CASE STUDY ONE

WATER MANAGEMENT TENDER

Winning a professional services tender

Madrigal Communications prepared a response for a national consulting company (a professional services tender) to a Sydney Water request for a water management tender (RFT). The tender sought a provider for project, control risk management services to the Network and Facility Renewals Program. The contract value was $10 million a year. It was the biggest tender they had responded to (total job value AUD$20 million).

Client requirement

The consulting firm engaged Madrigal Communications to advise on the bid strategy, undertake technical writing and to assist with the bid management of the professional services tender response.

Our successful approach

Madrigal Communications uses a systematic approach to tender responses. In strategically scoping the work with several of the firm’s principals we first determined their level of compliance with the request and their strengths and weaknesses. We also determined the strengths and weaknesses of their major competitors. Using this information we developed a competitive strategy and formulated bid themes.

We emphasised the firm’s reputation for leading their competitors in risk and cost management. We also comprehensively listed the credentials of their key personnel and their corporate capabilities.  We focussed on bolstering their project control expertise where they were likely to be perceived as weak. By developing a value management approach we sought to demonstrate a higher capability of delivering cost and risk savings.

Our experts also analysed the RFT document and recommended the level of detail required to complete the bid. We recommended using comprehensively documented examples of water management projects (case studies), which was accepted.

It was necessary to edit the document to ensure that the key messages and the detail were consistent. We also assembled edited and re-formatted all the CVs of the personnel being put forward.

A higher standard of presentation and production was needed. Their existing document templates were not adequate and would not create a suitable brand image for the bid. We managed the design and oversaw production of the document.

Outcome—a winning water management tender

The tender response document was attractive and far more appropriately presented than their house style. The proposal was successful in getting the firm short-listed, which they went on to win. The contract value was $20 million to the client. Madrigal had helped them win their biggest ever tender.