This national construction company, with design and construct capability, had a long-term win rate of 1 in 4. Increased competition from overseas bidders meant this had dropped to 1 in 7. Proposals were written by cross-functional teams with resources allocated according to availability, rather than suitability.
The Challenge
The proposal documents were written by technical and engineering staff, including some who were not motivated to improve. Where good practice did exist, it was not being shared throughout the company. The quality of submissions varied greatly, but overall it was significantly less strong than others in the marketplace.
The Process
Following a thorough review of existing documentation a board paper was produced which highlighted strengths and weakness in historical tender documents.
From this, and subsequent discussion with section engineers, a training programme was developed which addressed the areas of weakness. The company’s own tender materials were used throughout the course notes, and for worked examples.
The one-day interactive course was delivered on multiple occasions in locations throughout the UK. As well as training in practical skills about proposal writing, time was spent on the need to change and methods for achieving this.
The technical content of the course covered areas such as executive summaries and persuasive writing, as well as win themes and outline planning.
The Outcome
Staff motivation regarding proposal writing has improved significantly and it is estimated that there are 80% fewer reluctant participants.
By training all staff to the same standard, consistency was achieved meaning cross-functional teams became more effective.
The win rate fluctuates but is showing an upward trend and has achieved better than 1 in 3.5 in each of the last 3 quarters.
If you are an engineering company and think that your business would benefit from one of our tender training courses please contact us.
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