Business Opportunity:
Environmental Services Assistance Team Region 9
If you want the free full summary of this target go to http://login.epipeline.com/limitedDisplay?ID=FITCUSA11229&FLAG=SUMMARY.
This target is only available for a short period of time.
If you need help designing and executing your capture program
or proposal to win this procurement contact Doug Allston, at
703-642-5153.
News/Information
Networking Opportunity
Articles:
Fourteenth Annual Ten Hot Topics from Last Year
By Sid Jaffe, CEO, Advantage Consulting, Inc.
By popular demand (Demand is a relative term, for that matter so is Popular) we are updating our Ten Hot Topics List, which was first published in our January 1996 Newsletter.
During any given week the consultants at Advantage Consulting, Inc., network and meet with many businesses, and specifically technology leaders in the Metro area. We have compiled our list of the Ten Hot Topics of 2009. As a "service (?)" to our readers we are sharing the list with you.
The Washington Redskins. If a new name is needed perhaps Flounder comes to mind?
The Economy. The roller coaster was more like a bungee jump this year. But 2010 seems to be the ride back up.
Filling up ID/IQ Vehicles and Multiple Award Contracts. Few companies are maximizing the potential on the opportunities they have at hand using the many vehicles available. It almost seems as though the marketing effort ends at contract award, when it should really be beginning. Building the relationships is the challenge.
Acquisitions and Roll ups. While the acquisition trend has slowed with the economy Government contracting acquisitions are still happening but with valuations becoming a bit more conservative.
Getting Compensation in Line with Performance. Performance-based compensation is increasingly a tool that keeps good people rewarded and, most important, encourages them to stay with their company. It also is a tool for managing an important cost center in a fair and equitable manner.
"Cleared" Staff. It remains difficult to fill contracts requiring cleared people and the clearance process seems more protracted than ever.
Improving Profit Margins. This one is on the list for the eleventh year. Businesses are always trying new ideas to add profits to the bottom line. Over the past three years there has been an emphasis on acquisitions to grow the business. Now the view is toward "margin mixing" and adding new higher margin products and services.
Contract Bundling. Small Government Contractors are getting squeezed by requirements of this administration to bundle procurements into large contracts with minimal small business regard.
In-sourcing. As if bundling wasn't making it difficult enough, the Government is looking to "reduce costs and expand jobs" by in-sourcing current Contractor positions with the true cost of having the position staffed in budgets that don't truly reflect the total costs associated with a position.
Did I mention the Redskins and not mention the Nats and the Wizards? DC is clearly a CAPSital City.
Best Wishes for the New Year from Sid Jaffe, sjaffe@acibiz.com.
Task Order Protests - No Clue
By Doug Allston, President, Advantage Consulting
A recent article in Washington Technology talked about the fact that the FAR rule that took effect in May 2008 permitting contractors to protest task order awards greater then $10M has not increased the GAO workload. In other words, no one is protesting. The government attributes this fact to the level of communication they have with the vending community and their customers.
They do not have a clue. The real reason they are not getting protests has nothing to do with communications and yet everything to do with it. The simple fact is that the vast majority of task orders go to the "appropriate" contractor. The "appropriate" contractor is the contractor whom the government user community knows, trusts, and who is competitively priced. The word "appropriate" is a term that I heard a government contracting specialist use years ago to explain why their GWAC contractor would never make the mistake of awarding a task order to someone other then the contractor requested by the government. (This Is applicable only if the contractor was on the GWAC and was qualified to bid on the task order.)
Most contractors who have any experience in the contracting game know that if they are not the "appropriate" contractor, they should not bother bidding. If they do, they will probably lose. If they protest for some reason, they will probably lose the protest and never get another task order on that contract. No one will ever say this to a contractor officially and it certainly is not in the FAR.
There are 32 teams playing in the NFL and they all play under the same "rules." Only one will win the Super Bowl. If you want to learn the "rules" on how to win Federal government contracting business, then you need to attend our Business Development and Capture workshops (www.acibiz.com/workshops3.htm). Happy hunting! Questions and comments to Doug Allston at dallston@acibiz.com or call me at 703-627-5820.
Tongue in Cheek Proposal Terms
By J.P. Richard, Vice President, Advantage Consulting, Inc.
More Proposal Wisdom from Chuck Keller: Anyone who has taken proposal classes at Advantage knows that I agree with the following "tongue-in-cheek" definition because of how professional I believe we must make our proposals look. Never use this word:
Pleased - One of the first words that often appears in a proposal executive summary, introduction, or transmittal letter: as in "we are pleased to submit this proposal," ignoring that the prospective customer likely does not care if you are pleased.
A New Decade, A New Opportunity!
By Bill Hamilton, Vice President, Advantage Consulting Inc.
We live in an evolving environment. Last year we considered the new administration and their changes in Federal procurement. Now we have met new people and we have seen policies change. But, where do we go from here?
The god Janus was pictured as a figure with one head that had two faces, one that looks to the future and one that looks to the past. As Janus was supposed to have done, as we end one year and begin another, it is good to take stock of our past and consider ways we can improve the future.
How well do you know your customer contacts and how well do you know their concerns and their priorities? Maybe it is time for a coffee call to meet with them to discuss how well they are doing and what they hope to achieve in the coming year. Meet with your Customer Service team to analyze and compare information on your progress and on customer needs and your progress in meeting those needs. You may want to expand your customer analysis until you have a clear picture of the way the events of 2009 have influenced your customer, both positively and negatively. Is there going to be a change in personnel and, if so, how will you react to the change.
Is the work you have done before still desired or is there a new direction in your customer's plans. Are your contracts in jeopardy? Would they like to approach a previously defined problem differently? This is a time for you to be receptive to new ideas and helpful in transition to new policies or procedures. This is also a time for you to offer new ideas or considerations for the future of your business relationship. Be open to different ways of exploring ideals and don't be afraid to think outside the box.
Yes, a new year and a new decade introduce a time of opportunity. The air is fresh; the budget frequently is as well. Many people are tired of the same old past. They want a fresh perspective on the future. This is the time to get your creativity flowing and take advantage of the dawn of new business opportunities. Want to talk about ways to create new opportunities or make old ones better. Contact me at 703-405-8912 or by e-mail at bhamilton@acibiz.com and let's talk.
Fun Humor/Wisdom:
Quotable Quotes
Victory will smile upon those who anticipate changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after changes occur. General Giulio Douhet, in The Command of the Air - 1921
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing is worth a war, is worse. John Stuart Mill
We all admire the wisdom of people who come to us for advice. Jack Herbert
We are tomorrow's past. Anon.
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