Bid Management Playbook
How IdeaHelix qualifies, pursues, and closes technology implementation bids — with clear ownership at every step.
The problem this playbook solves: When everyone owns the bid, nobody owns the bid. This document makes ownership explicit and non-negotiable from the moment an opportunity is identified to the moment we hand it over to the delivery team.
Three rules that apply to every bid — no exceptions
What's in this playbook
Part 1 — Approach
The theory: why the process exists, what the Bid Assessment Document is, how the five stages flow, and the six key principles.
Part 2 — RACI Explained
Every field in the Bid Assessment Document — who owns it, what they must actually do, and what the common mistake is.
Part 3 — Junior PM Cheat Sheet
11 step-by-step checkboxes for running a bid, a quick-reference table, and a good vs. watch-out summary.
Bid Categories
Small (<$100K) through Strategic (>$2M) — each with its own governance level and sign-off requirements.
Why this process exists
IdeaHelix pursues Salesforce and technology implementation engagements in a competitive market. Every bid costs money — in Sales time, in Delivery team time pulled away from active projects, and in Architecture and Finance effort spent on estimation and commercial modelling.
The goal of this process is not to create bureaucracy. It is to make sure that:
- We only pursue bids we have a genuine chance of winning and can actually deliver
- The people who need to contribute know exactly what they are responsible for and when
- We produce proposals that are commercially sound, technically credible, and consistent
- We learn from every outcome — win or lose — and get better over time
The single biggest failure mode in bid management is unclear ownership. When everyone assumes someone else is driving, nothing gets done on time, estimates are rushed, commercial risks are missed, and the proposal reflects it.
Bid categories
| Category | Estimated Value | Governance Required |
|---|---|---|
| Small | < $100K | Bid Lead manages; Director awareness only |
| Medium | $100K – $500K | Bid Lead + Director sign-off |
| Large | $500K – $2M | Bid Lead + Director + CEO sign-off; Bid Review meeting |
| Strategic | > $2M or high strategic importance | CEO-led; full governance process |
[TBD] Confirm value thresholds with Leadership.
The Bid Assessment Document
At the centre of IdeaHelix's bid process is the Bid Assessment Document (BAD) — a structured internal document built progressively as a bid moves through its stages.
The BAD is not the client proposal. It is the internal source of truth for everything we know, assume, estimate, and decide about a bid.
Commercial Context
What we are selling, to whom, and at what margin
Scope Definition
What is in and out, and what we are assuming
Delivery & Estimation
How we will deliver it and how long it will take
Resource & Capacity
Who will actually do the work
Architecture & Technical
Complexity, integration points, and technical risks
Risk & Constraints
What could go wrong and what it would cost
Financial Validation
Whether the numbers work, including sensitivity scenarios
Confidence Scoring
An honest internal assessment of how ready we are to bid
If it is not in the BAD, it does not get priced. If it does not get priced, it becomes a delivery problem.
How the process flows
The bid process moves through five stages. The BAD is built up section by section — it is not completed in one sitting.
Identify & Qualify
Sales completes Commercial Context. Scope Definition started with Delivery. Output: decision to proceed to Bid/No-Bid meeting.
Bid / No-Bid Decision
Full BAD reviewed at formal meeting. Architecture, Finance, and HR complete their sections. Output: documented go/no-go decision.
Develop & Review
BAD used as source for all proposal content. Estimates built out by Delivery and Architecture. Output: reviewed and signed-off proposal.
Submit & Present
Proposal submitted; client managed through evaluation stage. Output: submitted proposal and any clarification responses.
Close & Learn
Win: BAD handed over to delivery team as project brief. Loss: debrief and lessons learned captured. Output: Bid Register updated.
Key principles
Sales starts it, Delivery owns the estimate
Sales is accountable for the commercial context and client relationship. Delivery is accountable for effort estimation, timeline feasibility, and the resource plan. Neither can do the other's job.
The BAD is completed before the proposal is written
Writing the proposal first and reverse-engineering the estimate is how margin gets destroyed. The proposal is written from a completed internal assessment — not the other way around.
The Bid Lead coordinates; they do not do everything
The Bid Lead is the project manager of the bid. They ensure every section is completed by the right person on time. They are not the author of every section.
The Bid/No-Bid decision is a meeting, not an email
The people accountable for the outcome — Sales, Delivery, and Finance — must be in the room together to make a formal decision.
Confidence scoring is honest
A low confidence score does not mean we do not bid — it means we go in with our eyes open. There is no benefit to inflating scores. They are internal.
Winning a bid we cannot deliver is worse than losing it
A failed delivery damages the client relationship, IdeaHelix's reputation, and team morale. The bid/no-bid process exists to prevent this.
Commercial Context
Completed by: Sales
Target: within 48 hours of opportunity identification. This section is the foundation — everything downstream depends on it being complete and accurate.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Bid Name | Sales (A/R) | Assign a unique, consistent bid name used across all documents and the Bid Register |
| Client Name | Sales (A/R) | Full legal client name; note any parent company or group structure relevant to the engagement |
| Location | Sales (A/R) | Client location(s) and any delivery location implications (onsite requirements, time zones, travel costs) |
| Short Description | Sales (A/R) | 2–3 sentences describing what the client wants and what IdeaHelix would deliver |
| Initial Engagement | Sales (A/R) | How did this come to us? (Existing client, referral, inbound RFP, outbound) — context matters for win probability |
| Security & Compliance | Sales (A/R) | Any known security, data protection, or compliance requirements (GDPR, ISO 27001, government clearance) — flag early so Architecture and Legal can assess |
| Estimated Contract Value | Sales (A/R), Finance (C) | Sales provides the initial estimate; Finance consulted if the value is large or the commercial model is complex |
| Contract Type | Sales (A/R), Delivery (C), Architecture (C) | Fixed price, T&M, retainer, or hybrid — this has major implications for how we estimate and what risk we carry |
| Target Gross Margin % | Sales (A/R), PMO (C), Delivery (C), Finance (C) | Must be agreed with Finance and Delivery — not set unilaterally by Sales |
| Payment Terms | Sales (A/R), Finance (C) | Proposed payment schedule; Finance flags any terms that create cash flow risk |
Scope Definition
Completed by: Sales (lead) with Delivery input
Target: before the Bid/No-Bid meeting. Vague scope at bid stage becomes scope creep at delivery stage.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Statement | Sales (A/R), Delivery (C) | Articulate the client's actual business problem — not just the technical requirement. Delivery validates that the problem statement is deliverable. |
| In-Scope | Sales (A/R), Delivery (C) | Explicit list of what IdeaHelix will deliver. Delivery must review and confirm feasibility before it is committed in the proposal. |
| Out-of-Scope | Sales (A/R), Delivery (C) | Equally important as In-Scope. Explicitly state what we are not doing — this protects both parties during delivery. |
| Assumptions | Sales (A/R), PMO (C), Delivery (C) | Every assumption that affects our ability to deliver or our pricing. Each must be specific and testable. Unvalidated assumptions are risks. |
Delivery & Estimation
Completed by: Delivery (lead) with Architecture input
Target: at least 3 working days before the Bid/No-Bid meeting. Sales does not set the delivery approach or timeline — Delivery owns feasibility.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery Approach | Delivery (A/R), Sales (C) | Define the methodology (Agile/Scrum per IdeaHelix standard), sprint cadence, key phases, and governance model for this engagement |
| Estimated Effort by Role | Delivery (A/R), Architecture (C) | Captured in a separate estimation tab. Break down effort by role (PM, BA, Developer, Tester, Architect) in days. Architecture provides complexity input. |
| Timeline Feasibility | Delivery (A/R), Sales (C) | Assess whether the client's desired timeline is achievable. If it is not, Delivery must say so — with evidence — before the proposal commits to it. |
| Estimation Maturity Level | Delivery (A/R), Architecture (C) | 1 = rough order of magnitude, 2 = high-level, 3 = detailed. The lower the maturity, the larger the contingency required in the commercial model. |
Resource & Capacity
Completed by: Delivery (lead) with HR and PMO input
Target: before the Bid/No-Bid meeting. This section answers: do we actually have the people to deliver this if we win?
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Named Resources | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), HR (C) | Identify specific individuals proposed by role. Do not name people without checking availability. Named resources in the proposal create expectations with the client. |
| Capacity Availability | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), HR (R) | For each named resource, confirm availability for the proposed start date and duration. HR provides headcount data; PMO provides pipeline visibility. |
| Hiring or Vendor Required | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), HR (R) | If capacity does not exist in-house, document whether we need to hire or engage a subcontractor — with commercial and timeline implications factored in before the proposal. |
| Bench Impact | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), HR (R) | Assess impact on bench resources. Winning a bid that depletes the bench for other active bids must be flagged to the Director. |
Architecture & Technical
Completed by: Architecture (lead) with Delivery input
Target: before the Bid/No-Bid meeting. This section is owned entirely by the Solution Architect or Technical Lead.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity Rating (1–5) | Architecture (A/R), Delivery (C) | 1 = straightforward, 5 = highly complex. Directly affects the effort estimate and the risk profile of the bid. |
| Integration Points | Architecture (A/R), Sales (C), Delivery (C) | List every system the solution must connect with. Sales identifies what the client has mentioned; Architecture assesses what the integration work actually involves and sizes each one. |
| Technical Risks | Architecture (A/R), Sales (C), Delivery (C) | Legacy system constraints, data quality issues, undocumented APIs, client infrastructure limitations. Must feed into the Risk & Constraints section. |
Risk & Constraints
Completed by: Delivery (lead) with Sales and PMO input
Target: before the Bid/No-Bid meeting.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Delivery Risks | Delivery (A/R), Sales (R), PMO (C) | Identify the five most significant risks to successful delivery. For each: describe the risk, likelihood (H/M/L), impact (H/M/L), and proposed mitigation. |
| Commercial Risks | Sales (R), Finance (A/R) | Contract terms that expose IdeaHelix to liability, payment terms creating cash flow risk, scope ambiguity that could lead to disputes. Finance owns the assessment; Sales provides context. |
| Margin Sensitivity Drivers | PMO (C), Delivery (A/R), Finance (C) | Specific factors that could erode margin: effort overrun on high-rate roles, delay to a payment milestone, scope growth in a fixed-price contract. Feeds into Financial Validation sensitivity scenarios. |
Financial Validation
Completed by: Delivery (lead) with Finance and PMO input
Target: at least 2 working days before the Bid/No-Bid meeting. This validates that the commercial proposal is financially sound before it goes to the client.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Total Delivery Cost Estimate | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), Finance (C) | Sum of all estimated effort by role × rate, plus direct costs (travel, licences, subcontractors). This is the floor — the proposal cannot be priced below this without a specific strategic decision. |
| Margin Calculation | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), Finance (C) | Revenue minus total delivery cost as a percentage. Must meet or exceed the target margin agreed in Commercial Context. |
| Sensitivity Scenarios | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), Finance (C) | Model the margin impact of: (a) +10% effort overrun, (b) a one-month delivery delay, (c) a key milestone payment missed. If margin goes negative under any realistic scenario, pricing must be revisited before submission. |
Confidence Scoring
Completed by: Delivery (lead) with Sales and Architecture input
Target: at the Bid/No-Bid meeting. These scores are internal — they are never shown to the client.
| Field | Owner | What they must do |
|---|---|---|
| Scope Clarity Score (1–5) | Delivery (A/R), Sales (C), Architecture (C) | 1 = scope vague or contested, 5 = fully defined and agreed. Score below 3 means significant scope risk that must be flagged at the Bid/No-Bid meeting. |
| Estimation Robustness (1–5) | Delivery (A/R), Architecture (C) | 1 = rough guess, 5 = detailed bottom-up estimate validated by Architecture. Scores below 3 require explicit contingency in the commercial proposal. |
| Resource Readiness (1–5) | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), HR (C) | 1 = no confirmed resources, 5 = named team confirmed and available. Score below 3 must be flagged to the Director — this is a significant delivery risk. |
| Overall Confidence Index | Delivery (A/R), PMO (C), Architecture (C) | The Bid Lead's synthesis of the three scores above. The headline number presented at the Bid/No-Bid meeting. |
There is no benefit to inflating confidence scores. A low score does not mean we do not bid — it means we go in with our eyes open and a plan to address the gaps.
Junior PM — Your role & ground rules
As a junior PM on a bid, your job is to coordinate and chase — not to make commercial decisions or estimate effort on your own. You ensure the right people complete the right sections on time.
Your ground rules
- When in doubt, escalate to the Bid Lead. Never let a deadline pass without flagging it first.
- Never guess. If you are unsure whether something is correct, ask — do not assume and move on.
- Never skip a step. Steps exist because something went wrong when they were skipped.
- Chase without apology. Your job is to keep the bid moving. Politely persistent is the right mode.
- Document everything. Verbal agreements don't exist. If it's not in the BAD or the bid folder, it didn't happen.
The bid folder structure
Create this in IH Google Drive as soon as an opportunity is logged:
├── 01 - Qualification
├── 02 - BAD (Bid Assessment Document)
├── 03 - Proposal
├── Drafts
└── FINAL - SUBMITTED
├── 04 - Presentation
├── 05 - Client Communications
└── 06 - Outcome
Step-by-step bid checklist
If we won
If we lost
Quick reference
Who to go to for what
Good vs. watch out for
| Section | What good looks like | What to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Assumptions | Specific, testable, signed off by Sales and Delivery | Blank, or so vague they cannot be challenged as a change |
| Effort estimate | Bottom-up by role, reviewed by Architecture, maturity level declared | Top-down guess with no maturity level and no Architecture review |
| Resource plan | Named individuals with formally confirmed availability in the BAD | "We'll find someone" or informal verbal confirmations |
| Integration points | Each one sized and risk-assessed by Architecture | A list of system names with no complexity assessment |
| Sensitivity scenarios | Run for +10% effort and one-month delay before the Bid/No-Bid meeting | Skipped because the base margin looks acceptable |
| Confidence scores | Honest — low scores flagged and discussed at the meeting | Inflated to avoid difficult conversations |
| Out-of-scope | Explicitly listed alongside In-Scope, signed off by both sides | Left blank — "we'll handle it if it comes up" |