Whether you are requesting a proposal or responding to a proposal request, the pitfalls in construction bidding are ripe for disaster.

Unclear and conflicting documentation, incomplete scope, nearly impossible schedules, and a whole host of other issues can cause problems when preparing and evaluating proposals. If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is! Even if the schedule is unreasonable, someone will submit a price to do the work within the schedule – whether it is possible or not.

Regardless of the delivery method, in construction it’s highly likely that at some point you will be on both sides of the bidding game – as an owner, contractor or supplier – either selling or buying services and products. And each time, that product or service will be unique, requiring a unique, customized RFP or RFP response that addresses the individual requirements of the project or service.

As the recipient of a proposal, either public or private work, how do you ensure that you are getting the best quality for the best price – is your RFP written to be overpriced or initially underpriced only to be inflated by change orders? Are you evaluating your proposals to mitigate claims and disputes in the future? We’ll take a look at key issues that can affect your responsive bid decision making, including:

• Project requirements — Is the project description clear, concise and accurate?
• Schedule requirements — Are they realistic? Are you going to pay for a schedule that is not necessary? What drives your schedule?
• Basics of RFP writing — the who, what, when, and where of the project
• Proposal evaluation — proposal dissection and uncovering the fine print

As a respondent to an RFP, how do you ensure that you are answering the RFP adequately, not overpricing it or being unresponsive? How do you ensure that your proposal makes it to the short list and gets an honest, impartial review? During the second half of this webinar, we’ll take a look at bids from both sides of the bid, including:

• RFP responses — being clear, concise, complete and responsive
• Assumptions and clarifications — how long until your list gets you put to the bottom of the pile?
• Substitutions and alternates — to propose or not propose…that is a tricky question!
• Proposal evaluations — understanding how proposals could be evaluated
• Following up — understanding why you didn’t win the proposal and how to modify your approach

Throughout this program,a basic checklists that can be customized to your specific requirements is provided along with answers to many questions that you might have regarding the bidding process.

Owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and engineers who are involved in review, development, submission, preparation, negotiation and management of RFPs.

This event features key insights from our knowledgeable construction expert:

Eileen Englert is an accomplished and results-oriented professional with more than 20 years of experience in various aspects of general contracting and construction management. Ms. Englert has developed specialized skills in procurement, contract administration, cost control, job cost analysis, project controls, scheduling, and dispute resolution. Ms. Englert’s claims and litigation experience includes evaluation and analysis of disputes with respect to CPM scheduling, cost analysis, productivity, procurement, and errors and omissions. Throughout her career she has acquired solid project management and project controls skills by directly managing construction projects ranging from $300,000 to $120M. Click here for the complete bio.