Developing Case Studies and Examples

Almost without exception, good bids rely on case studies and examples to back up your statements and benefits. Without them, there is no substance behind what you are saying. Looking at it from an evaluator’s point of view, how can I trust a bidder who says they can do something but can’t back it up with an example?

Evaluation schemes vary from bid to bid, but more often than not, to score maximum marks you will need to meet the requirements, provide added value AND back it up with relevant experience. If you are missing the last part, you are potentially losing crucial marks that can make the difference between winning and losing.

Collating and developing case studies and examples can be an onerous job, particularly when you are in the middle of a bid and battling against a deadline. To alleviate this pressure, take the time to develop case studies and examples when you have ‘down-time’ and/or on a methodical and regular basis - e.g. commit to developing one a month.

Getting the best case studies and examples often relies on SMEs and front-live staff to provide their knowledge. If you have a business development team (or equivalent), ensure they build good relationships with these staff to be able to sit down and talk to them about what is happening in their area, so that the best possible case studies and examples can be developed.

Stress to SMEs/staff that the examples don’t always have to be ‘big-ticket’ or ‘exciting’, they can be simple things, e.g. developing a more efficient way of scheduling staff or how a customer complaint was handled in the right way. These smaller examples can often be crucial in supporting answers that might usually be a struggle to provide supporting evidence to, such as HR or IT.

The key lesson is not to wait for a bid to come out to develop your case studies and examples. Develop them year-round and have them available in a knowledge library ready-to-use when bids are live, supporting you to maximise your marks.