Developing a Go/No Go plan Evaluation systems can be a sensitive subject for some companies and marketing professionals.

Some companies have a strict go/no go mechanism that others don’t like. Many companies have some form of evaluation. Many don’t have any thought of going or no going at all. They’re really going after all the RFPs. Here are few reasons the business should not  do that. The organization may even fall into one of those categories. 

Why Do Them?

If I don’t want you to have a rigid process, why shouldn’t the company go through the evaluations? Beyond the obvious reasons for workload, cost, and disappointment about not winning, there are few other factors to agree on a go/no – go decision-making process. 

• Pursue customers where you can win, do a good job, make money, and win repeat contracts.
• Stop looking for jobs for which you have little experience and skills and a low chance of winning.
• Do not hunt and win jobs that could place the business at risk.
• Identify signs where incentives are being sought and earned. How can you use this detail strategically?

Best Practices for the Go-No Evaluation.

Gather Information.

The more information you have about the idea, the company and the decision-makers, the better the judgment will be. This is generally referred to as pre-positioning or grabs preparation. You must gather intel during this process and devise win plans.

Then you want to estimate the cost of the project, schedule, and resources needed. Don’t end there; you also want to describe the project costs or schedule, project deadlines, and expected outcomes.

This is where all client relationship reports, summaries, and winning tactics will also help.

Gather Internal Stakeholders.

You’re going to want to put together (either by phone or in-person) those people inside your company with customer and project experience. Ideally, you’re going to want people who can think through both project risks and benefits, as well as opportunity efforts and costs.

You should also include the person who brought the search to the attention of the company. Additionally, if you have a person who is responsible for achieving the revenue target for that office or area, that person will also be included in the conversation.

Depending on the size of your business, it can only be you and one other person. This could be up to five to six people in larger firms.

The main point is that the people concerned should be involved in the discussion. It’s a good phone call. In-person meetings are always safer. Nonetheless, this conversation via email should be avoided at all costs.

Determine the Evaluation criteria.

This is where the strict, one-size-fits-all go/no go process may not be the best. Because every sector and business is specific, and often every project and circumstance is special, the considerations you find may be different.

The go/no go assessment criteria must be aligned with the initiative under review. The bottom line financial risks are always significant. Still, it may also be essential to consider qualitative results such as stronger or weaker partnerships with others in the industry, new opportunities that could emerge through the project implementation process, and so on.

Examine Project Against the Evaluation Factors.

Once the stakeholder meets and decides on the considerations to be weighed, the time has come to evaluate the proposal in question against the factors. When you do this fairly, it is possible that you will have no trouble coming to a conclusion that everyone can decide to. It is often obvious that a proposal is, or is not, the best choice for your organization at this moment.

Coming to a Decision.

While one boss or leader often takes the decision, it makes good sense to move towards a consensus on a go/no go decision with all stakeholders.

The key point here is that the project could be a good project. Your company will be able to complete the work and produce a successful project. Nonetheless, there may be other considerations discovered during your review that would not make this a successful idea for your company to undertake, RIGHT NOW. That’s all right.

I would consider using a vocabulary such as “not yet,” “not this time,” or “not in these situations” or words. This helps the team (and the person who brings the project) to leave the conversation with a more positive feeling. We should know that their vision of exploration has been heard and respected.

The last thing we want to do in these kinds of discussions, particularly with exciting sales leads, is to prevent them from bringing new ideas to the table. The point to consider is that sometimes a no – go action will actually work out at the end of the day.

This blog was written by Linda Rawson, who is the founder of DynaGrace Enterprises (dynagrace.com) and the inventor of WeatherEgg (weatheregg.com). She, along with her daughter, Jennifer Remund make up the mother-daughter duo of 2BizChicks (2Bizchicks.com).  For further information, please connect with Linda on LinkedIn, or contact her at (800) 676-0058 ext 101.

 

Please reach out to us at GovCon-Biz should you have any questions.