How Do you Manage PQQ and Tender Deadlines?

In companies with no dedicated bid team it is difficult to manage the process, as those completing submissions are taken away from their day to day duties. This can have a detrimental effect on business as the running of the company may suffer when vital team members are completing PQQs and tenders. Working this way can also impact negatively on the submission as it won’t command the time and attention required to submit the highest quality bid.

At Executive Compass® we have completed hundreds of submissions and always have impending deadlines. At any one time one of our bid writers will be managing five to ten clients and potentially more than one submission per client. We understand more than most the importance of managing your time when completing a bid.

The first step is always to establish a writing plan, whether this be a hard copy on a notepad or a calendar feature on your computer. The writing plan allows you to see exactly what deadlines you have and how much time you can allot to each submission. Once you have established your week (or month), you can begin assigning your days to jobs, or specific sections of the documents. Research into the Meridian cycle and efficient working practice shows that people work most effectively in 90 minute portions, separated by 20 minute breaks. With this in mind you can separate your day into sections, which can be assigned to various parts of the PQQ or tender.

When you first begin working on a document it is important to read it through thoroughly to gain a full understanding of the requirements. Once this is established you can begin to gather the information you need. Data sections can be completed easily, so that is something that you can come back to, delegate or even complete during your 20 minute assigned breaks.
Nothing says that a document must be completed in order. You can approach any question first, for example if a difficult question requires information gathering, you can begin that process whilst completing an easier question. Then, once you have the information, come back to the original question and complete that. You have already begun work on the document so your brain will also be thinking more effectively about each response and the chances are you will produce a better response to a harder question.

If you would like more information you can download our Top Tips for Completing PQQs.