Is your firm wasting time and money pursuing projects that…
- You have little chance of winning?
- Don’t seem to make good business sense?
- Don’t fit your firm’s strategic goals?
You’re not alone! Tons of firms go after every single opportunity that comes their way thinking it gives them the best chance of winning as many new projects as possible.
But that’s simply not the case.
Every second a firm spends on the wrong pursuits — every phone call made, every email sent, every piece of marketing collateral produced — is time not focused on opportunities that actually make sense. And, spending hours and hours chasing projects only to lose them can demoralize and burn out your市场营销和业务发展entstaff.
Not exactly a recipe for success, but we’ve all been there at some point or another.
That’s why it’s critical that AEC firms develop an effective Go/No Go process. Consistently做正确的行驶/没有去决定will empower firms to focus on high-probability, high-profit projects.
[Free tool]: Make Go/No Go Decisions in Seconds
In the five tips below, industry experts share their advice for developing a Go/No Go decision-making process that supports firm-wide success.
5 Expert Tips to Improve Your Go/No Go Decisions:
- Keep the Big Picture in Mind
- Understand Where Your Firm is Today and How You Plan to Grow
- Commit to the Process
- Only Pursue Opportunities that Inspire Passion
- Seek Outside Information
1. Keep the Big Picture in Mind
One thing many firms lack when creating a Go/No Go decision-making process is a strategic firmwide plan—and getting company-wide buy-in isn’t an easy feat.
Without knowing goals or how you define success, it’s impossible to know which projects are worth pursuing. Here’s what one AEC expert, Bernie Siben, says about having the right go/no-go process:
“You have a ‘Go/No Go’ process, and sometimes your senior folks actually follow it. But you lack a major tool that would make your ‘Go/No Go’ process truly efficient: a PLAN!
“The ‘Go/No Go’ process is designed to help you say ‘no’ when ‘no’ is the appropriate answer. The hard part is determining when ‘no’ is the appropriate answer. With a Strategic Plan, Marketing Plan and/or Business Plan, this determination is much easier.”
— Bernie Siben, CPSM, AEC marketing consultant
2. Understand Where Your Firm is Today and How You Plan to Grow
Go/No Go decision-making is about understanding which projects you’re most likely to win and putting your firm’s effort into those opportunities.
But that’s only half the story.
It’s also important to develop a strategic plan for growth and view Go/No Go decisions based on where you see your firm several years down the line.
“The framework of a go/no-go tool must blend strategy and historical evidence. For instance, the firm must use criteria that helps define its success, coupled with a blend of factors that enable the firm’s strategic plan.
“For example, Brand X Construction’s ‘sweet spot’ is defined at $7 million in project revenue. This is an important characteristic to understand, as it helps create a picture of the ideal customer or project. Notice this does not say ‘average project size.’ It is important to conduct a thorough study of where a firm excels and where it does not.
“The strategic growth niches also help define categories that are worthwhile targets. Without them, the firm might acquiesce and simply engage in identical work. While it may be currently profitable, it may also be myopic and fail to include a balance of long-term strategy.”
— Gregg M. Schoppman, consultant at FMI
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3. Commit to the Process
AEC firms will never follow any process 100 percent of the time—and that’s okay. There are certain circumstances you can never plan for. Responding to each situation appropriately, regardless of the rigid rules you’ve put in place is what’s most important.
But remember, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking every opportunity deserves special consideration.
That’s just not true.
In the vast majority of cases, you should follow the strategic Go/No Go process you put in place to give your firm the greatest chance of success.
“Be wary of end runs around the go/no go process. Sometimes there are bona fide emergencies or other reasons to stray from the committee review process, but the odds of getting stuck with a losing, or expensive, project increase if the go/no go process requirements are too easily sidestepped.
“One example is that a business unit may delay asking for a ‘go’ decision, then claim it is too late for management to say ‘no go.’ The theory may be that commitments have been made to the subcontractors or JV partners, or that estimators have already done so much work and would be demoralized if the plug is pulled. Effective management should not allow this ‘end run’ tactic to be rewarded.”
— Tom Porter, JD, DBIA, EVP at Barton Malow Company
4. Only Pursue Opportunities that Inspire Passion
You can’t afford to think of every single Go/No Go decision solely in terms of numbers. Whilemetrics and dataare crucial to success, firms and clients consist of people, and that means emotions and mental states play a role in every task and initiative.
Before making a final decision, find out how your staff feels about pursuing and working on the potential project.
Their excitement — or lack thereof — just might sway your choice!
“Are you ALL in it to win it? Mentally, we are wired to believe we can do anything and sometimes we can climb seemingly impossible mountains. The whole team must recognize the ‘fire in the belly’—the passion and inner drive to take action—when pursuing the win. If everyone from leadership to seller/doer, PM to marketing professional has the fire, then: GO. If even one person has reservations about getting to the top of the mountain, you will likely not get to the top: NO GO.”
5. Seek Outside Information
Even if you have the ability toaccess and analyze mountains of dataabout a potential opportunity, there’s likely certain information you can’t learn on your own. Take some time to research what those outside of your firm have to say about the client you’re evaluating.
“与不熟悉的客户合作，将与优秀客户合作并设计顶级项目，从而减轻您的时间和精力。新利18备用网址您必须在线研究公司及其领导者，并与同事，承包商和家具供应商交谈。”
— Richard N. Pollack, FAIA, FIIDA, managing principal at Pollack Consulting
Take an Objective Approach to Go/No Go Decisions
By developing and implementing an effective Go/No-Go decision-making process, AEC firms can empower their staff to focus on the opportunities that make sense for their area of expertise.
While total pursuits might decrease, your hit rate will likely improve at a level that increases total wins and profitability.
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