A Formalized Method for Prioritizing Prospective Proposals

摘要

Contracts are part of the business landscape of many organizations, albeit sometimes an organization might be the client organization of the project, while at other times it might be the performing organization of the contract. Preparing responsive and compelling proposals is the key in winning a contract. A nominal amount of project planning effort is necessary for developing a responsive price proposal for the prospective project, even in cases where the available project information might not be comprehensive. The specifications of the intended deliverable or service, the conceptual planning performed during the proposal preparation, and the desired profit margin, form the basis for the bid value of the proposal. A formalized proposal development process will be essential for a winning proposal. Advancements in project management practices, in formulation of the work breakdown structure (WBS), in formalized planning of projects, in estimating of projects, and in change management practices for projects, has made it possible, and even convenient, to outsource projects in most industries and in most disciplines. Because of the relative ease of the outsourcing process, it has become acceptable for a significant number of client organizations to outsource their deliverable-based work, and even their service-oriented work. Deliverable-based contracts outline a specific deliverable that will have to be presented to the client organization within a desired time frame. Ongoing activities, or the service-oriented portion, of a contract will engage a certain number of the performing organization's staff, and physical resources, toward ongoing activities of the client such as production, operation, maintenance, or security.