Foreword: Companies winning major contract vehicles like OASIS+ Small Business often overestimate the value of winning the vehicle, and underestimate what it takes to win work on the vehicle.

I read a really insightful post this morning on LinkedIn. It was posted by Dave Lucas, a U.S. Army Special Warfare Battalion Commander. He opened with:

“National security lessons from the Mann Gulch fire. In 1949, 13 of 16 elite smoke jumpers perished in a wild fire in Mann Gulch of Montana’s Helena National Forest by doing what they had always done despite the fact that it was not working.”

His post went on to describe what happened, and how the survivors broke procedure to not only survive, but to also create a new tactic that is a common survival procedure today.

Let that sink in for a moment. The original post is in reference to where things are regarding change in the military. I’m applying it to what I observe in federal contracting as it relates to business development efforts. Recently, the General Services Administration announced a round of small business awards for the One Acquisition Solutions for Integrated Services Plus contract, or OASIS+. Once the government issues the notice-to-proceed, over 1,000 companies will vie for identified and yet to be identified requirements from agencies around the government in the following functional domains:

• -Management & Advisory Services
• -Technical & Engineering Services-Intelligence Services
• -Research & Development Services
• -Logistics Services
• -Facilities Services-Environmental Services

Here’s the relationship to the Mann Gulch Fire tragedy. Many of the companies receiving the OASIS+ award are going to proceed by using the same tactics they’ve always used. You may be thinking to yourself:

They made the cut to win a spot on this massive contract, so they must have sound processes, right?

Yes, but winning a governmentwide, multiple-award contract vehicle with no work attached to it is different from winning a contract or a task order to fulfill a specific and funded need. If you’ve read any of my articles over the past 20 years on similar topics, you’ll be familiar with the Pareto Principle also known as the 80-20 Rule. In federal contracting, the 80-20 Rule means twenty percent of the companies will most likely win eighty percent of the business that comes through OASIS+. In order to buck this trend, companies existing in the eighty percent of those who will split the remaining twenty percent of OASIS+ business need to get away from standard processes that are not working. They also need to be able to identify where they exist in the 80-20 paradigm.

What tactics should they change?

Moving to the Opportunity.

The first, and most important tactic to change is not waiting for business opportunities to come to you. A Request for Information (RFI) is not the beginning of a customer need. This is sentiment I share frequently. When Maggie and I coached our daughter’s soccer team, teaching our players to move to the ball was an important part of our job. Our team doing it well decrease the number of times competitors beat us to the ball. It also helped us get in a better position for scoring opportunities. Waiting for the ball often resulted in turnovers, and points scored against us. Going to the opportunity instead waiting on it to come to you will almost always provide an edge. This is a core tenet of our Ethical Stalking for Government Contractors Bootcamp.

Knowing the Need.

Getting familiar with requirements as a result of agency market research and draft RFPs is not how you establish your best information advantage. Customer needs are in development long before RFIs and Sources Sought Notices are created. The information that can help you develop a fundamental understanding doesn’t often require conversations or meetings. Leveraging these artifacts generated by agency stakeholders will inform you as to their needs, budget, strategies, stakeholders, and priorities.

Protecting the Pipeline.

I have often said the best way to hold Business Development more accountable for how they spend their time and the company’s money, is by assigning them P&L responsibility. Having to account for decisions at this level will help eliminate low-quality leads and opportunities from occupying space in the pipeline, and prevent the loss of precious time from important pursuits. But it’s not solely on Business Development leaders and professionals. Company leadership has to do its part, too. Don’t circumvent your own processes just because you can, and especially when a “friend” throws a lead your way. If that friend doesn’t employ processes as strong as or stronger than yours, you are working backwards. Understand how items are allowed to enter your pipeline, move about your pipeline, and depart your pipeline. Your budget, topline, bottom line, and team will thank you.

My harping on “We’ve always done it this way” is nothing new. Doing something to counter its effects will be something new, for many. Let’s get started.

Peace,

Go-To-Guy Timberlake