how to save $5,325 per proposal using visiblethread - deltek and visiblethread webinar
DESCRIPTION
This webinar took place on July 10, 2013. When choosing to pursue a government solicitation, differentiating your offering can be just as critical as a compliant response. Clarity and balance could also mean the difference between hitting all the right notes and falling flat as you bid for business. VisibleThread’s Section M and Win Theme Compliance Checking can save dozens of review hours and up to $5,325 per proposal. Learn how 4 out of the 5 top U.S. government contractors: - Analyze proposals for readability, avoiding complicated messaging to craft compliant and responsive proposals - Spot wordy, difficult or legally risky language - Validate that win themes/strategies and section M technical requirements are met - Scan multiple opportunities and match core corporate capabilities (past performance) to key customer requirements For a free 21 Day VisibleThread trial visit www.visiblethread.com Follow @visiblethread on Twitter - www.visiblethread.comTRANSCRIPT
How to Save $5,325 per Proposal Using VisibleThread
July 2013
Kevin PlexicoVP, Information SolutionsDeltek, Inc.
Fergal McGovernCEOVisibleThread
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
2About VisibleThread – who are we?
Strategic Partnership
Today’s Agenda
1. How readable is your proposal?– Will the government reviewer understand your message?
– Will you be compliant?
2. Are your Win Themes & Section M requirements covered in your response volumes?– Are you differentiating your message?
– Is your value proposition consistent?
– Will you be compliant with section M?
3. The Cost Savings – how we got $5,235
4
How Readable is your Proposal?
1.
Will the government reviewer understand your message? Will you be compliant?
Can you measure cost efficiently?
5
Compelling? Or just Rubbish Content!
Wordy and Unclear content from actual Proposals
Readability
Exec Summary example 1:
“TXZ Network Technologies, LLC (TXZ), the leader in global network data fusion, analysis, and visualization, is offering its off-the-shelf suite of global network analysis tools to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Communications System (NCS) in response to Solicitation PSHF-03-Q-0023”
Offering Description:
“Blends sophisticated, distributed computing with simple, declarative configuration to combine an arbitrary number of proprietary and open source data elements into a single, cohesive Internet model.”
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Measuring Readability in minutesReadability
Sentence length went from 18.9% (v13) to 6.9% (vFINAL)
Passive language went from 8.7% (v13) to 1.7% (vFINAL)
7
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Readability
This is the doc contentThese are the document stats
Wordy and Unclear content from the Proposal
Instant and actionable Flagged Content
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
“The purpose of this Software Quality Control Plan (SQCP) is to define the procedures and methodologies that will be employed by TXZ Network Technologies (TXZ) to assure timely deliveries of TXZ’s applications that meet specified quality standards.”
OR (better)
“This Software Quality Control Plan (SQCP) defines how TXZ Network Technologies (TXZ) meets these quality standards:• Uptime of …• ISO 1234…We will deliver applications to agency on a timely basis”
OR (better yet)TXZ Network Technologies (TXZ) meets these quality standards:• Uptime of …• ISO 1234…Your agency will: Benefit 1, Benefit 2”
1.) lower word count 2.) directed language to agency3.) specific benefits & measures
Readability Fixing it…
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
What are good levels of readability?
Rating Readability Grade Level Passive Voice Long Sentences
Average Sentence
Length Outstanding: 50 – 100 12 or lower 2% or less 5% or less 16 or fewer
Good: 44 – 49 13 3 – 6% 6 – 10% 17 Acceptable: 37 – 43 14 7 – 10% 11 – 15% 18 Marginal: 30 – 36 15 11 – 15% 16 – 20% 19
Unacceptable: 0 – 29 16+ 16% + 21% + 20
Some Sample Benchmarks used in 1 customer
Readability
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
1. Analyze proposal write ups & sections for readability.
2. After each scan, Volume leads & proposal managers review results.
3. Share results with author, flag problems.
4. Edit & fix documents. Re-upload & re-analyze
5. Rinse and repeat. Track Trend.
Applying this to your process
What docs to measure?
• Executive Summary,
• Management Volume,
• Technical Volume,
• Cost Volume narrative,
• Risk enclosure
Run readability checks to support color team reviews
Also measure -
• Data Control Plan
• Software Development Plan
• Software Quality Program Plan
• Reliability Program Plan
• Maintainability Program Plan
Readability
11
Are your Win Themes & Section M requirements covered in your
response volumes?
2.
Are you differentiating your message? Is your value proposition consistently referenced? Will you be compliant with section M requirements?
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Win Themes / Section M Validating Section M - example
“The Government will evaluate for understanding, completeness, and adequacy the Offeror‘s proposed alternatives analysis and process for the creation and implementation of an archive data policy.”
How do you check compliance today?
1. You have this as a row(s) in a compliance matrix
2. You manually search all documents for the key terms:
- Archive data policy- Alternatives analysis- Etc.
3. MS Word “Find” is your best friend
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Win Themes / Section M Using automation to check…
Are there gaps between solicitation and Proposal docs?
Each column is a document
This is a ‘Theme / Section M’
Compliance List
Missing ‘Archive Data
Policy’ in Response
“TXZ…”
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
14What about the specific doc?
Section M Keywords and
win themes present in the Proposal?
Win Themes / Section M
This shows sections in the document
Missing
‘Archive Data
Policy’ &
‘User
Account
Support’
‘User
Training’
appears too
Late.
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
1. Analyze proposal write ups & sections for readability.
2. After each scan, Volume leads & proposal managers review results.
3. Share results with author, flag problems.
4. Edit & fix documents. Re-upload & re-analyze
5. Rinse and repeat. Track Trend.
Applying this to your process
What docs to measure?
• Executive Summary,
• Management Volume,
• Technical Volume,
• Cost Volume narrative,
• Risk enclosure
Run ‘Concept List’ checks to support color team reviews
Optionally also measure -
• Data Control Plan
• Software Development Plan
• Software Quality Program Plan
• Reliability Program Plan
• Maintainability Program Plan
Win Themes / Section M
16
3.
The Cost Savings
Where did we get $5235? Can you see the same results?
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Without Visible Thread, it would have taken XXX 87 hours to manually analyze the readability, consistency, quality and compliance of the Executive Summary, Management Volume, Technical Volume, Cost Volume narrative, and the Risk enclosure
Total word count of 290,312 words ÷ industry standard rate of 3,000 words read per hour
The net savings were 71 hours instead of 87 because XXX spent 16 hours using Visible Thread:
• 9 hours to create 6 specific Concept Lists
• 2.5 hours to break up consolidated proposal volume documents into 53 individual section documents
• 4.5 hours to use Visible Thread to analyze 53 documents, and to generate and email individual reports to the appropriate Proposal Managers, Volume Leads and Editors
The Cost Savings
“
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Summary
- 87 hours vs 16 hours
- The net savings were 71 hours @ $75 loaded cost = $5,325
The Savings
19
Baltimore, MD, USA | Dublin, Ireland | www.visiblethread.com
Visit www.visiblethread.com or mail [email protected]
Related Online Videos:
Visit our blog at: http://www.visiblethread.com/blog/
For Deltek queries, please feel free to contact Deltek Client Services for research-related questions at (571) 521-7400 or email [email protected]
Q & A - More Resources
“Validating Proposals for Section M Compliance and Win Strategies” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYYkooQbF0M
“Measure your Proposal Readability” –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ6FxJRekb0
“Create a Starter Compliance Matrix in 3 minutes” –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SOcLQ06CGo