Using the infoRouter document management software with built-in workflow management, customers such as Lockheed Aerospace, Rockwell Collins, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing generate proposal documents that go through multiple review cycles before they are approved for inclusion in the final document.
Proposal development efforts always include a tight check-back mechanism to ensure that the final document adheres to the RFP (Request for Proposal). If documents are not developed according to the RFP, a simple oversight might make the difference between a winning and losing proposal.
Common challenges in proposal development that can impact the success of a proposal include inadequate RFP compliance, poor version control, disorganized content and structure, lack of review process visibility, insufficient team collaboration, inconsistent messaging and tone, and last-minute changes without defined freeze points. These issues can significantly contribute to losing bids or missed opportunities if not properly managed.
infoRouter addresses solutions for all of the above challenges.
Automate your review process with workflows
Inside the Proposal Development Process: A Case Study from Lockheed Martin
At Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA, we had a front-row seat to the proposal development process in action. We witnessed firsthand how hundreds of aerospace engineers were flown in and out of the facility to contribute to sections of a massive proposal. As it was our first time being involved in proposal development, we were stunned to learn that the final document had to be 55,000 pages long, as required by the RFP.
It was eye-opening to see how all document editing had to come to an immediate stop during the review cycle. During this phase, reviewers were provided with a fixed version of the proposal that was no longer being edited or updated, ensuring a consistent review process across all sections.
"Tremendous improvement in our workflow. Mistakes are down to a minimum. We can now get much more done in far less time."
Summary of the Proposal Develoment and Review Process
- Blue Team Review: Establish strategy and win themes.
- Storyboarding and Content Development: Create the first draft of the proposal.
- Pink Team Review: Review early draft for compliance and structure.
- Red Team Review: Comprehensive review of the near-final proposal.
- Gold Team Review: Executive-level review and approval.
- Final Proofreading and Editing: Correct errors and polish the proposal.
- Sign-off and Submission: Finalize and submit the proposal to the client.
infoRouter’s contributions begin at the Storyboarding and Content Development stage. During this process, users can select from existing templates that typically include the entire proposal project folder structure, along with “directive documents.” This enables the immediate creation of a backbone for the proposal. Configuration management is achieved seamlessly, as the folders are pre-configured with Folder Rules that control and manage folder content effectively.
The Pink Team Review, Red Team Review, and Gold Team Review stages are all facilitated through the infoRouter Workflow process. When entire folders are submitted to a workflow, all contained documents are locked down to prevent further edits, ensuring Version control and compliance. Once the workflow concludes and all comments and changes have been collected, the proposal is then passed on to subject matter experts for further development and refinement.