Beyond the Proposal: Planning Your Project Success with a Deliverables Timetable

“So… When Do We Actually Get Something?”

Have you ever submitted a proposal outlining a complex project or service, only to realize it vaguely described what the client would receive and when? Perhaps you focused heavily on the technical solution or your company’s qualifications but left the actual project timeline unclear. Something I often encounter is proposals that win based on concept but leave the client uncertain about the practical rollout and key milestones. This ambiguity can erode confidence even before the project begins.

The Danger of Vague Timelines

Presenting a proposal without a clear, client-facing timeline for deliverables creates several problems:

• Difficulty in Evaluation: Clients need to understand the proposed schedule to assess its feasibility, compare it with competitors, and align it with their own internal needs and deadlines. Vague timelines make this difficult, potentially weakening your proposal’s standing.
• Lack of Confidence: A detailed timetable demonstrates thorough planning and project management capability. Its absence can suggest a lack of preparedness or understanding of the required effort.
• Misaligned Expectations: If the client has one timeline in mind and you have another (even implicitly), it sets the stage for conflict and dissatisfaction post-award. Clarifying this upfront is crucial.
• Weakened Transition: Without a defined plan in the proposal, the handover from the sales/proposal team to the delivery team can be disjointed, potentially delaying the project start.

Your internal Proposal Development Schedule manages proposal creation, but the client needs to see the plan for project execution.

Showing the Way: Building a Clear Deliverables Timetable

A Deliverables Timetable (sometimes called a Project Schedule or Implementation Plan) is a critical component of your proposal that visually outlines the key phases, milestones, deliverables, and timelines for the project after you win the contract. What I always stress to clients is that this needs to be clear, realistic, and client-focused. Here’s how to construct one:

1. Define Project Phases: Break the overall project into logical stages (e.g., Discovery, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, Support).

2. Identify Key Milestones: Pinpoint the critical checkpoints or achievements within each phase (e.g., Project Kick-off, Requirements Sign-off, User Acceptance Testing Complete, Go-Live). These are often points where client input or approval is needed.

3. List Major Deliverables: Specify the tangible outputs the client will receive at various points (e.g., Project Plan, Design Mockups, Software Build, Training Materials, Final Report).

4. Assign Timelines: Indicate the estimated start and end dates (or duration) for each phase and the target completion dates for key milestones and deliverables. Use clear date formats or relative timelines (e.g., “Week 1”, “Month 3”).

5. Consider Dependencies: Note any critical dependencies, especially where client input or resources are required for you to proceed (e.g., “Client provides access to systems”).

6. Use Visual Formats: Present the timetable clearly. This could be:

   • A simple table.
   • A Gantt chart (excellent for showing duration and overlap).
   • A phased timeline graphic.

   My preference often leans towards a Gantt chart or phased graphic for visual clarity, especially in complex projects.

7. Align with Your Solution: Ensure the timetable directly supports and reflects the technical and management approach described elsewhere in your proposal.

Creating this timetable forces your team to think through the execution details early, strengthening your overall solution. Templates for project planning and timelines, often found in resources like the Klariti Proposal Templates suite, can provide useful starting formats. This planning demonstrates the kind of rigorous procurement and project management clients expect.

Next Steps: Defining Who Does What

You’ve established what needs to be done to create the proposal (Development Schedule) and when the project deliverables will arrive (Deliverables Timetable). But who is actually responsible for all the different tasks involved in putting together that winning proposal document? How do you ensure clarity and accountability within the bid team itself?

In our next article, we’ll focus on clarifying Bid Team Roles & Responsibilities, ensuring everyone knows their part in the proposal effort for smoother collaboration and execution.