while the other concentrates on driving safely

The old way of navigating with a paper map can still get us from A to B but there is a reason most of us use GPS: It’s so much easier!

The method works and we’ll likely arrive at our intended destination, but we risk frustration from several problems and limitations:

• Unless updated regularly, our paper map starts to wear out, pages are lost, and it doesn’t account for changes in the road system.
• The course we plot might not be the most efficient and it’s hard to adjust for roadworks or traffic incidents.
• Our route may take us across several map pages and we might need to juggle multiple maps with different scales and levels of detail for country or city driving.
• While driving, our paper map won’t track where we are, or tell us where to go next or warn us of unforeseen hazards on the route, or help us find the nearest service station.

The old way of navigating the roads still works and kudos to you if you choose to use it. But there is a reason why most new cars are supplied with built-in GPS and smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is becoming increasingly popular. There is a reason why nearly 50% of Americans use their phone maps and navigation app monthly[1]. It’s just so much easier and now we take it for granted.

Charting a route to success

Let’s replan our road trip, this time using a modern GPS system replacing our worn-out map. It’s using the latest digital mapping data combined with real-time traffic information. It already knows exactly where we are, we just need to tell it where we want to go. It can analyse hundreds of possible routes in a few seconds and recommend alternatives based on our preferences for speed, types of road, and whether we want to avoid tolls. It gives us precise information to help us drive safely, take the correct turns, and avoid unfortunate encounters with law enforcement. It can update mid-journey, guiding us around traffic collisions and other delays. It is an intelligent guide, a co-pilot, ensuring our journey information is always fresh and relevant.

GPS: Guided Proposal System

Just as GPS navigation transformed how we travel, AI is revolutionising the bids and proposals process. Think of Generative AI as a sophisticated "Sat Nav" for proposal teams, guiding us towards more effective, efficient, and innovative bid responses.

Real-Time Guidance

Like a GPS offering turn-by-turn directions, AI provides real-time assistance throughout the proposal journey. It can suggest relevant content, highlight potential gaps, offer improvements as we write, and role-play for reviews and evaluation. We focus on winning the business while our partner helps us stay on the right track.

Just as we no longer waste time poring over an outdated map, trying to find the most efficient route, we no longer need to manually type every word into our proposals. AI is our bidding GPS.

Adaptive Routing

Modern navigation systems adapt to traffic conditions and road closures. Similarly, AI can help proposal teams quickly pivot when client requirements change or new information comes to light, suggesting alternative approaches and content on the fly.

Intelligent Content Mapping

GPS systems instantly locate points of interest. AI does the same for your proposal content, swiftly identifying and retrieving the most relevant information from your knowledge base, saving hours of manual searching.

Predictive Analysis

Just as Sat Navs can predict arrival times based on current conditions, AI can analyse our proposal against requirements, historical data, and client preferences to forecast our chances of success and suggest improvements.

Exploring New Territories

GPS allows us to confidently venture into unfamiliar areas. Likewise, AI can help proposal teams tackle new markets or use cases by providing insights and relevant content from across the organisation.

Wrong Turns and Detours

Navigation systems warn of upcoming hazards. AI can alert proposal teams to potential weak points in our bids, inconsistencies in pricing, or areas where competitors might have an edge.

Creative Cartography

While GPS can suggest scenic routes, AI can spark creativity in proposals. It can offer unexpected angles, fresh language, or innovative solutions that human writers might not have considered, leading to more compelling and distinctive bids. It’s not always about how quickly we can get to our destination!

AI is a navigator, we are the drivers

On its own, our Sat Nav is going nowhere. We humans give it a destination but we're still the driver, the journey is ours, we decide which turns to take, and we're ultimately accountable for safely getting to the correct destination on time.

AI, whether it’s for navigation or responding to RFPs, is a tool. It's up to us what we use it for, how we use it, and what results we produce.

Imagine an AI-powered proposal process with access to the latest information about our company and solutions, our differentiators and discriminators, our clients and competitors. This "bid GPS" guides us through the project requirements, suggesting answers that are not only accurate but also strategically crafted for maximum impact.

You have arrived at your destination

We’ve successfully planned our road trip, ditched the traditional map with all its limitations in a digital world, and we’ve safely arrived at our destination avoiding the worst of the traffic.

With AI as a proposal Sat Nav, we can navigate the complex terrain of modern bidding with greater confidence, speed, and creativity. This technology doesn't replace human expertise; rather, it enhances it, allowing us to focus on high-level strategy and client-specific insights.

Now we’re at the end of our journey to discover what artificial intelligence can do for our bids and proposals, the only question remaining is:

Where are we going next?

[1] ?Statista Consumer Insights, January 2024