Unfortunately, you will not win every tender and there could be a number of reasons for not being successful. If the buyer does not provide feedback with your rejection letter we would recommend asking, so you can learn lessons for future bids. It could be that you scored the most points on the quality side but lost out on price or vice versa. By analysing feedback you can address the elements of the bid which did not score the require marks and carry these lessons to the next tender.

Equally if you have been successful, you should still seek feedback so you can identify areas for further improvement, as no submission is ever perfect.

If you tender is for a public sector project the buyers are legally required to publish details of who won each tender. This notice is also likely to include the winning tender price enabling you to further understand areas for improvement. 

For post project reviews you should consider all activities undertaken for the contract.  This will help you understand which areas performed well and areas for development.  The areas identified should be acted upon to make improvements going forward.  It is also advisable to compare the original tender delivery plan and pricing with that achieved during execution of the works to enable the estimator and planner to get genuine feedback on how realistic their solutions were and any major issues.  Equally feedback to the procurement team is invaluable in ensuring that the materials, suppliers, and subcontractors selected were appropriate.

Lessons learned can be undertaken at any time during the project life cycle from publishing of result to completion of the contract, with a different outcome expected from each review

It is also beneficial to engage with the employer to get feedback on what they felt went well and what could be improved in a 360 degree session will enable everyone to understand the customer’s views and incorporate them into future opportunities and framework contracts.

Ensure that feedback is also sought from your staff, sub-contractors, and supply chain partners to enable this process to have real meaning.

Workshops

Ellipsis International Solutions can facilitate the lesson learnt workshops and feedback questions, providing this process in a number of ways to suit the client’s exact requirements. e.g., face-to-face meetings, online feedback, etc. All members of the tender and contract teams as well as the client, supply chain and local stakeholders can be engaged in the process depending on the stage at which the review is undertaken. To be effective lessons learnt feedback needs to be fair and constructive.

Ellipsis International Solutions believe that lessons learnt sessions are most effective when you undertake them as part of an ongoing process of continuous improvement throughout the contract period. It creates the best long-term benefits and provides more meaningful data for input into future tenders and projects and can be tied to stage gateways or key deliverables.