Customer-focussed Strategies

We specialise particularly in helping SMEs and those new to the challenges of higher-level bidding; as well as working in teams on larger bids.
All solutions are bespoke and customer-focussed

You may need us as you don't routinely carry the necessary resource or expertise requried; have a particularly challenging or important bid; or just wish to 'up your game'.

Working with you, we will help you target your customers and determine the optimum bidding model, contracting entity, and supply chain strategy.

We will help you understand where you are; reconciling this with where you need to be.
We will help you capture internal and external intelligence, innovation and examples of excellence.

Together, we will develop the best strategy to get you, to your objectives, with minimal expenditure and for maximum effect.



Setting you up for success

We will undertake a rigorous exercise to establish the positioning of your business-- both internally and externally with respect to both your peers, and your customer.

We will help you formulate the best layouts and storyboards.  We will work with your people to best understand your customers' needs, fears, wishes and 'hot buttons'. This will be used to drive, populate, and enhance the form, style and content of the quality soluton, the operational solution and the commercial solution. 

This will generate a complete understanding of where you stand and what is required. This allows us to bridge any gaps and keep a strong focus.     

As we learn about your business and your customer, already your team will be generating win themes, the seeds of 'added value', and innovation.  Any key factors and genuine unique selling points will begin to crystallise,  for us to capture and weave into the bid.

Understand where you are....
.... and what you need

Keeping your bid on track

We will be with you every step of the way, providing high-level co-ordination and a reviewing/steering function-- usually amalgamated with the bid management function and leading the writing, for full effectiveness

We will generate and maintain a schedule to set up the bid from the outset-- through the 'kick-off'-- and on to final review.

Following your lead, we will determine the key people, experts and advisors, and resources required at all stages.  This will all dovetail seamlessly with any existing procedures and governance and ensure that the bid team is kept on track.

We will lead a comprehensive, positive reviewing process that will be challenging- yet receptive, helpful and supportive.

We will provide you with the strongest achievable bid and a positive legacy for your business.

In addition we will continue to support any validation and mbilisation.
We are also available to audit and monitor the proposals and plans submitted.

S u c c e s s e s

CLIENT 'A'



Client 'A' is a regional civil engineering and surfacing SME who sought our expertise to improve their work winning capability and then organically grow the business.
The three cornerstones of the strategy were consolidation, planning and systems implementation

1.
Winning a place on a regional framework - which would safeguard over 120 jobs.
Starting from scratch, we worked with top management to capture all current evidence and data and used this to produce the whole quality submission, detailed programmes, and HSEQ submission-- simultaneously ensuring alignment with the commercial offering.

Over five years, we were succcessful on four frameworks (civils, highways, rivers) and a variety of one-off tenders.

The process also left the client with a robust legacy for future bids, which we also assisted with during this time.
2.
Producing a strategic plan for consolidation, improvement, and expansion.
A clear and carefully considered 20-point strategy was drawn up to achieve these objectives, at minmal cost.

The strategy delivered with complete success, until a takeover in 2019 rendered it redundant.
3.
Producing an Integrated Management System
Starting from a blank page, with a client that had no existing Health and Safety, Environmental or Quality accreditation (except for tarmac surfacing sector scheme)... we prepared a complete IMS and took the company to its first ISO 45001 audit.  This is covered further in the processes section.

CLIENT 'B'



Client 'B' is an international civil engineering contractor who sought to establish a presence in England and win work in their area of expertise-- aside from their major JV bids.
Solutionality's strategy worked on three fronts:
1. A marketing strategy to identify opportunities
    and ensure prequalification
2. A complete suite of work-winning procedures
3. Supporting early and [then] current bids.
We produced a process-map driven system to achieve objectives 1 and 2.


Our solution was most notable for the way in which it utilised existing people, practices and data. It required minimal change, fitting seamlessly into people's day-to-day business.
This was achieved because we looked at what the business needed and didn't impose a 'one-size-fits-all' solution.
This was supported by a minimal set of control templates and documents.


We also produced a Writer's Guide to help ensure consistency and develop personal skills.
During this time, we also supported the client's ongoing solo and JV bids being undertaken in the UK in a technical and bid writing capacity.



CLIENT 'C'



Client 'C' is a national highways specialist that was restructuring and refreshing its highways business.

This will allow them to grow and compete efficiently, safely and sustainably.
Solutionality worked with the board/directors to implement a strategy to achieve their objectives and improve the business and its chances of winning work.
    In so doing, it drew upon all our skills to produce the overarching strategy, through a comprehensive strategy plan that comprised:
    • Branding and style guide-
      with templates for CVs, case studies and general documents etc.
    • Creation of a bid management repository and legacy
    • Work on a new logo and identity
    • Writing and creating promotional literature in the form of banners, brochures, slideshows and video editing

    CLIENT 'D'



    Client 'D' was a major national provider of highways maintenance, housing and facilities.

    (The company was sold and broken up in 2009).
    Prior to starting Solutionality, Barry was appointed as Business Manager of a new National Services business.
      Working to the MD's budgetary constraints, Barry produced a comprehensive Business Plan to merge the civil engineering, surface treatements, road marking, traffic management, and landscaping businesses into a new 'National Services' business.

      The Business Plan was designed to identify, plan, deliver and monitor the following strategies:
      • One, Three and 5-year Plan, and how 'success' is defined, with SMART targets
      • Organisational structure and roles
      • Marketing strategy and rationale
      • Work Winning targets and strategy-
        both for each individual unit, and the National Services business as a whole
      • Business targets and monitoring and improvement strategies