It’s Called a Go/No-Go Decision for a Reason: Five Areas to Evaluate Before Pursuing Your Next Project

Are you wasting precious resources pursuing projects you have no chance of winning? Does your organization go, go, go after every new project under the sun? Do you joke that your go/no-go process is actually a go/GO process?

In a perfect world we’d all have a large proposal team with easy access to subject matter experts who can dedicate full-time resources at the drop of a hat to support every proposal that crosses our path. Unfortunately, it’s much more likely your proposal team is managing multiple competing deadlines on proposals, trying to coordinate with SMEs who have high-priority work outside of RFP responses, and navigating the logistical nightmare of finding an open time on the calendars of legal, product, marketing, and sales. 

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Going after every proposal possible is like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. It may assuage your FOMO, but the time, effort, and resources to go after projects you have no chance of winning are seriously impacting the ROI of your pursuit process. With so much effort going just into coordinating a response, much less crafting and refining it, you need to make sure all of these resources are worth it. Having a go/no-go decision making framework that truly works for your company ensures you can make an informed decision on the best way to approach growing your business. 

Want to know how to do it? Here are our top five topics to discuss during your next go/no-go discussion.

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What is a go/no-go decision anyway?

The go/no-go stage is arguably the most important step in a productive pursuit process. This is when your leadership decides to officially pour your blood, sweat, and (sometimes lots of) tears into winning a new project or securing a new client. A robust go/no-go process helps to make sure your organization is using its resources on opportunities that you stand the best chance of winning.

Unfortunately, this is also the stage where many organizations fail. Too often, companies think they can increase their win rate and, thus, their sales, by going after every opportunity that comes across their desks. The opposite is true. Every minute an organization spends working on the WRONG pursuits is time being taken away from the opportunities that you actually CAN win.

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The Foundation of the Go/No-Go Decision-Making Process

Yes, this article is about having a go/no-go discussion. But that discussion doesn’t necessarily need to happen if you can weed out opportunities that are so wrong for your company it doesn’t make sense to engage every stakeholder in evaluating the opportunity. Ask yourself these four questions:  

1. Do we need a go/no-go checklist? If you’re only evaluating two or three opportunities a month, you likely don’t need a robust go/no-go framework. But if you have aggressive growth goals and are using RFPs as a tool to get there, you need to establish a framework that looks at the feasibility and potential reward of the opportunity versus the potential risk and cost of dividing focus for your team to get it out the door.
2. Do we meet the basic criteria or requirements the client is looking for? While we all want to dream big about what we’re capable of, considering an opportunity so far outside your wheelhouse that you’ll either need to change your business strategy or bring on additional significant resources doesn’t make sense. Few companies will meet every requirement in an RFP, but meeting less than half of them is a big red flag. Have a clear understanding of what is required and what you’re capable of.
3. What is the project timeline and project lifecycle? You will need to know if you have the resources to support this during the timeline the client has established and if there is a potential risk that this opportunity will impact your ability to support current or future clients.
4. Who are our stakeholders? If you think an opportunity will work for your company and is worth pursuing, who are the stakeholders and decision-makers within your organization that need to evaluate the opportunity for go/no-go discussion? Who needs to be a part of developing the go/no-go criteria for your organization? Who needs to be involved in the final decision?

If an opportunity clears these first hurdles, it’s time to work with your team members on the go/no-go checklist. 

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Top Five Strategic Go/No-Go Discussion Areas

1. Do we know ALL of the decision-makers and do they know US? In today’s world, decision-making power is no longer in the hands of just one individual. Every purchasing decision requires, on average, five to seven different people to say “yes, I want them.” The CEO, the department director, the project manager, the subject matter expert, the procurement manager, the attorney, and more all have a say in who is hired. Do we know each of those decision-makers? Do we just know one? Are they REALLY the ultimate decision-maker? Will they advocate for us? Also, it should be noted here that many people like to think that we know everyone in the client organization and that we have all the right relationships in place. Sure, that may be true. But, it’s often an overstatement and we’re often over confident. Digging into who our relationships are with and how strong they are deserves some attention and is a critical part of risk management with your RFP resources.
2. Do we know what’s keeping our client up at night? Sure, some RFPs might include background information on the project requirements, initiative, or need, but it definitely doesn’t tell the whole story. Do we know what’s really driving this project? Are there schedule constraints the client must meet to avoid regulatory penalties? Does the airport need to be in service before an international event? Is the local community at odds with the City’s decision to build a water treatment plant in their neighborhood? We have to know what’s important to the client, beyond the scope of work, in order to stand a true chance of winning. Ask yourself if you truly know something that no other firm knows… do you have insider knowledge that will help you win?
3. Speaking of…do we REALLY stand a chance of winning? There’s a difference between being able to DO the work, and being able to win. Sure, we have the resources to build a state-of-the-art facility, but so can our top tier competitors. Being honest and asking yourself if a) you know what’s most important to the client and going to drive their decision-making process and b) can you provide those solutions in a way that sets you apart from all the other companies out there? This helps you get a more clear understanding of the project risks and the right projects for your team. 
4. Do we have the resources to pursue? Too often, organizations are focused on making sure they have the right resources to execute the work. Well, the same should be true for making sure we have the right resources to pursue the work. Do we have the RIGHT capture manager with ample time to dedicate to leading a winning proposal? Do we have a proposal manager with bandwidth to lead strategy sessions, craft content, and keep the team on track? Do we have an up-to-date template to streamline the project kickoff? Or are we running on fumes, cranking out proposals left and right with little strategy or intention for the end game… to WIN?
5. Does this opportunity align with our long-term strategy? If our business plan outlined a focus on expanding into the Pacific Northwest, why do we continue to propose on projects in a non-strategic area, like the Southeast? If we’ve agreed to harness our experience, minds, and power into building a renewables business practice, why do we continue to propose on coal power plants? Remember, every opportunity we say “yes” to is another opportunity we are effectively saying “no” to, so choose wisely.

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of a go/no-go process is not to shoot down opportunities left and right. The purpose is to make sure we’re spending our time, money, and resources on the opportunities that have the greatest viability of propelling our business forward.

We help our clients with challenges just like this one every day. Looking for a third-party perspective on your current go/no-go process? Searching for detailed guidance on how to implement a better go/no-go stage gate? Don’t have a go/no-go process? We’re here to help! Get in touch and discover how Summit Strategy can help take your business to new heights.