For most competitions, the source selection memorandum articulates the critical insight as to why the winner was chosen, as well as insights as to why others were not.
These insights are typically experienced as a strategic surprise to the loser—a eureka moment, particularly when the offers are truly distinct. These experiences have led to a common practice of conducting an in-depth lessons-learned when such a competition is lost, to better understand why the surprise was missed and the underlying competitive choices that were not taken. In hindsight, these insights are oftentimes obvious, but were masked and obfuscated in the inherent complexity of executing the capture.
Our Prospective Lessons Learned (PL2)™ solution generates prospective insights, similar to those gained from hindsight as a result of a traditional lessons learned. The methodology identifies the different paths a competition might evolve either by customer or competitive dynamics. PL2™ provides a structured approach to shaping the opportunity towards a preferred pathway. PL2™ delivers the most value in situations where distinctly different solutions are being offered by competitors, there are considerable uncertainties around acquisition strategy and stated/unstated requirements, or when the opportunity trade space is not clear as a result of customer priorities external to the opportunity.