While consulting for one of our customers, we were discussing how to influence the development of the acquisition strategy that the government used so that our customer was well positioned to win the contract.
Our customer was leaning on our team of former COs to understand where he had leverage in the process, and where he did not, or could not, per regulation or process. This is a normal. We do this a lot.
What caught my ear was the way the customer phrased his question about where to make his move, or take his stand, in driving the acquisition in his favor. He asked, “Based on your input, I see lots of opportunities to influence the process, but where’s the battlefield?” In other words (to run this analogy to ground), we had given him so many clean shots to take on the process that now he was not sure which one would give him the best return. Which battle, if he won, would give his company the best chance to win the war (and the contract).
It was a great phrasing that helped drive the discussion to the first and second most important places to exert pressure on the process (including how and when) to get that maximum return. That got me wondering if our team, and our content in particular, are giving our customers a clear view of the overall war…but without context (and without knowing to ask), they may not know where the battlefield is: when and where in the process they should engage the government, the process, their subcontractor, their prime, the user, etc. to effectively influence the overall outcome. What if they do not know where the battlefield is?
Generally, the most effective way to find the battlefield in your specific situation (other than asking our team to help you), is to know your target customer (sorry, no silver bullets, once again). By knowing your customer, you are more likely to know the challenges they face in the acquisition process, as well as their overall mission and goals in the context of the competitive process.
Once you understand their targeted need in the context of the acquisition process, you can see whether, for example, the battlefield is before RFI, before RFP, or after contract award. All three can apply depending on the acquisition strategy. This targeted knowledge is particularly effective when combined with the Contracting Officer Podcast we did called “What’s not worth fighting for?” Once you know what’s worth fighting for, then you can combine that with context you have on the customer’s needs to find the battlefield.
If you can’t find the battlefield, assume someone else has and they are going to outflank you. Fighting to win the wrong battle is worse than just letting the opportunity go.