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6 3
with
Brian Seymour
Read the RFP before you start your take
off and be aware that information critical
to your tender may be disseminated
throughout the document.
ANALYSIS AND PROPOSAL
PLANNING
Firstly, outline your proposal structure
to ensure you cover all the criteria required
by the tender assessor. Make sure you
understand the scope of work and set the
planning agenda to address every single
element of the scope.
Points to remember:
>
Choose the projects that best fit your
market strengths.
>
Do not promise what you cannot deliver.
>
Do not use jargon which will require
the assessor the use of a thesaurus to
evaluate your proposal.
>
Observe the closing date and time.
You will also need to assess your
competition:
>
Do they have an ongoing relationship
with the client?
>
Do they specialise in this type of work?
>
Are they part of a greater conglomerate
with common directors?
>
Do they possess the specialised tools and
equipment for this project?
>
Do they have specialised skills among
their staff?
>
Is the job within their scope of travel?
The more you know about your
competition, the better the opportunity
you have to outshine their proposal and
offer the services that they lack.
WRITE THE PROPOSAL
The best research material for a new
tender is your own past successful projects.
Can those that are still in production
give you any specialised knowledge
on what may be expected in this new
proposal? How do those projects compare
to this estimate?
There is nothing more soul destroying
than having your tender discarded in the
initial round of assessment due to the fact
you have not made clear in the synopsis of
your proposal that you have included all
obligations of the RFP.
To avoid rejection in the first round,
a tender must address all requirements.
That said, to be a winner it must also be
competitive and persuasive – it must
clearly show your company’s point of
difference and explain exactly why you
should be awarded the contract.
Successful tendering is more than
an accurate estimate. The estimate is
the basis for the tender, but the tender
proposal requires a lot more than the
price for the job. Your proposal must
reflect your knowledge of your business
and industry, your marketing skills and
attention to detail.
WRITING GUIDELINES TO OBSERVE:
>
Know how your tender will be assessed
and provide a concise response to each
of the assessment criterion.
>
Use previous experience and provide
examples of your capability to complete
this project on time and within budget.
>
Reinforce your commitment to quality
and best practice.
>
Ensure you address in detail the
requirements of the tender specifications
and the conditions of contract.
Enumerate every criterion spelt out in
the contract documents.
>
Present your proposal in plain English
and a simple format.
>
Ensure you complete the price schedule
and cost break-up as per tender
instructions and also the schedule of
rates if required.
>
Include details on the background of
your company’s profile, experience and
your services.
>
The tender review panel may consist
of people who only specialise in one
or more facets of the contract (your
proposal may be divided into a number
of reviews) and know nothing about
your company. Therefore you must
project your best image.
The clients, (apart from Developers) in
the main, are looking for value for money
and a quality outcome.
Just because your company has
operated within this sector of the market
for years, does not necessarily follow that
the tender review panel (especially with
government projects) know anything
about your ability to complete a project
of this type and size and this current
submission is the only chance you will
have to convince them of your skills.
When tendering for a major project
that will be of enormous benefit to your
company, it may be wise to employ a
tender consultant who will have the skills
of a professional writer to improve your
tender and submission.
Prior to your submission, you will
need to thoroughly review the estimate
and proposal, be sure you have met
the submission criteria, provided the
required information and answered
all the questions. Check for mistakes
or omissions and provide a proposal
which will engender interest from
the assessors.
Brian Seymour MBE, industry
consultant, author of
Electrical
Estimator’s Labour Unit Manual
and
Starting Out
, conducts regular
industry training programs throughout
Australia on behalf of the electrical
and air conditioning industries. Visit
www.moyseur-consulting.com.
Successful tenders are rarely
based on price alone.