Choosing When To Bid A Project. Got To Be In It To Win It?
There probably isn't anyone in the window tinting business more obsessive than yours truly.
There are competitive battles to be won in Tampa, Orlando and the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Battles to win across the USA with WindowfilmUSA.com.
I search for every bid opportunity, large or small, and decide whether it's worth my time or effort to try to win.
Sometimes, just to be petulant I'll broadcast the bid opportunity on Twitter.
I'll admit that it gives me a kick hoping some dealer somewhere will be inspired to shake up the "usual suspects" who tend to protect their knowledge of the pending bid.
Last week I privately persuaded some folks to show up at the University of South Carolina mandatory pre-bid meeting.
That specification caught my eye because it called for 3M Prestige 50 a rather over-hyped non reflective film that Huper Optik could easily surpass.
That bid stipulated the 97% IR rejection number that 3M likes to tout despite the limited IR range this applies to.
Despite numerous industry white papers, etc. purchasing managers are ignorant about the physics of how window films work. Ergo they can easily be mislead by this 3m IR gibberish, unless otherwise educated.
Once I determined that the project wasn't that large after all, I decided to let their purchasing people believe whatever nonsense they preferred.
They can read these articles if they wish:
Ft. Myers on the other hand isn't that far from us (after all we've done projects in Nashville, NY, Arizona, Oklahoma and Naples, FL to name drop a few.)
I sent an associate, who once worked for me at 3M to attend the pre-bid meeting (he now works for a 3M dealer in Sarasota- yes; I read the press release!)
Changing the 3M specification on this project was actually easier than blowing one's nose.
That was never an issue.
The relevant issue for me is project profitability and given the list of companies that showed up at the pre-bid meeting, I could smell yet another low cost, bare bones project.
In other words; a project perfectly suited for the "Usual Suspects" who base their entire business plan on grabbing low margin projects throughout the USA.
Now I can only surmise that my alma mater, 3M dropped their pricing so that their dealers could be somewhat competitive?
There would be no other way on earth that their 3M dealer could win against the other players since their standard price is nearly double the cost for an equal or superior film that looks, tastes, and feels exactly the same on the glass.
Still it appears that the actual low bidder may have bid this 3M film after all, only they apparently aren't officially a 3M dealer. (They were once as I recall, since I set them up in 2002 or so, FYI I probably cancelled as well in 2004 but who remembers details like that?)
I'd be guessing (but that has never stopped me before!) that this dealer must have had a 3M source for this film. I suspect they would be acting as a sub-contractor for a 3M dealer, somewhere.
I gather someone (probably a local 3M dealer who lost the bid) complained to his/her corporate 3M friends hoping they could get the bid rejected and perhaps re-bid.
It now appears that the low bid (using the 3M film) has been rejected because 3M won't issue a warranty based upon a notification by the 3M local representative.
I'm not making this up read here: Selection Committee Rankings
Now here again I am surmising that the 3M dealer who lost the bid feels better?
The dealer who should have won the bid with 3M Film, feels worse?
And the Vista-LLumar Dealer who is now being handed the bid- -feels- -terrific??
There are competitive battles to be won in Tampa, Orlando and the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Battles to win across the USA with WindowfilmUSA.com.
I search for every bid opportunity, large or small, and decide whether it's worth my time or effort to try to win.
If I determine it isn't worth fighting for I generally walk away and leave it to any number of bidders ready, willing and potentially able, to bid low and complete the project on time.
Sometimes, just to be petulant I'll broadcast the bid opportunity on Twitter.
I'll admit that it gives me a kick hoping some dealer somewhere will be inspired to shake up the "usual suspects" who tend to protect their knowledge of the pending bid.
Last week I privately persuaded some folks to show up at the University of South Carolina mandatory pre-bid meeting.
That specification caught my eye because it called for 3M Prestige 50 a rather over-hyped non reflective film that Huper Optik could easily surpass.
That bid stipulated the 97% IR rejection number that 3M likes to tout despite the limited IR range this applies to.
Despite numerous industry white papers, etc. purchasing managers are ignorant about the physics of how window films work. Ergo they can easily be mislead by this 3m IR gibberish, unless otherwise educated.
Certainly a noble mission!
Once I determined that the project wasn't that large after all, I decided to let their purchasing people believe whatever nonsense they preferred.
They can read these articles if they wish:
Ft. Myers on the other hand isn't that far from us (after all we've done projects in Nashville, NY, Arizona, Oklahoma and Naples, FL to name drop a few.)
I sent an associate, who once worked for me at 3M to attend the pre-bid meeting (he now works for a 3M dealer in Sarasota- yes; I read the press release!)
Changing the 3M specification on this project was actually easier than blowing one's nose.
That was never an issue.
The relevant issue for me is project profitability and given the list of companies that showed up at the pre-bid meeting, I could smell yet another low cost, bare bones project.
Low Ball Bidders Head to Ft Myers
A Low Ball contest where no one really makes a profit, there's no room for mistakes and your resources get tied up for an excessive amount of time. In other words; a project perfectly suited for the "Usual Suspects" who base their entire business plan on grabbing low margin projects throughout the USA.
Now I can only surmise that my alma mater, 3M dropped their pricing so that their dealers could be somewhat competitive?
There would be no other way on earth that their 3M dealer could win against the other players since their standard price is nearly double the cost for an equal or superior film that looks, tastes, and feels exactly the same on the glass.
Still it appears that the actual low bidder may have bid this 3M film after all, only they apparently aren't officially a 3M dealer. (They were once as I recall, since I set them up in 2002 or so, FYI I probably cancelled as well in 2004 but who remembers details like that?)
I'd be guessing (but that has never stopped me before!) that this dealer must have had a 3M source for this film. I suspect they would be acting as a sub-contractor for a 3M dealer, somewhere.
I gather someone (probably a local 3M dealer who lost the bid) complained to his/her corporate 3M friends hoping they could get the bid rejected and perhaps re-bid.
It now appears that the low bid (using the 3M film) has been rejected because 3M won't issue a warranty based upon a notification by the 3M local representative.
I'm not making this up read here: Selection Committee Rankings
No rebid. . so sorry!
Now here again I am surmising that the 3M dealer who lost the bid feels better?
Great job. .buddy!
The dealer who should have won the bid with 3M Film, feels worse?
Better luck next time dude!
And the Vista-LLumar Dealer who is now being handed the bid- -feels- -terrific??
Congrats my LLumar-Vista Friend
Damn. .You've really got to love this business!
Lessons Learned?
PS: I really should have bid this one after all!
Lessons Learned?
PS: I really should have bid this one after all!
Posted by Mike Feldman at 6/5/2011 11:13 AM 
Categories: Consulting Coaching
Tags: Choosing When To Bid A Project Got To Be In It To Win It
Categories: Consulting Coaching
Tags: Choosing When To Bid A Project Got To Be In It To Win It
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