My friends over at CredenceHealth are sponsoring a webinar demonstrating their clinical data tools, and although it’s specifically targeted to Tennessee, I thought folks might have some interest. CredenceHealth and THA Solutions Group are doing some great things to improve healthcare in the U.S., and I’ve been enjoying watching them grow.

Transparency Statement: No conflicts of interest. These guys haven’t so much as offered to buy me lunch, much less pay me for this quasi-commercial announcement!

But it is with their permission that I repost it here:

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Join CredenceHealth and THA Solutions Group for a statewide webinar Nov. 17 and Nov. 19

THA Solutions Group and CredenceHealth will hold a statewide informational webinar and demonstration November 17, at 10:00 a.m. and November 19, at 2:00 p.m., to showcase CredenceHealth’s real-time clinical intelligence suite, including CHlive.

CHlive allows your clinicians to return to care by supplementing manual abstraction processes and providing actionable information to assist in the timely identification of emerging complications.

Learn how you can quickly begin using CHlive to improve quality of care and reduce costs by partnering with CredenceHealth to leverage existing HIT in your hospital, regardless of size.  Last month, THA Solutions Group and CredenceHealth announced the formation of a Select Partnership designed to help provide greater access to these tools for Tennessee hospitals.

If you would like to take part in this informational webinar please RSVP by Friday November 13, for the appropriate day & time using the links below (will launch an email):

RSVP November 17, 10:00 a.m. CDT

RSVP November 19, 2:00 p.m. CDT

For more information about CredenceHealth, please visit our website: www.credencehealth.md or view “CredenceHealth At a Glance” Executive Summary (pdf).

United We Stand

I was pleased to learn that a proposal I wrote for one of my clients just placed first in a regional government municipality’s RFP process, and they were awarded a contract. Determined to learn how we got the top slot – and how to stay there – I jumped at the opportunity to look over our review sheets (and peek at the competitors’ submissions), and spent a full afternoon reading through documents, making notes, and generally sucking up to becoming friends with the muni’s procurement director. Here are some insights that I gained about our proposal efforts and that government’s process that I thought I would share with you guys.

Presentation

Presentation is an important component. Even when it’s suggested that the customer doesn’t care, every MarCom graduate will tell you that it matters. Here’s my anecdotal evidence:

• The top 5 proposals were obviously produced professionally (and several non-winning ones clearly were not). Three-ring-bound, with compelling covers and coordinated spines. In discussion at a separate vendor pre-proposal conference, the customer told us that they preferred double-sided printing on the Original and Copies and they also preferred that the Copies had less environmental impact – suggesting full black and white printing for non-original documents, and even recommended binder clips versus 3-ring binding. None of this was in the RFP, but we DID end up using a simple comb binder for Copies on a subsequent submission.
• Another strong element that all the top proposals shared was a balanced use of graphics. Every third page, generally speaking, had a table, call-out, screenshot, flowchart, or other image. Further, they were CLEAN and well executed graphics. No copies of mimeographs of newspaper articles, or fuzzy screen shots of online reporting systems (except my clients financial statements, which were copy-machine PDFs – we didn’t appear to lose points for that, but we’ve since obtained clean statements from the accountant).

Content

The RFP was clear about how scoring would be done, and their reviewers checked off each question-within-a-question. The procurement director commented that she was surprised at the number of proposals that missed answering or simply didn’t answer a question or sub-question. Other things the reviewers called out included the following:

• There is an additional burden placed on the bureaucracy when a vendor opts to propose alternatives to contract language. It appears that potential customers do not appreciate extra burdens! I would never advise my client to accept contract terms that they couldn’t live with, of course, but the extra steps necessary to navigate the customer’s legal department may have cost some potential vendors goodwill, if not points. I was also told that it’s is quite possible a winning vendor who requested changes to contract language could be disqualified post- award.
• One reviewer noted and commented on our inclusion of team resumes, specifically because they demonstrated longevity in the industry. I think this is a good thing to point out – perhaps in a call-out – in the event that they aren’t looking for it.
• Our process flow used job titles to show responsibilities. More than one of our competitors used title AND the person’s name in the flow chart – and they were recognized favorably for that. Contrary to our attitudes about government entities, the personalization of the message seems to have a positive impact. The review notes further supported this learning, as they complimented some vendors on the amount of staff training delivered and recognized other significant personnel investments.
• They were looking for a complete solution to all of the stated opportunities in the RFP – a comprehensive suite of products or services in every category, even if partnerships were required, was strongly advised. In fact, this was the single most important determinant in the second round of reviews that finally culled the total awards to a manageable number of approved vendors – it actually came down to a little-used category of services which some vendors opted not to offer.
• Finally, one bidder specifically indicated the things that they would NOT do as part of their service offering. In one instance, even though the function was not a requirement, they still lost a point for it! And goodwill, I was able to learn.

Summary

My client has already made several improvements based on this feedback. In summary, here are the things we learned, or got reminded about:

• Packaging is as important as ever, but should also be smart. The City of Boulder issued an RFP earlier this year encouraging vendors to produce documents with post-consumer recycled materials, and ensure that all components be “readily recyclable.” This included binders, dividers, and brochures. Some production houses, including Mimeo.com (maybe I mentioned once that I was a fan ?), have post-consumer recycled paper and tabs obtainable through a Special Instruction, which is a good start.
• Graphics should be crisp, clean, and utilized often. We continue to invest in off-site production to assure the quality of our images, and we are developing new call-outs in-house. Watch, though, that tables and graphs can be reproduced in black and white or grayscale if necessary.
• Consider carefully before offering alternatives to the client’s legal language! Don’t create an internal issue for the customer if it isn’t absolutely necessary.
• Leverage your strengths, like longevity or special skill sets or unique experience. And make sure to point them out.
• Be professional – but don’t forget to also be personal. Reviewers want to know your team, and know them as people. Glossy website photos and resume summaries aren’t the same as stepping through how “Sue” is going to resolve an invoice issue to your 100% satisfaction.
• Never never never Always put statements about activities that can and can’t be done in a positive light. Speak directly to what you WILL do, and avoid presenting any gaps in such a way that it comes off arrogant.
• Be responsive – do not skip questions. Failing to respond to one question or request for services may actually cost you the bid.

Finally, find a partner when necessary. The competition is out there, and they’re getting better all the time. Partnering is becoming more and more encouraged by the commercial sector – it can help you fill gaps in your service offerings, and the right partners (small business, MWBE, organic, green, public sector, private sector) can help you meet award-requirements purposely designed to strengthen your community. Collaboration is becoming the smart business move !

Jeff