Hi Anne,
I attended your Tender Training course at the beginning of the year in my new role as Key Account Manager for Volvo trucks UK. I have had several tenders this year, with some being very large, complicated and time consuming…… but with the knowledge I gained from your course it has been so much better than it ever would have been.
Learning so early on to read the entire document, to highlight deadlines and technical difficulties and be aware of things we can’t meet has been so important. Also understanding the inaccuracies of tenders and inconsistencies between tender documents for the same customer has been very helpful. It has given us an engagement with the customer throughout the process that can only have been a positive for us.
Also learning to deal with the procurement ‘front-man’ has been invaluable. Balancing the need to meet his requirements, whilst also seeing the bigger picture and where we may need to sometimes go beyond him to the relevant people has been vital at times.
We have developed a series of ‘standard’ tender responses and information files to make future tenders more streamlined and less time-consuming as was recommended by yourselves. Another idea that has made a huge difference. We now have a distinctive ‘style’ for tenders and follow-up presentations that has also filtered into our business plans for customers, as it all fits together very well.
We have tendered in total for somewhere in the region of 1000 trucks this year so far and with some tenders still live expect to take around 600 orders from them.
I am now also able to pass a lot of this on to colleagues and they are seeing the benefits of this approach and consideration of tenders.
We still seem to take it to 4.59pm on the last day to complete everything though!!!! – so still room for improvement!
Just thought you might appreciate some feedback and see that what you do can make such a difference out here……
Many thanks,
Best Regards,
Scott Sandford
Volvo Group UK Ltd
Key Account Manager – Central Key Accounts
Warwick CV34 5YA
