News and Notable

Click here to read the latest proposal development and capture management-related articles from the Lohfeld Consulting Group team

7-29-10 – Join Beth Wingate on Sept. 24, 2010 at the APMP-Pacific Northwest Fall Symposium
Join Beth Wingate (APMP Fellow), Dr. Tom Sant (APMP Fellow), Mike Parkinson (APMP Fellow), B.J. Lownie (APMP Fellow), Dr. Amy McGeady, and Jessica Morgenstern (APMP Fellow) for this one-day conference and learn the latest tools and techniques for winning "the big one" from these internationally recognized experts.

7-19-10 – Join Bob Lohfeld on Oct. 27, 2010 for an industry seminar on Capture Management Best Practices
Join Bob Lohfeld on March 4, 2010 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. 

7-16-10 – Join Beth Wingate on Sept. 28, 2010 for Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors
Join Beth Wingate on February 10, 2010 for this one-day training course on Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors. We'll take you through Lohfeld Consulting Group's proven methodology for developing winning proposals—targeted at the Government marketplace.

6/28/10 – Proposal Reviews Will Raise Your Competitiveness and Increase Your Win Probability – Bob Lohfeld in Washington Technology
A systematic process can raise competitiveness and increase win probability...Bob Lohfeld’s Washington Technology column.

6/14/10 – Keys to Winning Government Contracts – Bob Lohfeld in Washington Technology
A defined and efficient process are essential to success...creating winning proposals is not the same as writing a proposal…Bob Lohfeld’s Washington Technology column.

6-6-10 – APMP Inducts Fellows – Beth Wingate Selected as 2010 APMP Fellow
Congratulations to the 2010 APMP Fellows! On June 3, 2010, at the 21st Annual APMP International Conference in Orlando, FL, the following recipients were inducted as APMP Fellows:

Each year, APMP recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to our profession by presenting the APMP Fellows Award. Inducted for life, APMP Fellows aid APMP as advisers and mentors, continuing records of excellence and service. For more information on the criteria for this award, please visit www.apmp.org/ca-125.aspx.

5/3/10 – 10 Fundamental Activities for Successful Capture Management – Bob Lohfeld in Washington Technology
A successful capture management process requires 10 fundamental activities — and don't forget the need for corporate support…Bob Lohfeld’s Washington Technology column.

4/5/10 – Ask the Right Questions to Understand Your Customer's Objectives – Bob Lohfeld in Washington Technology
Your capture team needs well-crafted questions before meeting with customers…Bob Lohfeld’s Washington Technology column.

3/3/10 – Five Passing Grades You Need to Lead The Pack – Bob Lohfeld in Washington Technology
A focus on positioning means asking the right questions…Bob Lohfeld’s Washington Technology column.

2-17-10 – Join Bob Lohfeld and Beth Wingate for our rescheduled Capture Management for Government Contractors and Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors on February 23 - 23, 2010 in Tysons Corner
Rescheduled courses due to Washington-area snow storms—a few seats left.

2-13-10 – Bob Lohfeld speaking at the Coalition for Government Procurement’s Small Business Forum on March 18, 2010
Learn from the experts how to capture contracts and stay in compliance as your business grows with The Coalition for Government Procurement.

2-10-10 – Bob Lohfeld featured in monthly Washington Technology column
Check out Bob Lohfeld's new column focusing on the principles of capture management.

1-28-10 – Join Bob Lohfeld on March 4, 2010 for an industry seminar on Capture Management best practices
Join Bob Lohfeld on March 4, 2010 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. 

1-4-10 – Washington Technology Editor Nick Wakeman picks "What Drives the Best Capture Managers" featuring Bob Lohfeld as favorite article of 2009.

12-21-09 – Join Beth Wingate on February 10, 2010 for Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors
Join Beth Wingate on February 10, 2010 for this one-day training course on Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors. We'll take you through Lohfeld Consulting Group's proven methodology for developing winning proposals—targeted at the Government marketplace. (Click here to register for the Winning Proposals industry seminar.)

12-17-09 – Beth Wingate elected as Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) International's 2010–2011 Director of Education
The National Capital Area Chapter of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP-NCA) is pleased to announce that its current President was recently elected to the APMP International Board of Directors. Beth Wingate, AM, APMP, will serve as Director of Education.

For the past two years (2008, 2009), Beth Wingate has been the President of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP), National Capital Area (NCA) Chapter providing vision, leadership, and educational direction for the largest Chapter of APMP with almost 900 affiliated members. APMP International awarded Beth the 2008 Steven S. Myers Award for APMP Chapter Chair of the Year for her leadership of the NCA Chapter. 

12-9-09 – Brenda Crist achieves APMP Professional Accreditation
Lohfeld Consulting Group proudly announces that Brenda Crist, PPM.APMP, Managing Director, Strategic Solutions, has achieved Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) Professional Accreditation.

12-3-09 – Join Bob Lohfeld on February 9, 2010 for an industry seminar on Capture Management best practices
Join Bob Lohfeld on February 9, 2010 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. 

11-30-09 – Industry seminars on Capture Management best practices and Creating Winning Proposals – 2010 Schedule posted
Join Bob Lohfeld and Beth Wingate for one-day training courses on Capture Management for Government Contractors  and Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven methodologies and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. 

11-24-09 – Join Bob Lohfeld on January 20, 2010 in San Diego for an industry seminar on Capture Management best practices
Join Bob Lohfeld on January 20, 2010 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. 

11-10-09 – Bob Lohfeld interviewed on Federal News Radio on the importance of capture management for government contractors
Bob Lohfeld was interviewed on Federal News Radio by Larry Allen, President of the Coalition for Government Procurement, on the importance of capture management for government contractors. Click here to listen to the entire interview. The full interview is available as an mp3 file on the Federal News Radio site at http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=46&sid=1805751. The two discuss what capture management is and why it's essential to being a successful contractor, the essential parts of a capture management team, and understanding the capture management timeline and opportunity identification through post-proposal follow up. The interview aired live on Federal News Radio on November 10, 2009.

11-9-09 – Join Bob Lohfeld on December 9, 2009 for an industry seminar on Capture Management best practices
Join Bob Lohfeld on December 9, 2009 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. 

11-1-09 – Lohfeld Consulting Group introduces Proposal Process and Infrastructure Support Division
Lohfeld Consulting Group introduces our Proposal Process and Infrastructure Support Division. Our experts work closely with clients to create a defined, repeatable, and optimized process that works with existing corporate structures to raise win probability and reduce the effort required to create winning proposals. Our proposal process and infrastructure offering comprises three elements:

In-depth Gap Analysis: We focus on both the capture and proposal processes—analyzing your current operations and offering actionable recommendations for process improvement.

Resources: Once we have established a baseline gap analysis, we help develop the support infrastructure needed to effectuate change, including establishing and, if appropriate, administering capture repositories; proposal management websites; and resume, past performance, and past proposal databases.

Coaching: The third prong of our offering focuses on providing hands-on coaching to assist our clients with implementing the process improvement recommendations and maximizing use of resources put in place.

10-9-09 – Bob Lohfeld shares capture management insights in October 9, 2009 Washington Technology feature - "What drives the best capture managers?"
“I like to think of capture as the most fun you can have in the company,” Lohfeld said. “You have this wonderful opportunity to compete against similar players in the market. It’s all about being better than the competition.” “And it’s not about the money,” he said. “It’s about the passion of people to be successful, not to finish the race in second place.” (Click to read more.)

7-31-09 – Join Bob Lohfeld on August 20, 2009 for an industry seminar on Capture Management best practices and Beth Wingate on September 10, 2009 for Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors
Join Bob Lohfeld on August 20, 2009 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. Join Beth Wingate on September 10, 2009 for this one-day training course on Creating Winning Proposals for Government Contractors. We'll take you through Lohfeld Consulting Group's proven methodology for developing winning proposals—targeted at the Government marketplace. (Click here to register for the Capture Management industry seminar.) (Click here to register for the Winning Proposals industry seminar.)

6-24-09 – Bob Lohfeld presents industry seminar on Capture Management best practices
Join Bob Lohfeld on June 24, 2009 for this one-day training course on Capture Management for Government Contractors sponsored by FedSources. We’ll take you through the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s proven 10-Step Methodology for Capture Management and show you how to improve your win rate when pursuing government contracts. We'll talk about government procurements and the many lessons we learned in applying this Capture Management process. You'll learn how to qualify new business opportunities; form capture teams; understand and influence government requirements; position your company as a leader for procurements; assess your competition; develop win strategies; build your teaming strategy whether you're a prime contractor or subcontractor; set your price-to-win; manage the perception of risk during the bidding process; make effective bid decisions; and manage the overall capture management process. You'll learn how to tailor each step in the capture process to fit your own company, and you’ll receive a Capture Plan Template that you can use to build and manage your own Capture Planning process. You can apply this capture process to all new business opportunities whether you're a hardware, software, professional services, or systems integration firm. (Click here to register for the Capture Management industry seminar.)

• Understanding the Business Development Life Cycle
  Step 0 – Identifying and Qualifying New Business Opportunities

• Developing Your Capture Plan
  Step 1 – Becoming a Capture Manager and Forming Your Capture Team
  Step 2 – Understanding and Influencing Requirements
  Step 3 – Developing Your Solution
  Step 4 – Positioning Your Company to Win
  Step 5 – Assessing The Competition
  Step 6 – Developing Your Win Strategies
  Step 7 – Using Teaming Strategies
  Step 8 – Setting the Price to Win
  Step 9 – Assessing Risk
  Step 10 – Capture Reviews and Managing the Capture Process

6/12/09 – Beth Wingate awarded APMP Chapter Chair of the Year  
APMP awarded Beth Wingate the Steven S. Myers Chapter Chair of the Year for 2008 award during the 20th Anniversary APMP International Conference. Beth is the 2009 President of the APMP, National Capital Area (NCA) Chapter. She served as the Chapter's President in 2008 and as Executive Summary Newsletter Chairperson, publisher, and editor from 2005 to 2007. Beth presented at the 2007 International APMP Conference in New Orleans and at the NCA Chapter's 2008 Proposal Basics Boot Camp. She presented at the 2009 International APMP Conference in Chandler, Arizona.

6/12/09 – Lohfeld Consulting Group awards Kindle at 20th Anniversary APMP International Conference June 9-12, 2009 in Arizona
Lohfeld Consulting Group held a drawing as part of our participation as an exhibitor and Diamond Sponsor at the APMP International Conference. We invited attendees to "tweat" their most valuable lesson learned about capture management and proposal development for a chance to win a Kindle 2. We selected Marilyn Moldovan of Northrop Grumman Corp. as our winner based on her outrageous "war story."

True Story: Why you should have a back-up delivery. In the late '70s, never thought about a back-up. We were delivering a large proposal to NAVAIR in D.C. Put it in the trunk of a car and drove it. Too late for any other delivery and too large! On the way, traffic accident! Trunk was damaged and would not open! Called office. Director said, "Deliver the car!" With 15 minutes to go, right outside the customer, we got it opened. Delivery made!

(For the rest of the day after Beth Wingate related Marilyn's winning lesson learned, we heard conference attendees repeatedly telling each other to "deliver the car"!) (Click here to read more "honorable mention" lessons-learned "tweats.")

6/12/09 – Lohfeld Consulting Group principals present at 20th Anniversary APMP International Conference June 9-12, 2009 in Arizona
APMP International selected Bob Lohfeld, Brenda Crist, and Beth Wingate to present at APMP's 20th International Conference in Chandler, AZ, June 9-12, 2009.

Bob Lohfeld (right) presented Integrating the Capture and Proposal Processes (click to download presentation).

Brenda Crist (left) presented Using CMMI, ITIL, and PMBoK to Improve Operations (click to download presentation and notes).

Beth Wingate (right) presented Creating a Winning Task Order Proposal Process (click to download presentation and notes).

6/12/09 – Lohfeld Consulting Group exhibits at 20th Anniversary APMP International Conference "Knowledge is Power" June 9-12, 2009 in Arizona
The exquisitely peaceful Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa located in the high Sonoran Desert of Arizona hosted this year’s 20th Annual International Conference “Knowledge is Power” in early June. An authentic representation of the Gila River Indian heritage and culture, the resort offers an inspirational experience celebrating the architecture, design, art, and legends of the Akimel O’otham and Pee Posh tribes.

At this year’s conference, an oasis in the middle of a desert offered conference attendees the opportunity to relax in its peaceful surroundings and to enjoy many site-seeing opportunities after their fully packed days attending Tuesday’s First-time Attendee Orientation, opening reception, special “welcome back” ceremony, and APMP Fellows presentation, as well as a “getting connected” speed networking session by BJ Lownie and Jon Williams of Strategic Proposals that had all of us in the ballroom on our feet on Wednesday morning chatting madly with our fellow participants, a Keynote presentation on mentoring and coaching by Dr. Terry Bacon, and more than 50 conference sessions focused on proposal and capture management over three days.

The week concluded with a closing session hosted by BJ Lownie and Jon Williams that reflected on the past 20 years of APMP and proposal professional highlights.

Many NCA Chapter members, including Lohfeld Consulting Group's Bob Lohfeld (click to download presentation), Brenda Crist (click to download presentation), and Beth Wingate (click to download presentation) provided educational and entertaining conference sessions. Be sure to download their presentations and check out their speaker notes on www.APMP.org on a members-only Page at Conference >Past and Future APMP Conferences >APMP Conferences 2005-2009 >2009 Presentations. Members must log in to access this page.

Lohfeld Consulting Group enjoyed exhibiting at the conference and meeting many fellow APMP members from around the world.

6/2/09, 11:30 a.m. – Patricia Brosey, PMP presents "PM Survival Guide to Proposal Management (How My Program Management Skills Saved Me as a Proposal Manager)" at June Project Management Institute (PMI) Luncheon in Fairfax, VA
Managing a program is analogous to managing a proposal in nearly every way. Program and proposal managers are faced with the same challenges and driven by similar processes and business goals. Whether it's a huge proposal response containing multiple volumes with 60 days to respond, or a short turn-around IDIQ/GWAC task order with 5 days to respond, a proposal can be defined as a “mini project on steroids”! Pat Brosey's presentation considers the key factors that lead to successful proposal management, program manager and proposal manager roles and responsibilities, proposal and task order response processes, and lessons learned (click here to download presentation). For more information, please contact fairlakes@pmiwdc.org.  

4-24-09 – Brenda Crist presents "Using Industry Best Practices for Improving Proposal Operations: Tried and True Processes" at 2nd Annual APMP-NCA Proposal Basics Boot Camp
Brenda Crist, Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) National Capital Area Chapter’s (NCA) Vice President, offered techniques for improving proposal configuration management, developing a knowledge base, effectively managing proposal risk, and delivering a proposal on time and within budget to a sold-out audience at APMP-NCA's very successful Proposal Basics Boot Camp in McLean, Virginia. Other proposal and business development gurus provided targeted sessions aimed at educating proposal managers, proposal coordinators, and proposal writers in proposal industry best practices. (Left to right: Beth Wingate, APMP-NCA President; Amy Barden, Boot Camp Planning Committee; and Brenda Crist, presenter.)

1-21-09 – Bob Lohfeld moderates APMP-NCA’s inaugural 2009 Roundtable – Changes in the New Administration
Bob Lohfeld, Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) National Capital Area Chapter’s (NCA) Roundtable Chair, moderated the NCA’s inaugural 2009 Roundtable on January 21. One day after the new administration took office, we received our first real look at the changes in federal procurement practices that are underway, how these will affect government procurement across all agencies, and what government contractors will need to do to win government contracts under the new administration. Anticipated changes discussed included increased competition on task order contracts, more emphasis on contractor and government conflicts of interest and ethics, increased focus on contractor performance, and potentially more “transparency” and searchable contracts on the web. A lively Q&A session revealed many industry concerns regarding upcoming government initiatives.

Al Matera, Director of GSA’s Office of Acquisition Policy and Chairman of the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (one of the two Councils responsible for revising the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)), provided the government’s perspective on Federal procurement changes underway in Congress and government agencies.

Stan Soloway, president of the Professional Services Council, presented an industry perspective on changes in Federal procurement and discussed actions government contractors need to take to be successful under the new administration. This highly anticipated event garnered record attendance for the NCA Chapter with more than 200 people present!

1-9-09 – Beth Wingate reelected APMP-NCA President for 2009, Brenda Crist elected Vice President and Professional Day Chair for 2009, and Bob Lohfeld reelected Director-at-Large, Programs Chair
APMP-NCA’s chapter leadership election concluded January 9, 2009 with Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Beth Wingate, Brenda Crist, and Bob Lohfeld elected to the NCA Board of Directors.

2009 President – Beth Wingate, AM.APMP. Beth served as the NCA Chapter’s President in 2008 and as Newsletter Chair and editor/publisher of NCA’s newsletter, the Executive Summary in 2006 and 2007. Beth presented at APMP’s International Conference in 2007 and at APMP-NCA’s Proposal Basics Boot Camp in 2008. APMP selected Beth to speak about Creating a Winning Task Order Proposal Process (click to read abstract) at the 2009 APMP International Conference. Beth is a contributing author to the APMP Journal.

2009 Vice President and Professional Day Chair – Brenda Crist. Brenda has been an active member of APMP-NCA since 2003, serving as Professional Day Chair of Publicity, Speakers Program, and Chairperson for the 2006, 2007, and 2008 events, respectively. APMP selected Brenda to speak about Using CMMI, ITIL, and PMBoK to Improve Operations (click to read abstract) at the 2009 APMP International Conference.

2009 Director-at-Large and NCA Program Chair – Robert Lohfeld. As NCA’s Programs Chair, Bob plans and obtains program presentations and speakers for Roundtables and other special meetings and events. APMP selected Bob to speak about  Integrating the Capture and Proposal Processes (click to read abstract) at the 2009 APMP International Conference.

1/5/09 – Lohfeld Consulting Group principals selected to speak at 20th Anniversary APMP International Conference June 9-12, 2009 in Arizona
Bob Lohfeld, Brenda Crist, and Beth Wingate have been selected to present at APMP's 20th International Conference in Chandler, AZ, June 9-12, 2009. Bob will present Integrating the Capture and Proposal Processes (click to read abstract). Brenda will present Using CMMI, ITIL, and PMBoK to Improve Operations (click to read abstract). Beth will present Creating a Winning Task Order Proposal Process (click to read abstract).

11/5/08 – Bob Lohfeld shares capture management insights at a November 5 Capture Management event at the Tower Club
Bob Lohfeld was part of a panel of experts who discussed the importance of true capture management and how it can help you win more contracts. Bob joined Mary Gostel, Senior Director, Business Development Solutions for Deltek, and Ray Bjorklund, Senior Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer for FedSources, Inc., in addressing topics including what is capture management, how do you gather intelligence to build your capture plan, what do you need to know before you invest in pursuing an opportunity, how does a changing government landscape impact the capture process, how do you become proficient at capture management, can capture solutions help enable the process, and once you've figured out the winning process that works for you—how do you repeat it for continued success.

11/3/08 – Bob Lohfeld shares "Survival Tips" for preparing for government debriefs in Washington Technology
Bob Lohfeld suggests you determine the correct people to join the debrief meeting, know what you can and can't say during the debrief, decide on three objectives for the meeting, and determine what you'll do to capture lessons learned after the debrief. Click here to read the entire article.

10/28/08 – Bob Lohfeld heads panel on at 1st Annual Privia Users Conference "The Leadership Forum for Integrated Capture, Bid and Proposal Management" in Tysons Corner
Bob Lohfeld moderated a panel discussion addressing how to do business in these interesting times of a changing presidential administration and current economic downturn. Panelists included Mike Pickett, CEO of Onvia, Inc.; Tim Bauman, Managing Partner of Waypoint, LLC; and Linda Davies, Senior Vice President of Zephyr Strategy.

10/14/08 – Bob Lohfeld speaks on Capture Management at APMP-NCA Professional Day
Bob Lohfeld spoke on “Optimizing Relations Between Business Development, Capture, and Proposals” as part of a panel discussion with Sal Fazzolari, CEO of iNEXA Group; Wendy Frieman, Main Thrust Proposal Manager at CSC; and Bob Weissman, co-founder of Clarus & Fidelis Consulting Corp., during the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, National Capital Area’s (APMP-NCA) on October 14, 2008 Professional Day. Learn more about APMP-NCA. Click here to download Bob's presentation.

10/14/08 – Lohfeld Consulting Group participates in 2008 NCA Professional Day
As a Corporate Partner of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals' National Capital Area (APMP-NCA) Chapter, Lohfeld Consulting Group participated in the 2008 NCA Professional Day, “Measuring Success.” We enjoyed the opportunity to meet with other proposal and business development professionals and share “war stories” and capture management and proposal management information with our colleagues. Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Brenda Crist, Managing Director, Strategic Solutions, served as the 2008 and 2007 Professional Day Chairperson of this very popular sold-out event (left to right: Beth Wingate, Amy Barden, Bob Lohfeld, and Brenda Crist).

Amy Barden and Beth Wingate discuss the importance of taking care of our proposal teams’ well being with conference attendees.

Brenda Crist, Professional Day Chairperson presents thank you gifts to Professional Day Committee members (left to right: Brenda Crist, Nasra Sakran, Elisa Goulart, Pat Kent, June Marion, Bob Weissman, Russell Huffman).

10/6/08 – Lohfeld Consulting Group welcomes new consultant to our team
With more than 20 years’ experience managing, writing, and producing winning proposals to government agencies, Pat Brosey joins us as a principal consultant for capture and proposal management and technical writing. Pat provides leadership across the entire proposal development life cycle and serves as proposal manager, capture manager, volume lead, technical writer, and red team lead. In addition, she has comprehensive, large-scale Defense C4ISR engineering program experience as a business developer, certified system architect, chief engineer, system integration lead, and software engineer. Pat is skilled in program management techniques including earned value management system (EVMS), scheduling, costing, and risk management. She led Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Models (SEI CMMI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 compliance and assessment activities. Pat is a certified Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds a Secret clearance.

10/6/08 – Bob Lohfeld featured in Washington Technology “Contracting 101: Start with patience and value”
In an October 6, 2008 article, Joyce Bosc discussed the years-long and resource-intensive process small businesses must embrace in their efforts to contract with the federal government. She notes that although there are no easy ways to the role of government contractor, obtaining the support of a business development service provider to help navigate the capture management and proposal development complexities can help position a company for success in the marketplace. Ms. Bosc adds, “Among the leaders in this emerging field is Bob Lohfeld of the Lohfeld Consulting Group. He suggests that all aspiring contractors ask themselves three questions before venturing into government sales. Click here to read the entire article.

9/29/08 – Beth Wingate discusses “Winning Ways” with Federal News Radio’s Mark Amtower on the Amtower Off Center broadcast
Federal News Radio’s Mark Amtower interviews proposal management professional Beth Wingate of Lohfeld Consulting. Ms. Wingate is also the current president of the National Capital Area (NCA) Chapter of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP). Mark and Beth discussed the Lohfeld Consulting Group’s areas of expertise (all aspects of the contracting process—business development through capture and contract management) and the role of APMP in the government contracting market. Beth also offers 9 quick tips to winning "quick bids"—well worth waiting for! Click to listen to the entire broadcast.

9/18/08 – Bob Lohfeld featured on Washington Technology’s “Capture Management Requires Discipline” webcast
As a government contractor, you are familiar with the avalanche of requirements and paperwork required to land government contracts. It doesn’t matter if you are a large or small contractor—it is easy to become overwhelmed and frustrated with the procurement process. Capture Management helps you manage that process and increase win probability.

Bob Lohfeld, CEO, Lohfeld Consulting Group; Mary Gostel, Senior Director, Business Development Solutions for Deltek; and Ray Bjorklund, SVP and Chief Knowledge Officer for FedSources, Inc., discussed the importance of true capture management and how it can help win more contracts. The panel addressed Defining Capture Management, Gathering Intelligence for Pursuit/Bid Decision, Positioning for Change, Developing Proficiency, Enabling Versus Disabling the Process, and Repeating Success. Click to listen to the complete broadcast and view the associated presentation.

8/11/08 – Bob Lohfeld interviewed about Capture Management in Washington Technology
David Hubler interviewed Bob Lohfeld on the subject of capture management, which is the process a company should go through to help raise its win probability when pursuing a government contract. The article briefly describes the capture process and does a good job of summarizing some of the shortcomings we see when working with companies to develop and help execute their capture plans. Bob answered multiple questions including:

• What is capture management?

• How does it work?

• What do they need to know about the contract they’re going after?

• Who are the best people in the company to make up a capture team?

• How do you become a proficient capture manager?

• What pitfalls do companies need to avoid when forming a capture management team?

• How can small contractors use capture management?

Good capture management is all about raising win probabilities and, if the process is done well, results in a company being better positioned to win—and better positioned to write the winning proposal. Click to read the entire article.

6/6/08 – Beth Wingate Presents “After the Big Win: Creating A Winning Task Order Proposal Process” at APMP NCA Proposal Basics Boot Camp
Beth took proposal professionals, proposal writers, and business development leaders step-by-step through a proven, repeatable task order proposal process and reviewed sample templates that helped attendees build and manage their own processes. She shared the best practices she’s learned and developed during the past 21 years for building and managing a winning task order proposal process. This included managing and directing more than 100 large and task order proposals and winning over $1.5B during her last two years with Management Systems Designers, Inc. (MSD) (acquired by Lockheed Martin). Those task orders ranged from $.5M to $100M, typically in the $5–30M range, with turnaround times ranging from 3 to 30 days with 5 to 12 days as the average. Through the techniques and processes Beth and her team developed, they became the most successful TIPSS-3 contractor in terms of number of wins.

The NCA Chapter’s Proposal Basics Boot Camp included three session tracks with five presentations each aimed at providing proposal writers, coordinators, and managers with tools and information they need to develop their proposal development capabilities.

1/08 – Beth Wingate elected 2008 APMP-NCA President
In a unanimous vote, Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Beth Wingate, Managing Director, Proposal Development and Corporate Communications, was elected the 2008 APMP-NCA President by NCA Chapter members in its online election.

1/08 – Bob Lohfeld elected 2008 APMP-NCA Director-at-Large and Programs Chairperson
Lohfeld Consulting Group’s CEO, Bob Lohfeld, was elected the 2008 APMP-NCA Programs Chairperson and Director-at-Large.

1/08 – Brenda Crist elected 2008 APMP-NCA Director-at-Large and Professional Day Chairperson
Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Managing Director, Strategic Solutions, Brenda Crist, was elected the 2008 APMP-NCA Professional Day Chairperson and Director-at-Large.

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 – Lohfeld Consulting Group supports APMP-NCA

Lohfeld Consulting Group is committed to supporting our proposal and business development industry. We support the APMP-NCA Chapter in a number of ways.

• Beth Wingate, Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Managing Director, Proposal Development and Corporate Communications, serves as the 2008 NCA Chapter President. She also served as the 2006 and 2007 NCA Executive Summary Newsletter Chairperson, editor, graphics artist, and publisher. Beth served on the 2008 Proposal Basics Boot Camp Committee and presented at the conference. She also presented at the 2007 APMP International Conference and will present at the 2009 APMP International Conference. Beth is running for the position of 2009 NCA Chapter President. “My goal is two-fold: first, to foster the next generation of proposal and business development professionals by sharing the knowledge and insights I’ve gained over the past 21 years in the industry and, second, as an accredited proposal professional, to promote both the art and the science of proposal development—and the importance of continuing professional education—to all those engaged in the profession.

• Brenda Crist, Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Managing Director, Strategic Solutions, serves as the 2008 NCA Chapter Professional Day Chairperson and Director-at-Large. She held this position in 2007 as well. Brenda also serves on the 2008 Proposal Basics Boot Camp Logistics Committee. Brenda is running for the position of 2009 NCA Chapter Vice President and Professional Day Chairperson. She will present at the 2009 APMP International Conference. “I consider supporting the APMP NCA as an investment in advancing the professionalism of capture and proposal management. No matter the level of my personal investment, I get much more in return including best practices, information about leading tools, industry trends, and the friendships formed with colleagues.”

• Bob Lohfeld, Lohfeld Consulting Group’s CEO serves as the 2008 Programs Chairperson and Director at Large. He held this position in 2007 and 2006 as well. Bob is running for the position of 2009 NCA Chapter Programs Chairperson and Director-at-Large. Bob instituted a successful Programs Committee and served as the Planning Committee Chairperson for the NCA Chapter’s successful 2008 Proposal Basics Boot Camp. He will present at the 2009 APMP International Conference. “I think what’s important about APMP is its ability to raise the level of professionalism in our industry – it’s a wonderful organization doing this through education. We have an obligation to raise the stature of consultants in this industry and the visibility of the consulting industry as a valuable resource to our clients. We need to educate people about our trade – the more they understand it, the more they’ll appreciate what we do. APMP helps the individuals involved with the organization to grow and prosper in their careers.”

• Amy Barden, Managing Director, Proposal Services, served as Chairperson of the 2008 Proposal Basics Boot Camp Facility and Catering Services Committee. “My career was fostered by folks in the industry who were willing to offer their advice, share their experience, and answer my questions. Now I feel it’s my turn to try and do the same. Volunteering with APMP—especially working Boot Camp—provides some of the best opportunities.”

3/20/06 – Fred Gregory to lead Aerospace and Defense Strategy Practice
Lohfeld Consulting Group announced today that former NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick D. Gregory joined the corporation as Managing Director, Aerospace and Defense Strategies. Mr. Gregory will lead the Aerospace and Defense strategy practice offering consulting services to aerospace, defense and IT companies to assist in development and execution of their strategies in government and international markets.

Bob Lohfeld, President of Lohfeld Consulting Group, said, “We are very pleased to have such an outstanding individual as Fred Gregory join our consulting practice. We believe he will make a major contribution to our clients in the aerospace, defense, and IT markets and will help them build and execute their business development strategies both nationally and internationally. We are particularly excited about consulting engagements with companies interested in advancing the nation’s domestic and international space and aeronautics goals.”