Post Submission Reviews that Drive Future Proposal Success
Lessons Learned
Written by Britt Ward, APMP ANZ Content Writer
Learning from past experiences is crucial for continuous improvement and future success in the competitive world of proposal management.
That’s why the APMP Body of Knowledge emphasizes the importance of conducting thorough post-submission reviews after every bid. These reviews help teams identify strengths and weaknesses, refine processes, and ultimately increase their chances of winning future bids.
Three key principles to consider when conducting post-submission reviews include:
1. Comprehensively Analyse All Sources of Feedback
One of the most valuable aspects of post-submission reviews is the detailed analysis of feedback received from evaluators. This feedback provides insights into how the proposal was perceived and highlights areas that need improvement.
It’s essential to gather feedback from multiple sources, including:
Client Feedback: Direct feedback from the client or evaluators can help gain a clearer understanding of what aspects of the proposal were well-received and which areas fell short. This feedback can be obtained through debrief meetings or written evaluations.
Internal Team Feedback: Gathering input from proposal team members who worked on the submission can provide insights into the challenges faced during the proposal development process and suggest improvements for future submissions.
Competitor Analysis: Understanding how your proposal compared to those of competitors can offer valuable lessons. Analysing the strengths and weaknesses of competing proposals can help identify areas where your proposal can be more competitive.
By conducting a comprehensive analysis of feedback, proposal teams can identify recurring issues and implement targeted improvements to enhance future submissions.
2. Identify Opportunities for Process Improvements
Post-submission reviews are an excellent opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of your proposal development process, where you can identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. Key areas to focus on include:
Proposal Planning: Assess the effectiveness of the initial planning phase. Were the objectives clearly defined? Was the timeline realistic? Identifying any shortcomings in the planning phase can help streamline future proposal efforts.
Resource Allocation: Evaluate how resources were allocated throughout the proposal development process. Were there any resource constraints that impacted the quality of the submission? Ensuring that the right resources are available at the right time is crucial for producing high-quality proposals.
Collaboration and Communication: Analyse the level of collaboration and communication among team members. Were there any communication breakdowns or misunderstandings? Improving collaboration and communication can lead to more cohesive and effective proposals.
By identifying process improvements, proposal teams can optimize their workflows and increase efficiency, leading to higher-quality submissions.
3. Leverage Lessons Learned for Future Success
Effective bid teams maintain a ‘lessons learned’ repository that captures key insights and best practices from each review, to help them leverage the lessons learned and drive future proposal success.
Key steps to leveraging lessons learned include:
Documenting Insights: Ensure that all insights and recommendations from the post-submission review are thoroughly documented. This documentation should be shared and easily accessible to all team members involved in future proposals.
Implementing Changes: Act on the recommendations identified during the review. This may involve updating proposal templates, refining processes, or providing additional training to team members.
Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the proposal team. Encourage team members to regularly review and update the lessons learned repository and to apply best practices to future submissions.
By systematically leveraging lessons learned, proposal teams can build on their successes and avoid repeating past mistakes, ultimately increasing their chances of winning future bids.
Win More Tenders by Consistently Implementing Post-Submission Reviews
In conclusion, post-submission reviews are a critical component of the proposal management process. By conducting comprehensive analyses of feedback, identifying process improvements, and leveraging lessons learned, proposal teams can enhance their performance and achieve greater success in future submissions.
