If the opportunity for Decision Maker for a Day arose (cue Freaky Friday movie scenario here), it would be Director of Quality Assurance (QA) that I would select. This is so I could provide bid process insights to those decision makers at the very top of an organisation. Therefore, Director of QA would provide a quicker route to market (if you will) to create impactful and positive change to the company-wide bidding approach…after all, I only have 24 hours.
My focus would be in three segments:
- What can we learn from existing structured QA systems and processes?
- How can we utilise external client feedback effectively?
- How can we embed QA with our technical teams when working jointly on bids?
Learning from existing QA systems and processes: The majority of organisations will have well-established Quality Management Systems via certification, such as ISO 9001 or even PAS 360:2023 (Management of Bid and Proposal Administration). Ultimately, these standards show a commitment to excellence and delivery of a high-quality service in line with client needs. However, the audit element required as part of those certifications could be the most interesting learning tool here. A bid team could introduce a process of regular diarised audits to improve their own internal systems, processes and documents to ensure continued success in work winning.
Utilising client feedback effectively: Analysing client feedback (on both successful and unsuccessful submissions) is an important part of the bid lifecycle. As QA Director, I would promote the importance of this step to other decision makers and demonstrate how carefully analysed feedback can be used in future submissions. For example, integrating specific feedback into writing plans to support a future response (particularly important when writing bids for the same client).
Embedding QA with technical teams: As QA Director I would introduce internal surveys to seek honest and constructive feedback to continue successful collaboration with subject matter experts. These would be conducted via a series of categorised questions, with responses analysed for continuous improvement. This process is already conducted with our external clients, so why not extend this to our internal stakeholders to improve bid outputs, processes and working relationships?
Before my QA Director duties come to an end, I will hand over this insight to my real-life Director of QA, Anthony Coumidis (Commercial Director and Board Member):
“The Quality Assurance process should apply to all stages of a project timeline. This process starts with bidding and creates clear lines of communication with all stakeholders, producing a shared understanding of individual bid objectives and, ultimately, improving chances of success through this shared goal and focus.”
Bella Stevenson
Bella started her career in bids over 16 years ago, coordinating EMEA-wide bid submissions for a recruitment consultancy. She has been working as a Bid Manager for 12 years in sectors including the built environment, facilities management, security, dentistry and the E-mobility sector. She enjoys collaborating with technical teams to build win themes, install best practice and develop creative thinking to win more contracts.
