9 critical elements in your tender map

Ryan May, Tender Specialist (Perth)

A Tender Management Plan (TMP) is to tenderers what a map is to adventurers. Without one, yes, you can still strike out into the undergrowth, though your journey is likely to be long, arduous, and you run a significant risk of getting lost. Travelling with a map, however, will make your journey shorter, safer and vastly improves your chances of reaching your target destination.

For a map to be useful, however, it requires detail, and the same is true for every TMP. But what details, exactly? Read on to discover the 9 details that should be included in every TMP.

1. Name of the tender and client

What use is a map if you lack a destination? Mark the spot not with an X but with a heading that includes the name of the tender and the client. I would also ensure that you highlight the type of submission here as well (is it an expression of interest (EOI)? An invitation to tender (ITT)? Or maybe it’s an early contractor involvement (ECI) project?) and add the tender reference number. Note that its worth ensuring that the labelling of your submission documents should be consistent with the heading used for the TMP. Nobody should be in doubt as to which tender they are working on!

2. Due dates

Equivalent to your compass, these indicate to the reader not just when the tender is due but also when reviews are being held as well as any other important dates that people may need to be aware of. Remember to include specific times here as well if they are relevant – you don’t want to think you have all day to submit a tender when in fact it may be due at 10am in the morning. Without this knowledge, your tender writers, coordinators and managers are travelling blind.

3. Schedules

Think of these as the roads you’ll be travelling. It’s vital that your TMP includes all the schedules outlined in the tender documents – you won’t arrive at your destination if you forget to travel down the right street. These can be itemised and tracked individually, allowing for greater clarity and control over the tender process (ensuring nothing gets missed!). If you’re working a larger tender, then certain schedules may contain multiple deliverables. Don’t hesitate to split and itemise these as well, particularly if different people will be working on different deliverables within a single schedule. This will help to prevent confusion as to who is responsible for what and will prevent deliverables from falling through cracks.

4. Schedule requirements

Without a key or legend, most maps are fairly non-functional. The same can be said for a TMP that lacks the requirements of each schedule. Make sure that you include each schedule’s requirements, typically alongside the schedule itself. This should be a simple copy and paste from the tender documents, as you want to ensure these requirements match word for word to prevent questions from being misinterpreted and incorrect information being provided. If you have itemised deliverables as well, attach their requirements in the same fashion. Consistency is key.

5. Schedule notes

Scribbling notes down the side of a map, or across certain locations, is a particularly useful practice – if somebody has written DANGER: QUICKSAND over what could have been a shortcut, I’d be rather grateful. It is similarly important to provide this kind of agency in your TMP, typically in the form of a space to add notes alongside the requirements of each schedule and deliverable. Coordinators can use this section to highlight areas of a schedule that require attention, to split different tasks between different writers and to specify page or content restrictions. Similarly, writers can use this section to confirm when they’ve completed such tasks, or to highlight where further information is needed before a section can be completed.

6. Schedule progress

The roads and significant locations you’ve left behind. While an adventurer may simply turn their gaze over their shoulder, your TMP will need to work a little harder. Each schedule should be attached to a progress tracker of some kind to provide progress updates for tender coordinators and tender managers at a glance. Use colour, percentages or the bronze, silver and gold method – whatever suits you and your team best. This will help to manage any schedules or deliverables that are falling behind, preventing nightmare situations where a schedule is only 50% complete in the last week and a half before submission.

7. Schedule leads

Who’s leading the expedition? Allocating schedule leads helps to guide individuals through the tender. Having a document that these tender writers can refer back to will ensure they don’t lose sight of what they need to be doing, maintaining focus and efficiency. If your TMP is particularly impressive, you will highlight people such as SMEs and other important contacts relevant to each schedule, providing greater clarity on who to speak to for information regarding the schedule or deliverable.

8. Contact details

If you do get lost, or maybe just need a hand navigating some difficult terrain, it helps to have somebody to call on. Though a map may not be filled with an abundance of contact details, your TMP certainly should. Trawling through your emails to see if you ever received or have been a part of an email chain with somebody just to find their email or phone number can be tedious and frustrating. By adding a page to your TMP with the contact details of everyone involved you remove this unnecessary roadblock, improving efficiency.

9. Leave public holidays

Losing somebody mid expedition is a harrowing experience. So is losing someone mid-tender. Add information to your TP that highlights who is taking leave, and when! This is a good time to add when public holidays will impact the tender and who they will steal from your team. The more information people have to use, the more organised they can be and the less panic you will need to endure.

The TMP is an important document. Though it may take a while to create a TMP with this level of detail, the long-term benefits are well-worth the effort. Not only will you find that efficiency across the tender improves, but you will also encounter fewer issues and experience a greater level of collaboration.

If you’re looking for assistance with a tender, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Here at Tender Plus we pride ourselves on our mastery of all things tendering, whether it be creating robust TMPs, imparting intelligent tender strategy or championing incredible tender writing. Talk to us to find out how we can help your business succeed!

Interested in learning more about tender management? Try some of our other blogs on tendering, such as Your tender template is whack… sorry. and 5 step framework for writing an executive summary.