While working on Request for Proposal..

Anyone who has worked on a proposal would identify the purpose of writing this article. RfPs (Request for Proposal) in outsourcing companies are mad rush. War rooms are created and best people are put inside. Their only job is to churn out best possible solution with cost efficient price. In this process to surpass the competition, no sense of time or food or health is taken in to consideration. People work extended hours to accommodate the client problem statement in to a solution which fits within the budget. However, all this hard work goes down the drain if the companies eying for this bid, lose it. After all, there can only be one winner.

Through this article I don’t guarantee you a win in any RfP you work on. Nor can I promise you a shortlist. RfPs these days are tough nuts to crack. You’ve got to be the best to clinch a deal. However, like they say, there has to be a method in madness. In this article, I would like summarize my learnings from various RfP sessions I have been part of. We won some and lost some. But the lessons learnt were invaluable. I am elaborating on those who have been a part of my journey.

1.      Define the problem statement – It is extremely essential we are aware of the problem statement before we define the solution. Believe it or not, but there are situations when the entire team is brainstorming in vacuity. People aren’t aware of the problem and solutions are being drafted. It leads to chaos and loss of time. In an RfP the only indispensable unit is time. In the interest of time, it is crucial the team reads and understands all the documents sent by the client in advance. Every team member in the war room should be on the same page. Any doubts posed by the team, should be discussed and debated. A crystal clear problem statement should be demarcated and all the activities henceforth, should be guided by it.

2.      RfP is a mini project – Yes! If you treat RfP as a mini project, you will be happily surprised by the end result. Rather than moving around like a headless chicken, it would be a good idea to have a well-defined project plan with roles and responsibilities demarcated clearly. It is vital to have a person allocated against a deliverable. Depending upon the timeline of submission a follow up on the tasks would help keeping the RfP on track. This also enables the team to know their next step. This way you also save any time wasted on waiting for further instructions.

3.      Know your team – RfP in one word is teamwork. To submit the best proposal you need to have the right mix of team members who will discuss, deliberate and challenge each idea or thought. All the members thinking alike indicates no one is thinking at all. The ones who pose questions or challenge suggestions are the ones who come up with the best solution. However, since time is the delimiter here, every discussion must have a logical end. This intricate balance of discussion and logical conclusion has to be achieved well within the boundaries of the time allocated.

4.      Track, track, and track – Each deliverable assigned to the team members has to be tracked and the plan updated. This activity should be done as soon as the deliverables are shipped by the team members. There has to be scope for revision and update too. My suggestion would be to have one person doing the tracking and follow up. The sole objective of this individual should be to follow up on the deliverables, upload them on a dedicated location and send emails once the activity is completed.

5.      The right mix & Review – It is not necessary for a great coach to be a great player also. When RfP is involved you need people whose turnaround time is quick. Get the right balance by bringing in individuals who understand this is literally race against time. At the same time you need individuals who are subject matter experts. They should review and ensure the deliverables address the problem. If tracking is breathing for RfP then reviewing is the backbone.

6.      Drafting the questions – These are the spinal cord of the RfP. The questions we ask will ultimately help in defining the solution. It is of utmost necessity these questions are drafted in the presence of all the team members. Everyone’s question should be discussed. Any question, however insignificant it may seem, should not be ignored. At least one day should be dedicated in discussing and drafting the questions

7.      Parking lot – Any proposal will have a parking lot where we are going to park our doubts, questions, etc. It is critical we visit this parking lot time to time and strike off the items which are done or discarded. Remember a parking lot is not to be ignored, this is the place where some of the most precious ideas lie.

At the end, I would like to sum up by saying, in projects and proposals we are competing not only against time but also against other vendors. In order to make our life easier and the competition achievable, we must incorporate steps which will make things happen for us. Let us think and work effectively and effortlessly.