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© TargetGov 2015

Using Government Information to Benchmark and Assess the Competition

Gloria Larkin

866-579-1346

www.TargetGov.com

glorialarkin@targetgov.com

© TargetGov 2015

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Gloria Larkin President

• Nationally recognized federal contracting business development expert

• Author of The Basic Guide to Government Contracting

• Consultant & Trainer

• Quoted in Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, INC Magazine, Bloomberg

• Educational Foundation Board Chair for WIPP.org

• Clients have won billions in federal contracts

• glorialarkin@targetgov.com 866-579-1346

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Agenda

• Why Assess and Benchmark

• Six Steps to Successful Benchmarking

• Data Sources and Registrations

• Tools to Identify Competitors

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Why Assess and Benchmark?

• Competition is tougher every year in the federal marketplace

• Must know competition to increase win probability

• Know comparative strengths and weaknesses to make internal course corrections

• Helps quantify business performance and potential

• Develop an action plan for improvements

Note: Plan enough time to do this right!

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Bonus: Black Hat Review During Capture and RFP Response Process

• Competitive assessment to address who the competition is for a specific opportunity

• Their strengths and weaknesses

• Scores the company and competition against the anticipated evaluation criteria

• Identifies potential teaming needs

• Will help finalize win strategies

The key to a successful Black Hat review is to translate what is known about the competition into action items.

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n Situational Benchmarking

What is motivating this entire process?

Company growth (or decline?)

Pursuing a specific agency?

Pursuing a specific prime?

Pursuing a specific teaming partner?

Pursuing a specific opportunity?

Ownership changes, loss of contracts, economic downturn, industry trends, etc.?

Every situation requires a unique data set.

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n Six Steps to Successful Benchmarking

1. Identify the competitors

2. Identify what will be benchmarked

3. Outline objectives

4. Look at trends

5. Develop an action plan for the objectives

6. Monitor results and implement an action plan

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n 1. Identify the Competitors

• Prime contractors

• Subcontractors

• Teaming members

• At targeted agencies

• With targeted primes

• In industry/commercial

Identify effective tactics used by competitors, and

service or product areas in which their business is performing better

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Any may become potential teaming, sub or primes working together!

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n 2. What is being benchmarked?

Based upon situation – will change. Example of data elements:

• Annual revenues

• Profitability

• Contract vehicles

• Task orders

• # employees, services, products, patents, etc.……

Create an excel spreadsheet or access database. Add fields to it as appropriate data elements are defined.

The questions should be specific, capable of being explored using qualitative or quantitative research efforts and in line with business strategy. Support with appropriate and adequate market research.

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n Government Market Research Tools

• Federal Procurement Data System

• USASpending.gov

• FedBizOps

• SBA Profile

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n Federal Procurement Data System

Offers public users free unprecedented access to the spending patterns of the Federal government

– https://www.fpds.gov

– NAICS

– Agency

– Geography

– Incumbent

– Small business

– By contracts

– Standard reports

– Adhoc reports

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n USASpending.Gov

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See data summaries for prime recipients of federal awards, including the funding received year over year, agencies that made the awards, and the type of awards received.

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Ex: Recipient Profile: SAIC, INC 13

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n Ex: Recipient Profile: SAIC, INC

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n FedBizOps

– www.fbo.gov Opportunities and awards for last 365 days

– Interested Parties

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n Other Opportunities Websites

• GSA eBuy: available to Schedule holders only • GSA eLibrary: available to the public • FedConnect

– Department of Energy – Department of Homeland Security – Department of Housing and Urban Development – Department of the Interior – Environmental Protection Agency – Small Business Administration – Social Security Administration

• NECO • ASFI • More every day!

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n SBA Profile

• Also known as DSBS – (Dynamic Small Business Search)

• http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/ • Disclaimer: This is generally a self-certifying database.

The SBA does not make any representation as to the accuracy of any of the data included, other than certifications relating to 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone or Small Disadvantaged Business status. The SBA strongly recommends that contracting officers diligently review a bidder's small business self-certification before awarding a contract.

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SBA Profile: Small in any NAICS 17

Many companies eliminate themselves from consideration.

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SBA Profile Searchable Data Elements

• Name, Company, DUNS, CAGE • Location: state, city, county, congressional district, phone • Socio-economic certifications and related dates • Ownership status (more detailed) • NAICS • Bonding • QA standards • GSA contract • Status: Active, expired • Export interest • Keywords • Special Equipment/materials

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19 Registrations -- Benchmark Tools

System for Award Management www.sam.gov

SBA Profile (small businesses only)

http://dsbs.sba.gov

Random sample: 1,573 companies

• Score: A or B (above average) 8.5 %

• Score: C or D (average or below) 74 %

• Score: F (expired) 17.5%

The majority of companies eliminate themselves!

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20 Subscription Data Sources

• BloombergGovernment

• FedSources

• Deltek--GovWin

• FedMine

• Onvia

• Centurion

• FedBid

More popping up every day!

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21 Purchase Vehicles

What vehicles are being used and seeing success?

Credit Card: P-card, purchase card

• GSA Schedule

• GWACs

• BPA

• IDIQ

• HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB Certifications

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n GSA GWAC Dashboard

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www.gsa.gov/gwacdashboards

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n GSA GWAC Dashboard

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n Sample Benchmark Questions

• Do we know who the other competitive bidders are?

• Is a competitor an incumbent, and does that pose a threat?

• Is a competitor favored by prospect decision makers or influencers?

• Are we at a distinct competitive disadvantage from the start?

• Does this solution involve new or unproven technologies?

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n 3. Outline Objectives

• Compile results of the previous analyses

• Interpret results and communicated to the appropriate staff

• Establish goals

• Incorporate into marketing plan

These objectives should be concrete, attainable and in line with corporate strategy.

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n 4. Look at Trends

• Agency spending (up, flat, down)

• Contract vehicles (Which ones)

• Best value/LPTA

• Incumbent issues

• Small business issues

• Energy, cyber, security, social media……

How can one plan ahead to keep the business in tune with customers' needs? Know the customer!

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5. Develop an action plan for the objectives

• Define specific, concrete actions to be taken.

• Detail the tasks involved

• Assign tasks to specific people

• Include dates associated with each task

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6. Monitor the results and implement an action plan

• Continuously monitor the results of the benchmarking efforts

• Ensure that the action plans are consistently applied.

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Special Benchmarking Tip: Debriefing Competitive Intel

Unallowed topics:

• The number of offerors

• The identity of other offerors

• The content of offerors’ proposals

• The ranking of other offerors

• The evaluation of other offerors

• Point-by-point comparisons of the debriefed offeror’s proposal with those of other offerors

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Debriefing Allowed Topics: Benchmarks

• The Government’s evaluation of the significant weaknesses or deficiencies in the offeror’s proposal

• The overall evaluated cost or price (including unit prices)

• Technical rating, if applicable, of the successful offeror and the debriefed offeror

• Past performance information on the debriefed offeror

• The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during the source selection

• For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror

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Gloria Larkin

• President, TargetGov

• Author: The Basic Guide to Government Contracting

Contact:

GloriaLarkinTG@TargetGov.com

Toll-free: 866-579-1346

www.TargetGov.com

Questions?