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A well-written proposal can go a long way in helping the service provider win the project. Typically, a proposal should address the client’s business needs and it must seek to provide a solution to the problem.
It must demonstrate that you, as a service provider, are in sync with the client’s problem. The proposal should be persuasive and meticulously written. It should not sound frivolous, nor should it read like a marketing pamphlet.
This article on how to write a project proposal has been written in the context of a software project. It assumes that the client has already requested the service provider to send a proposal.
Now, how does one go about writing a project proposal? It is always a good idea to do some amount of homework.
Know your client – the background of the client and the related industry.
Understand the client’s problems or needs. If necessary, seek clarifications. Please read the RFP thoroughly to ensure that all requirements have been taken care of.
Process of writing the proposal- the process that you as the service provider follows in acquiring and collecting information to fill the various sections of the proposal. This includes having a defined process for ensuring that the right team is identified to put together the proposal content, using available templates, creating drafts and reviews. It also includes the estimation techniques that are relevant to this proposal, the pricing techniques, preparation of technical architecture, and historical information presentation by suitable resources.
Evaluation criteria – understanding the criteria based on which the client will award the project is very important. Knowing this will allow you to mould the proposal accordingly.
Differentiating aspect – the proposal must have some unique value proposition that will appeal to the client.
Statutory requirements – some industries like the pharmaceutical and financial industries require the service provider to meet certain statutory requirements. Care must be taken to incorporate these requirements.
Assumptions: Before starting on the proposal, please document the list of assumptions.
Typical Elements of a proposal
The following are the typical elements of the various sections of the proposal. There are no set rules regarding these sections and you might need to customize them according to the requirements of your client.
A winning proposal must not only be impeccable (in terms of solution, language and grammar), but it must also contain matter which reflects thoroughness.
1. Executive summary: This section should provide a summary of the proposal document. The summary is targeted at the decision maker, who is usually the top executive. Therefore, it must be crisp and avoid getting into the nitty-gritties.
The executive summary can include:
A brief paragraph about the client and the related business.
A small write-up about the project objectives, preferably in bullet points.
A brief write-up about the proposed solution.
If the project is going to be split into phases, please mention what these phases are. Also, ensure that you mention the high level milestones/timelines and activities planned for each of these phases.
A brief description about the technical and architectural approach. Keep it simple and avoid using highly technical terms.
Please mention if your company has done similar projects earlier.
Briefly mention the pricing, its calculations, and highlight the important terms and conditions.
2. Scope of work and system functionality: In this section, one defines in reasonable detail, the scope and the functionality of the project. This is a very important section that forms the main body of the proposal.
Write about the current business processes and the business requirements.
Write about the proposed system solution.
Be very specific about the scope of work.
Try using bullet points to detail the different functions of the system.
Mention the main inputs, activities and outputs of major functions with phase-wise break-up. Business rules should be mentioned wherever applicable.
Diagrammatic explanations can be given to further illustrate.
3. Technical Approach: This section provides the details of the technical considerations applied by the service provider towards an efficient and effective solution for this project. It details the process architecture, hardware and software environments, the software components and other related details (with illustrative diagrams wherever relevant). The technical aspects must devise a solution keeping in mind the needs of the client.
Keep it simple and avoid using too many jargons.
Detail the options available with pros and cons and the recommended technology/ tools along with reasons.
Avoid going into too many details like the database structure or methods or APIs.
Emphasise on extensibility, flexibility and ease of maintenance for future needs.
4. Project management and execution approach: This section describes the project life-cycle management approach, a detailed project plan, the team model and other aspects related to project management. Generally, every company has standard procedures and templates for project management, but they need to be customized for each project.
Mention the project life-cycle to be followed like iterative, sequential, Agile etc.
Write about the team structure, offshore-onsite model, roles and responsibility matrix. Diagrams can be used to make it simpler.
Communication strategy must be very clear and unambiguous. At times, escalation procedures can be mentioned.
Quality adherence procedures and CMM standards should also be mentioned.
Review meetings, frequency of meetings, issue resolution procedures, test cycles and test data should also be written clearly.
5. Pricing and assumptions: This section quotes the price of the service being offered by the service provider. The quote needs to be substantiated with the methodology used to do the pricing. Usually, pricing to the customer is either value-based or cost-plus profit.
If the pricing is value based:
Highlight the business benefit of the service to the client in quantitative and financial terms
Show the computation of the value of the business benefit in an unambiguous manner
If the pricing is cost-plus:
Mention the break-up of cost in different phases and deliverables, including the specific duration of each phase.
Share the rate charged per unit of activity/resource
Include the overhead expenditures, which the client needs to bear. e.g. Travel, accommodation, etc
This section is also used to detail the contractual terms and conditions that go with the proposal. Duration of the validity of the proposal, situations that will require revision in pricing and schedules, recourse in case of breach of the contract, arbitration clause, etc. are important elements of the terms and conditions, and all of these need to be mentioned in clear terms.
6. Appendices: In this section, you can give any supplementary information that will help customers get a better understanding of the company, solution and service. One can mention about the company, strategic alliances, project management and delivery model, software development process, quality approach, sample templates etc.
A smartly written project proposal will lead the reader to the key aspects highlighted in the proposal that make it unique. It also paves the way for follow-on discussions/actions. It leaves behind a positive perception about the service provider’s ability to meet the client’s desired business objectives.
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