Government contracting (GovCon) is a highly competitive industry. Securing contracts often depends on the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP). For GovCon professionals, using the best RFP software can be the difference between winning and losing a contract.
RFP response teams are continually looking for specialized solutions to enhance productivity, improve accuracy, and increase their win rates. This is where VisibleThread’s RFP software shines. However, it’s easy to confuse such specialized software with more generic tools. For instance, content management systems (CMS), project management software, or even AI content generators. Each of these technologies addresses different needs and offers different functionalities.
In this post, we’ll dive into the core differences between these tools. We’ll explore why VisibleThread’s RFP software stands out for Government contracting teams who need to streamline their RFP response process.
Common challenges for government contractors
- Highly manual processes and overworked employees
- Time consuming past performance analysis
- Brutal turnaround times
- Bid / no bid analysis by hand – not using data metrics
- Supporting data calls by hand
- Delivery risk, cost over runs & scope creep
- Inconsistent proposal quality that is unmeasurable
- Creating content from scratch
The technology mix in government contracting is busy. So how do you choose which tool is going to help you overcome these challenges?
VisibleThread’s RFP Software
VisibleThread is a favorite among professionals in the government contracting space. It automates manual RFP review steps and offers advanced clarity analysis. This ensures your RFP response is not only compliant but also clear, compelling and concise. 11 of the top 15 US government contractors use VisibleThread to streamline their rfp process.
VisbleThread has two main solutions, VT Docs and VT Writer. Our customers use these platforms to overcome the challenges government contracting teams face when reviewing, creating and editing RFPs.
VT Docs is a time saver, it really is. It helps us to take our limited resources and focus on where we should be putting our dollars to maximize the most benefit for our company.
Best RFP Software: Deterministic vs GenAI
VisibleThread platforms use a mix of three main types of technology:
- Deterministic Software
- Generative AI
- Other AI like Natural Language Processing
Deterministic software is 100% accurate and 100% repeatable. Results are based on logical steps in code, not predictions and there are no hallucinations (incorrect or misleading results).
With Generative AI the answers can vary. The truth can depend on the model you are using. The results are generated based on predictions and the possibility of hallucinations need to be taken in to consideration.
VisibleThread’s Approach
VisibleThread’s goal is to align the technology with the task it is best suited for. This approach allows GovCon teams to leverage VisibleThread platforms throughout the proposal process. Because of the deterministic capabilities within VT Docs, the platform can be used in a way that other platforms cannot. The ability to create search dictionaries, identify key terms, phrases or clauses with 100% accuracy cannot be repeated with Generative AI. Therefore, VisibleThread does not rely on one type of technology to complete all tasks.
As you work through the proposal process, there are areas where there is no room for error or omissions. For example, identifying requirements, assessing contract risk and gap analysis are all appropriate applications for deterministic software. On the contrary, writing the first draft of your response, simplifying context or creating an initial outline are excellent use cases for Generative AI.
The chart below outlines some good uses for each and areas where a combined approach can be helpful.
Ultimately, VisibleThread platforms can offer the appropriate insight and analysis for multiple assessment areas by combining technologies we offer.
Key Features
- Simple Shred – Easily build a compliance matrix to save time, improve your teams efficiency and increase compliance.
- Acronym Checker – automatically identify all acronyms within the RFP, flag undefined acronyms and highlight conflicting definitions.
- Dictionary Search –analyze a document against a list of specific search terms. Look for themes which assist in bid / no bid decisions. It can also be used to identify risky compliance requirements such as FAR / DFARs.
- Discovery – Gather key themes from a document for alignment/ gap analysis between the RFP and your response.
- Compare Excel – compare Excel documents for amendments and highlight adjusted sections.
- Compare Docs – use for amendment handling. Itemize all textual differences side by side. Conduct impact analysis and share with the review team.
- Readability and VT Writer – ensure your response is clear, concise and compelling.
Let’s compare VisibleThread’s RFP software with other tools like content management systems, project management software, and AI content generators.
After one year of using VisibleThread for bidding on three proposals, BVTI won all three.
Content Management System (CMS)
Government contracting teams often manage vast amounts of data, documents, and content across various projects and departments. A CMS may help to organize this information. It may support document storage, collaboration, and compliance management. However it is not specifically designed for responding to RFPs or ensuring compliance.
A CMS is great for managing and organizing documents or content across a website or an internal system. But it lacks features for compliance checking, language optimization and proposal collaboration.
Project Management Software
Government contracting teams often manage large, complex projects that must meet strict timelines, budgets, and compliance standards. Project management software can help to streamline processes, track deliverables and manage resources.
Project management software is helpful for task organization. However, it is not built to handle the linguistic, compliance, or content-specific challenges of an RFP response. It doesn’t provide language analysis, which is crucial for ensuring the quality and compliance of RFP responses. RFP responses need to be concise and clear. Project management tools only help track who is responsible for drafting a response, not how well it’s written.
While project management software can assign someone to ensure compliance, it cannot automatically check RFP documents for compliance.
AI Content Generators
Government contracting teams face intense competition and often need to produce high-quality content quickly for proposals. AI content generators can streamline these tasks, helping teams create content faster.
AI content generators are powerful for quick content creation. But often struggle with more structured and compliance-heavy writing, such as RFP responses. They produce generalized content that may need significant tweaking.
They can help write responses, but they cannot ensure that the content meets the strict requirements of an RFP. AI-generated content requires human oversight to ensure accuracy, compliance, and clarity. VisibleThread’s RFP software automates these checks, identifying areas where human writers need to improve clarity or fix inconsistencies.
In this case, AI content generators are useful for drafting ideas. However, there are no substitute for the specific, targeted compliance checks and readability enhancements provided by VisibleThread’s RFP software.
The VisibleThread tool is instrumental for our proposal operations. It saves us time and allows us to more effectively manage the significant growth we have encountered.
Why VisibleThread Is The Best RFP Software
While CMS platforms, project management software, and AI content generators each bring value to the table, they fall short when it comes to the specialized needs of RFP responses. VisibleThread’s RFP software is uniquely positioned to address the specific pain points in the proposal management process.
For companies involved in frequent RFP responses, VisibleThread offers the most targeted solution. We ensure responses are not only well-written but also compliant and optimized for the highest chance of success. Whether you’re managing RFP responses for a government contract, a large-scale bid, or a private-sector proposal, VisibleThread’s suite of tools provides the edge you need.
