ARO 491 Vehicle Design Written Proposals

Yogendra Shrestha
27 September, 2011

Introduction
Proposal is like the face of company. Proposal makes the first impression of the organization. Effective proposal makes the customer believe on the company. Proposal provides the outline to achieve the customers goal.

Purpose (Goals) of Proposal

Proposal functions as a technical document
Effective proposal outlines the life cycle of the project and demonstrates the technical plan to tackle the clients requirement.

Proposal works like a marketing and sales document.

When customer is ready to make purchase they call for proposal. Proposal is sale tool; Proposal must have strong compelling arguments in order to convince customer.
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Dos
Assure proposal readability and appearance. Research about the prospective customer to understand their needs and requirements. Investigate alliances and teaming possibilities. Follow customers guidance for the preparation and submission of proposals if available. Be precise and provide the clear specific solution for the customer needs. Back up the claims by reliable sources or data.
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Donts
Spelling and grammar errors. Exaggerate the company capabilities. Provide vague solution for the customer needs. Bid low to win the contract. Make impossible promises.

RFP (Request for Proposal)

RFP is the initial step of procurement process. RFP invites potential suppliers for bidding. RFP outlines the short and long term business objective. RFP specifies the customer needs along with the evaluation criteria.

Sources of RFPs
Existing Client Referrals Repeat Business Technical seminars and trade shows Electronic Sources:
Example: For NASA RFP
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/index.html
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RFP Verification
Prepare preliminary Proposal. Consult the firms which specialize in RFP verification. Assemble the team to focus on validity of RFP requirements. Prepare final proposal and verify one more time before submission.

Format of Proposal
If the customer requires specific format. Follow the guidance according to the customer s needs. Most time customer uses the specific format for the proposer so it will be easier to make comparisons of multiple proposals and make judgment about the proposal.

Major Elements of Proposal

Introduction Abstract Project Description Management Approach Personnel Facilities and Equipment Proposed costs
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Research for Proposal

If possible schedule meetings and visit prospective customer to understand the core of customers needs and requirement. Stay up to date with the immersing technology which helps to reduce the cost and increase efficiency. Do not over or under estimate the cost do intensive homework to predict the right cost.
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Conclusion
Understand the customers needs and requirements. Follow RFP requirements. Demonstrate true technical and business model of the company. Revise proposal to eliminate error. Follow the customer guideline for the particular format if needed.
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References
Introduction to proposal writing
By FUNDSFORNGOS http://www.fundsforngos.org/how-to-write-a-proposal/introduction-to-proposal-writing/ By Karl M. Kapp, J. Ross Publishing 2003. By Jim Busch, TLI Faculty Member http://www.afcp.org/TLI-Archive/Writing%20an%20Effective%20Proposal-TLI112.pdf?fileId=113

Winning e-learning proposals: the art of development and delivery

Writing An Effective Proposal

Guidance for the Preparation and Submission of Unsolicited Proposals

NASA Office of Procurement Washington, DC 20546 http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/unSol-Prop.html

Proposals
Essentials of Project and Systems Engineering Management By Howard Eisner
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