27 Mar Bid Scheduling
So, you have your bid, you’ve done your research, now where do you start?
The best place to start is with a plan, what needs to be done and by when, we utilise an online project management system for our scheduling but a word document or a shared calendar can work just as well. The key is that all the tasks are on it with deadlines and who is completing them, this will prevent duplication and also makes sure people are answerable for their tasks.
When working on dates we start at the tender deadline date and work back, then assign dates for the following tasks:
- First run – Gap analysis
- First Draft
- Review of First Draft
- Send to Client
- Feedback from Client and Amends
- Sign off of final draft
- Submit
Don’t underestimate the time tasks will take you to complete so ensure you give yourself and your colleagues time to complete the work assigned to them, to avoid a rushed job or incomplete work having a knock on effect to others working with them. It can take about a day to write 4 new pages of response and reviewing a document can take up to a day depending on the length of it.
Make sure your tasks are clear, even utilise the SMART format when planning them so that everyone is clear on the required actions and ensure you add about 10% contingency on to your time. Where possible do not make changes to the schedule unless absolutely necessary as the schedule creeping towards the deadline can mean the difference between having time to complete a thorough review and not – missing vital compliance based errors and omissions.
Following this simple guidance should help you find that Bid Scheduling puts you on the right track to winning.
