Tender Writing - The Most Vital Step

When a Tender Writer commences their tender writing journey, whether that be as a Tender Writer Sydney, Tender Writer Melbourne or Tender Writer Brisbane, there is a single vital step that has the most significant impact over whether the tender writing submissions will be successful or not. Whilst it may sound cliché that step is Planning. There are many ways of planning and just because a Tender Writer may complete what they consider to be their planning step, unless a few key fundamental elements are covered well, then the plan will not contribute to a better Tender Writing result.  In this article, we dive into some obvious, but vital elements to your planning exercise, that are often overlooked.

First things first

In starting a plan for a tender writing submission, the very first thing a Tender Writer must do is read over the documentation pack in detail.  Read this pack through twice; the first time with a highlighter to identify all information, attachments, etcetera that will need to be included in the Tender writing response.  The second reading should be slower and more methodical; this time taking note of tasks needed to be completed or response sections information needed as part of the response and where you might need to get this information from. The Tender Writer also needs to identify any information not available in the organisation, or parts of the project that which the responding organisation cannot directly service, and therefore, whether there are outside organisations that may be needed as partners on the tender writing response.  

Whilst reading through the requirements, terms and conditions, the tender writer also needs to adopt an air of discernment, asking themselves whether this tender is a good fit for the organisation to even compete for. Given Tender Writing is a time-consuming process, this time represents a cost for the organisation, so it is important to consider whether the time is a good investment or whether the attempt to win this tender would be a long-shot. In such cases, it is potentially not worth consuming the Tender Writers’ time when there could be better suited tender writing opportunities where that time invested has a higher chance of returning a worthwhile result. 

Collaborate

Now that all the key elements of the response have been identified, the Tender Writer needs to determine which elements require a collaborative effort and who will be involved in the collaboration.  This collaboration may take place between the tender writer and selected people or departments within the organisation. The collaboration may also take place with other suppliers where the responding organisation needs to outsource parts of the solution, or purchase equipment from other organisations. Regardless of who is needed in the collaborative efforts, it is important to ensure management make all participants aware of the importance of the time-sensitive nature and garner their commitment to work cooperatively as a team for the best possible outcome.  

During this phase it is also important to ensure all contributors to the Tender Writing response understand the part they play, the required timing, terms and conditions that may be relevant to that part, and that they allocate resources to assist a smooth Tender Writing process to maximise success potential.

Make a Checklist

Now that the Tender Writer has the marked-up documentation, notes and a clear idea of the collaborations required, the next step is to make a checklist.  Working through the notes and the tender documents, the Tender Writer will make a list of everything needing to be prepared, information needed to answer responses and attachments required for the submission package. Alongside this list, the Tender writer will add names of the party or person responsible or to be consulted with in order to complete the task. Next, the Tender Writer will work through each item and assign a due-date for completion, which will keep the Tender on track so it may be submitted on time.  Usually this date should be earlier, rather than later, so that there is a buffer available between when all tasks are ‘expected’ to be completed and when the tender will be submitted.  This will allow for any unforeseen circumstances and allow time for a full review before submission.

Utilise Reminders

Armed with the checklist, the Tender Writer now sets about ensure all contributors have a clear understanding of their obligations and the timing required their contribution.  The best option is to send tasks or event placeholders to their diary, regardless of what system is in use.  These diary options should include both the final date that the information is required, and a suitable reminder prior to that date, which will remind them to ‘start’ on that work in case it has fallen off their radar.

Every date should also be recorded into the Tender Writer’s diary as well so that the Tender Writer becomes the key coordinator and can be regularly checking in on contributors to ensure they are on track and have all available resources and information needed to complete their task.

What else?

There are, of course, several other steps that are vital to the Tender Writing submission process. However, by investing time at the start of the whole Tender Writing process, the Tender Writer is creating a solid foundation from which to build a solid Tender Writing submission. Having these things in place also reduces the stress of overwhelm that can be common for Tender Writers to deal with as the closing date nears.  Red Tape Busters have a large team of experienced Tender Writers who can manage the entire Tender Writing submission and eliminate stress from an organisation’s team, leaving them to focus on their core jobs which are the things they do best.