Stop Drowning in Drafts: How to Setup a Document Control System for Your Proposals

Have you ever been absolutely certain you had the final version of a proposal section, only to discover later that a key contributor emailed an update you missed?

Or maybe you’ve found yourself frantically searching through emails for the absolute latest draft of Section 3, moments before a proposal deadline?

Something I’ve found very common with teams new to formal proposal processes is this exact struggle. If you’re juggling contributions from several team members – a writer, a technical expert, a pricing specialist – keeping track of who changed what, when, and which version is current can quickly become a nightmare.

Business Context

This isn’t just annoying; it’s a major risk to your proposal quality and your firm’s reputation.

Submitting a proposal with inconsistent information, outdated content, or contributions missing entirely because the wrong file was used undermines your credibility.

It suggests disorganization and a lack of attention to detail – qualities no client wants in a partner. Lost time spent searching for files or reconciling different versions also drains valuable resources.

Think about it: that time could be better spent refining your message, ensuring your proposal is truly customer-centric, which, as we discuss in Lesson 1 of our Proposal Writing Course on Customer-Centric Proposals, is fundamental to winning. Without a system, chaos often reigns, stress levels rise, and the chances of critical errors skyrocket.

Solution: Document Controls

The solution is implementing a simple but robust Document Control system.

This isn’t necessarily about complex software initially; it’s about establishing a clear process and using a central log. Here’s how I advise clients to get started:

1. Create a Central Log: Use a simple spreadsheet (like MS Excel or Google Sheets) as your Document Control Log. This log becomes the single source of truth. What I find with Excel is that you need to keep it simple enough to do the actual job so you don’t defeat yourself, which can happen if it’s too complex. At least, that’s what I’ve found works best for teams adopting this initially.

2. Define Key Information: Your log should track essential details for each document or section. Include columns for:

   • Document/Section Name
   • File Name (Use a consistent naming convention!)
   • Current Version (e.g., v1.0, v1.1, v2.0 – Final)
   • Status (e.g., Draft, In Review, Approved, Final)
   • Contributor/Owner
   • Last Updated Date
   • Location (Link to the file in your central repository)
   • Client (If managing multiple proposals)

3. Establish a Central Repository: Store all proposal documents in ONE designated, easily accessible location (e.g., a specific folder on a shared drive, SharePoint). Seriously, stop emailing drafts back and forth! This discipline is key.

4. Implement Version Control: Agree on a simple versioning system (e.g., v1.0, v1.1 for minor; v2.0 for major revisions). Clearly mark the ‘Final’ version.

5. Assign Responsibility: Make one person (often the Proposal Manager) responsible for maintaining the Document Control Log and ensuring everyone follows the process. Accountability is crucial.

6. Communicate the Process: Train your team. Show them where the log is, the naming convention, where to save files, and stress the importance of updating the log. While process is key, don’t forget that modern tools can assist. For instance, learning how to use ChatGPT effectively can help streamline the drafting of initial responses to RFPs, potentially reducing the number of early-stage drafts you need to manage.

Using well-structured templates can significantly accelerate setting this up. The Document Control template included in the Proposal Templates suite (MS Word & Excel) from Klariti gives you a fantastic head start with pre-defined columns and best practices built-in.

Proposal specialists at Klariti continually refine tools, like the recently updated procurement templates, to help proposal managers succeed.

Next Steps

By implementing a clear Document Control system, you replace chaos with order, reduce errors, and free up valuable time.

You now have a reliable way to manage the content being created. But proposals don’t exist in a vacuum; they respond to specific opportunities arriving on different timelines. So, how do you keep track of all the incoming RFPs themselves?

Next up, I’ll look at the RFP Schedule and explore how to manage the flow of opportunities efficiently, ensuring you never miss a critical submission date again.