When competing for the contract in a tender, companies often respond to requests for proposals (RFPs). Read here about the biggest difficulties during this process and how to solve them. There is much potential for improvement in the review of responses before they are submitted. Below we will explore what opportunities there are to successfully review RFP responses before submitting them.
All RFP teams know the challenge of being both fast and thorough. On the one hand, there are tight deadlines to meet, on the other hand, there is the need to check responses thoroughly. The review of responses needs to be recognised as a standard step in the RFP process that takes place towards the end of the deadline.
One thing at a time
Due to the complexity of RFPs, many aspects of the bid need to be considered. Therefore, it is useful to conduct the review in at least two rounds. While the first round focuses on content aspects, the next round concentrates on stylistic matters, such as choice of words and spelling. While experts may need to be consulted for the content round, a team member without expert knowledge can help out with proofreading. When checking your answers, the original tender should also always be at hand. Think of it as your guide. Following the RFP closely will increase the relevance of your answers.
The four-eyes principle
Leave it to another team member to read over the proposal again with “fresh eyes”. After spending hours compiling, adapting and writing the response, a fresh perspective and an unbiased view are needed. If you do not consult a third party, it might happen that you miss obvious mistakes.
Set a schedule and stick to it
Even if colleagues want to help you with the review, they are often juggling other tasks and take a while to do so. Therefore, don’t forget to assign deadlines for everyone’s feedback. Ask early on and have a substitute reviewer ready, in case a colleague cannot meet his or her deadline.
Work digitally
Absolutely avoid distributing paper copies for review. It is inefficient to spend time deciphering and assessing handwritten feedback. Instead, use a shared document that is available online to capture comments, track edits and facilitate collaboration.
Nobody is perfect! Despite you being very careful, errors might creep into your responses from time to time. However, with a well-organised review process, you can significantly reduce the risk and increase your chances of winning tenders. Automating responses can help you save valuable time, which is then put to good use in the review process. To learn more about automating the RFP process with Beyond.RFP, feel free to request a demo with us.
