Winning Work in the Construction Industry

The MarketingWorks Programme Facilitating Improvement of Work Winning Processes, Behaviours and Cultures 

Different work winning behaviours in the construction industry have been shown, both through research and also hands-on experience, to result in different outcomes. From the MarketingWorks 2014 Bid Cost Survey results, we can see that consultants who won the bids included in the survey invested more than those who lost and, significantly, contractors who won invested, on average, 25% more on their bids in this sample than those who lost. However, it is not just the gross amount of time or money spent that result in winning bids; it is also important that this investment is focused on the activities identified as creating a winning bid.

The MarketingWorks programme is very practical and has helped many clients to achieve improvement in work winning processes, behaviours and cultures. We break down the complete process of work winning into inter-connected stages and apply inclusive diagnostic approaches to identify opportunities for improvements in each stage that beneficially impact the process as a whole. Through involving the work winning teams, buy-in to new approaches is generated and once companies have immersed themselves in the MarketingWorks programme, they achieve impressive business improvements:

“Following the successful implementation of the Win Work Programme, I know we have made a significant improvement in our success rates at prequalification, written tender submissions and our performance at client interviews. It has helped us change the culture of our work winning teams so that they are more client-centric, which has enabled us to win more work.” Managing Director, Interserve 

 “You hosted a series of informative workshops [that] have developed and embedded new work winning behaviours from which we are already seeing benefits and returned on several occasions to assist and mentor on the implementation of the new work winning mentality which has already seen great success.” Pre-Construction Director, Kier London

The MarketingWorks programme helps our clients to be more client-centric so that in early meetings they better distil customer objectives and understand their needs and drivers to use later in selectivity decisions. Our process guides them through the stages so that these drivers, needs and objectives are applied within the bid narrative to position the value-based, bespoke solutions that are being developed. Through improving the alignment of bid activities and supporting systems, along with uplifting skills and desired behaviours, we help clients to be more effective so that they produce “winning bids” not just “compliant bids”.

By enhancing selectivity tools and evolving a robust and inclusive decision to bid, supported by simple work winning processes (with prompts and checklists) clients are also able to minimise wasteful activities.

Given the average cost of winning work identified in the 2014 Bid Cost Survey, the value the MarketingWorks approach delivers can benefit all organisations looking to improve win rates with greater efficiency.

“Since working with MW we experienced significant and progressive increases in margin over a 3- year period with tender success rate peaking at 1:2.” Managing Director Shepherd Construction 

“As a result of MarketingWorks’ support our strike rate for contracts awarded has increased by 50%. In addition we have achieved long-term security through a more predictable workload from fewer, but better quality, clients.” Managing Director, Osborne Building

For case studies on this service, please follow this link to access the downloads on the left hand side of the MarketingWorks website page.

MarketingWorks is a leading specialist consultancy in the construction industry, advising on all areas of win work activity. We specialise in helping firms reorganise and align their business development activities to focus on winning more business from new and existing clients. We also offer a range of services covering all areas of work winning, including Key Client Management, Client Relationship Studies and Bid Management Support Services: including facilitation of live, must-win bids.

Over the past 15 years, MarketingWorks has provided services across the UK, for over 2000 different construction firms, including 18 of the top 25 consultants and 17 of the top 20 contractors and has embedded best practice within numerous firms to help them become more market and client facing.

For more information, call Philip Collard on 07973 501599, visit the MarketingWorks website, or access the download explaining the MarketingWorks programme to facilitate improvement in work winning processes, behaviours and cultures.