Maximizing Your Artificial Intelligence Potential: A Strategic Guide to Building Your AI Use Case

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize bid and proposal management by enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and accelerating operations. However, the success of AI implementation hinges on meticulous planning and strategic considerations. In this blog, we explore key aspects that companies should ponder when selecting, using, and implementing AI tools, ensuring that they harness the full power of AI while avoiding potential pitfalls. If you want a valuable AI learning opportunity, stay tuned for the end of the article.

Prioritize AI Security

Before diving into AI adoption, it’s crucial to establish a robust AI security framework. This framework should encompass:

• Protecting the AI tool and sensitive data against vulnerabilities
• Defining access controls to restrict who can interact with the AI tool
• Managing data ingestion, updates, archival, and deletion processes
• Safeguarding data within the organization
• Ensuring data generated by the AI tool is audited for compliance and plagiarism
• Developing an incident response plan for AI tool security breaches
• Training staff in AI security processes

Ensuring AI security is paramount to prevent potential data breaches and maintain compliance with industry standards.

Define Your AI Use Case

AI tools offer a wide array of capabilities. Creating a clear use case tailored to your specific needs is imperative to maximizing the benefits of these tools. Consider how AI can assist with:

• Capturing bid ratings and assessing progress
• Handling RFIs and developing compliance matrices
• Generating proposal text
• Evaluating proposal compliance and completeness
• Enhancing writing quality and readability
• Providing content improvement suggestions
• Incorporating industry or company best practices

Once you’ve defined your use case, consider conducting a proof of concept (POC) or pilot to gather valuable data for an informed decision, which can lead to a higher ROI.

Establish Your Investment Size

Allocate part of your budget to investing in AI. A recent pool of companies on the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) Official LinkedIn Discussion Group noted that 37% of companies planned to invest $500K or more on AI, 15% planned to invest $100K-$499K, 19% planned to invest $50K-$100K, and 30% planned to invest $50K or less.

Optimize AI Data Ingestion

The quality of input data significantly impacts the output of AI tools. Instead of indiscriminately ingesting all data, identify high-value assets that will yield the most meaningful text. This could include:

• High-scoring proposal sections
• Past performance records
• Resumes
• Plans
• Unstructured data such as graphics and image
• Strengths databases for identifying proposal strengths and proof points

Refining the data you input will enhance the quality of AI-generated content.

Evaluate AI Proposal Evaluation Effectiveness

When considering AI tools for proposal evaluation, define what aspects you want them to assess and how critical these results are for improving your proposals. While most AI tools can evaluate compliance, completeness, and readability, subjective criteria like understanding may require human judgment.

Next Steps

Companies that strategically plan their AI tool implementation stand to gain the highest return on investment (ROI). On October 2, 2023 Lohfeld Consulting is launching its Generative AI Proposal Development Center. The Center provides access to AI tools, services, and training. To learn more about the Center, contact Brenda Crist. To download a free copy of the Lohfeld GenAI Prompt Engineering Lessons-Learned Report, click here.

By Brenda Crist, Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting Group, MPA, CPP APMP Fellow

Lohfeld Consulting Group has proven results specializing in helping companies create winning captures and proposals. As the premier capture and proposal services consulting firm focused exclusively on government markets, we provide expert assistance to government contractors in Capture Planning and Strategy, Proposal Management and Writing, Capture and Proposal Process and Infrastructure, and Training. In the last 3 years, we’ve supported over 550 proposals winning more than $170B for our clients—including the Top 10 government contractors. Lohfeld Consulting Group is your “go-to” capture and proposal source! Start winning by contacting us at www.lohfeldconsulting.com and join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.