Companies of all shapes and sizes are outsourcing more major tasks to third-party specialists in order to take advantage of their extensive range of knowledge and expertise. One job role which is in higher demand than ever today is that of an external Bid Manager.
What Does A Bid Manager Do?
The role of a Bid Manager is incredibly complex and requires an in-depth understanding of all operations and industry-related factors which are having an impact on your business. The easiest way to describe the dynamic role of a Bid Manager is to say that they sit between your project staff and your sales staff. Their primary objective is to present a proposal to a client who meets the company’s business and cost objectives while maximising your profits and minimising risk.
- Bid Managers will produce what will hopefully be winning bids which meet the requirements of their customer. They work within the budget laid out by the customer and come up with strategies to position your company as the best option for a project.
- A Bid Manager will ensure that everyone is in compliance with the agreed upon bidding process.
- Bid Managers ensure that all bid stakeholders (including any external parties or partners) are aware of what is required of them and in what timeframe.
The Qualities of a Good Bid Manager
The best Bid Managers today are those who have a diverse skill set and are not experts on any one subject (though they may be stronger performers in some areas than others may be). They will, however, have a good understanding of numerous subjects including sales, engineering and project management. The Bid Manager you hire for your next tender or proposal should:
- Be a fantastic communicator. Your Bid Manager will be responsible for communicating with a number of different parties throughout the bidding process and must be able to do so effectively. They must have great written and verbal presentation skills.
- Be organised. There are a lot of varied tasks involved in the proposal and bidding process, all of which require a highly organised individual to take the helm and manage it.
- Be resourceful. The best Bid Managers will have a “tool box” with methods and techniques to help fill holes when experts may not be available. This may include templates, model answers, software and more.
Strong Bid Managers will have a thorough commercial awareness of your business and its industry. They understand the needs and the requirements of the purchaser. This allows them to make the most viable bid possible for your organisation while also ensuring that your bid will result in profit for your organisation.
Why Companies May need A Bid Manager
The reason why Bid Management services such as the professional bid management and tender writing provided by Executive Compasshave become an outsourced speciality is because most businesses do not need a Bid Manager all of the time. However, the nature of bid management is continuing to change as a growing number of smaller contracts are going through the bidding process. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to place a proposal, the best option is to hire an experienced third party Bid Manager.
