Although the government often states that cost is the least important factor in proposal evaluation, and that they buy on best value, recent statistics show that cost is deciding factor in most if not all of the federal contract awards. In other words, cost is incredibly important if you want to win. Proposal managers, however, work very hard on the technical volumes and wield little influence over this all-important volume.

The truth is that cost volumes are often developed behind closed doors. Proposal managers often must resort to merely checking when the price proposal be done, assisting with scheduling a cost volume review, and praying the cost volume team does a good job. While the technical team follows a more or less disciplined process, the cost team often runs ad-hoc and crams everything the last week before submission, patching together boilerplate that is often at odds with the statements made in the technical volume.

The reason for this unfortunate situation is that many proposal managers don’t know how they can influence cost proposals for the better – they feel powerless to change anything. They consistently lose to teams that have mastered cost volume development techniques. There are 10 areas where proposal managers can make a significant positive impact on cost volume development WITHOUT being a pricing expert, some of which are shown on our roadmap to winning in proposal cost volumes. This roadmap is a four-level learning curve that yields consistently winning results:

Level 1. Understanding the terminology and the basics of cost volumes.

Level 2. Learning where you can make a difference throughout the cost volume development process, and how.

Level 3. Figuring out how to help with key pieces requiring proposal manager’s involvement:

• WBS
• Assumptions
• BOEs
• Price-to-win and pricing strategy

Level 4. Create a winning cost volume narrative.

We explain and provide detailed practical how-to for each level at our one-day seminar on Cost Proposal Strategy for Proposal Managers, which takes place on December 5, 2011. This course offers hand-on tools for proposal managers on everything from cost volume basics to process, data calls, assumptions, compelling cost volume narrative, WBS, BOEs, price to win, and cost strategies. To learn more or register please go to www.ostglobalsolutions.com/proposal-cost-strategy.

Here are two additional classes – the last ones of this year – that will help you develop yourself as a well-rounded proposal and capture manager:

To learn more or register please go to www.ostglobalsolutions.com/training/schedule

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… PROPOSAL support: If you are short-staffed, your proposal load is heavy, or you don’t have the right skills in-house, we can get you the right help. Please contact Ben Goessling for your proposal development needs at 301-384-3350 ext. 104, or send us an inquiry at service@ostglobalsolutions.com.

… BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT support: Outsource your business development to our experts and find government contracting opportunities in your core competency areas. Contact Alex Brown at 301-384-3350 ext. 102, or send u s an inquiry at service@ostglobalsolutions.com.

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OST Global Solutions, Inc.
Your resource for Capture and Proposal Management
...Because there is no second place in proposals!
+1.301.384.3350
service@ostglobalsolutiuons.com
www.ostglobalsolutions.com
7361 Calhoun Pl, Suite 560 Rockville, MD, 20855

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