It has been said by some that the Capture Phase is about positioning you for the win while the Proposal Phase is about scoring for the win. If correct, what are the elements of a successful capture? In this and future blogs I will be discussing what the processes are for a successful capture. Overall, a winning capture strategy is focused on the customer’s needs, not what you have to sell. It directs specific actions to shape the procurement that gives the customer a differentiating choice. Properly executed, it drives a series of win factors/discriminators and themes.

So what are the key elements?  From my perspective the following needs to be addressed to be successful:

·         Opportunity/Self-Assessment

·         Customer Assessment

·         Competitive Assessment

·         Capture Plan

·         Customer Contact Plan

·         Price to Win

·         Win Strategy/Themes

·         Teaming

·         RFP Shaping

·         Color/Gate Reviews

Each procurement that you track is different.  Some may be a task order that is coming out in 60 to 90 days while others may not be coming out for 18 to 24 months or longer. Because of this, the amount of detail in each of these elements will vary depending on available time and previous actions with the customer. That said, these elements should be addressed to successfully position an organization for the win.  Future blogs will go into more detail on these elements.

Ed Ardrey, AM.APMP, has over 14 years’ experience as a senior business developer in the Federal market with a focus on the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community markets.  A Senior Associate with the Cortac Group (www.cortacgroup.com), Ed provides capture and proposal management support to both large and small businesses.