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Hindsight in Advance: Prospective Lessons Learned

April 3, 2024

In most competitions, the source selection memorandum explains why the winner was chosen and why others were not.

The loser often experiences these insights as a strategic surprise—a moment of realization, especially when the offers are significantly different. This common practice entails conducting detailed reports on lessons-learned when a competition is lost. Companies do this to understand why the loss was a surprise and to understand why certain competitive choices were not made. Looking back, these insights are often clear but were hidden in the complexity of executing the capture.

At SMA: The Program Lifecycle Company, our Prospective Lessons Learned (PL2)™ solution generates pro­spective insights. These insights are similar to those gained from hindsight as a result of a traditional lessons learned. The methodology identifies the different paths a competition might evolve either by customer or competitive dynamics. PL2™ provides a structured ap­proach to shaping the opportunity towards a preferred pathway. PL2™ provides the most value when competitors offer distinctly different solutions, there are considerable uncertainties about acquisition strategy and stated/unstated requirements, or when customer priorities external to the opportunity obscure the opportunity trade space.

Click here to learn more about Prospective Lessons Learned (PL2)™ and start moving your next opportunity in your direction!


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Posted on April 3, 2024, by

Dick Eassom, CF APMP Fellow, SMA, Inc.