Imagine a scenario where 90% of your valuable bid team’s time is consumed by internal checks and approvals, leaving a mere 10% to focus on crafting a winning proposal for the client. While this might seem like an extreme example, it’s a reality for many organizations, particularly in highly regulated industries.

Internal governance is undoubtedly crucial. It ensures compliance, mitigates risks, and maintains quality. However, when it morphs into an overwhelming labyrinth of multi-layered reviews, endless sign-offs, and rigid compliance hurdles, it paradoxically stifles the very elements essential for success: creativity, innovation, and a keen focus on customer needs. Clients aren’t interested in the complexity of your internal processes; they want to know you understand their challenges, can offer compelling solutions, and are the best choice among competitors.

Often, bloated governance systems are the result of reactive problem-solving. A misstep occurs, and the immediate solution is to add another procedural step. Over time, these incremental additions accumulate, creating a cumbersome and inefficient system. The underlying issues – perhaps a lack of specific skills, ambiguous roles, or outdated tools – remain unaddressed. Instead of a holistic approach considering people, processes, and technology, the default is to simply add more red tape.

So, what constitutes effective governance?

It’s a framework designed to empower, not impede. It guarantees quality without creating bottlenecks. It operates on a foundation of trust rather than just control. Good governance enables teams to develop their solutions, pricing strategies, and compelling narratives simultaneously, guided by well-defined gates and collaborative reviews that actively add value rather than causing delays. The cornerstones of genuinely supportive governance include:

• People: Foster early and continuous involvement from cross-functional teams, ensuring diverse perspectives from the outset.
• Process: Implement a scalable, phase-based structure with clear milestones that adapt to the bid’s complexity.
• Technology: Leverage modern tools such as dynamic compliance checklists, integrated proposal timelines, and transparent responsibility matrices to automate and streamline.
• Culture: Cultivate an environment of proactive engagement, continuous feedback loops, and shared ownership across all stakeholders.

Take a moment to evaluate your current bid process and ask yourselves these vital questions:

• Is your approval pathway clear and efficient, or a source of constant frustration?
• Are roles and responsibilities unambiguous for every team member involved?
• Does every participant understand the strategic objectives and purpose behind the bid?
• Are you underutilizing technology that could automate repetitive tasks and free up critical time?

A comprehensive re-evaluation of these aspects, often coupled with improved understanding, enhanced collaboration, targeted coaching, and appropriate training, can yield significant improvements. Imagine the competitive edge you’d gain if you could redirect internal effort from administrative overhead to genuinely persuading your customer to choose you.