Transforming Business Development within GovCon Organizations – Part 2
In this four-post series, Avtex Public Sector Services will explore how digital transformation provides an opportunity for process transformation.
With initiatives for digital transformation underway in nearly every large defense contractor, Government Contractors (GovCon) organizations must consider the balance of cost versus maintaining performance standards for internal and external stakeholders. According to recent surveys, one third of government contractors place controlling the cost of digital transformation above maintaining performance standards. They are seemingly resigned to the idea that fiscally responsible digital transformation unavoidably conflicts with maintaining quality in the essential functions of capture support and program management. Without including a business process review in the overall transformation plan, that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The true conflict is inertia versus an emerging standard of operation. A clear majority of GovCon executives fear substantial cost escalations combined with a loss of market share if they don’t overcome internal challenges for digital transformation. To maximize benefit to the organization, business development (BD) systems must extend to the support and program offices. It is often difficult for organizations to hold a mirror to themselves when embarking on a critical review of the full opportunity lifecycle.
Making the Case for BD Transformation
Supported by experienced partners, a comprehensive business process review (BPR) can reveal opportunities for an organization to make the bid and proposal (B&P) funding process science rather than alchemy. Identifying and investing in funded opportunities becomes a critical determining factor of success for GovCon BD shops. Well-deployed digital technologies can increase revenue by as much as 15 percent while lowering costs by 5 to 10 percent.
Designing a future state system based on BPR findings and an organization’s strategic goals fosters communication and collaboration among BD, Proposals, Program Management, and Contracts, which can result in a strengthened market position. Today’s BD and capture support professionals want to work in an environment where technology adapts to the needs of the business, rather than asking the business to find endless workarounds for aging technologies. A system designed to support the motions of the full opportunity lifecycle gives guidance to infrequent users with embedded knowledge management, user views that show only the elements needed to successfully complete tasks, and integrated information from both email and document repositories.
Program managers and project managers are on the front lines of customer delivery. They have direct purview into customer needs and require a way to alert BD teams of follow-on opportunities as soon as they emerge. Contract managers require traceability from the from the contract back to the BD and capture teams when task orders are received. A well-designed future state system can also streamline contract compliance, along with GWAC and sub-contract management.
In future posts, we’ll explore easing the demands that compliance management puts on the business and focus on decoupling BD data capture tools from BD reporting tools.
