When I saw the theme ‘Coming of Age’, I immediately thought of reaching maturity and asked myself, “Has the bidding industry reached maturity?” Here’s my take.
Using a simple industry lifecycle of introduction, growth, maturity and decline, let’s test where we are against the characteristics of each stage.
Introduction
Characteristics: In the early days, an industry takes shape. Buyers learn about the goods and services on offer, which are available from a small and fragmented set of organisations.
How do we compare? Well, we’ve certainly introduced ourselves! The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) started in the US in 1989 and in the UK in 2001 – those dates could mark a formal start to our industry. From my side, bid management was unheard of when I started work in the 1980s; it came onto my radar in 2007. Even then, suppliers seemed to be few and far between, but that has definitely changed.
Growth
Characteristics: As the goods and services become better understood, demand increases. More suppliers emerge – through diversification and start-ups – and a handful become industry leaders. Geographic reach increases and processes become better and more standardised.
How do we compare? We are certainly better understood and there are many more of us around – from employed bid teams to consultancies to freelancers (some better known than others). We see bid professionals globally and we typically follow established best practices and processes.
Maturity
Characteristics: The industry settles into a ‘business as usual’ rhythm, and competition becomes rife among the established players, potentially driving prices down. The landscape is challenging for newcomers but there may be opportunities for mergers and acquisitions.
How do we compare? While bigger companies may regard bid teams as ‘business as usual’, many teams still have to fight for resources and recognition. Smaller businesses frequently struggle, not realising there’s help at hand. Yes there’s competition but the general feeling is there’s enough business for all of us, and the industry remains collaborative. I can think of two acquisitions in recent years, so maybe that’s a sign of things to come.
Decline
Characteristics: Eventually, an industry may fall away due to weakening demand caused by better alternatives. Growth becomes impossible, leading to casualties or the compelling need to innovate, reinvent or diversify.
How do we compare? I certainly don’t see demand weakening. Tenders abound. Bid teams are as busy as ever. There are also specialisms emerging, such as social value. But what about AI? We are optimistic it will enable us rather than replace us but who knows? It may kill us!
My verdict? I believe we’re still growing, but our ‘Coming of Age’ is probably within reach.
Sarah Hinchliffe
Sarah labels herself a ‘Storyteller, Organiser, Timekeeper’ – three things that come naturally to her. After a 30-year sales career in the IT industry, where she learnt every popular sales methodology and sold millions of pounds of software and services, Sarah decided to share what she’d learnt about winning business using great stories, a systematic approach and consistently delivering on time. She continues learning and sharing through her freelance consulting work and volunteering as a writer, speaker and mentor.
