A 180-page tender document is read before anyone knows whether it is worth the effort.
The procedure type, deadlines and evidence required are spread across the contract notice, the specification of services and the suitability criteria. By the time bid management and the business unit agree on a shared view, two meetings have gone by. The procedures that are declined in the end cost just as much reading time as the ones that lead to a bid.
11procedures per quarterThat is how many tenders reach the bid management team of a mid-sized consultancy.
180pages per procedureContract notice, specification of services, suitability criteria and draft contract combined.
2coordination meetingsBid management and the business unit see the documents separately and meet twice.
4declined in the quarterFour procedures are rejected after reading, but the reading time has already been spent.
Procedure type, deadlines and suitability are on the table before the first coordination meeting, and the effort per tender falls by 50%, including for the four procedures that are declined in the end.
The 50% reduction in effort per tender is this agent's headline figure. The number of procedures, page count and declines reflect a typical quarter in bid management; they are not measured values.