| Brianacoleman |
| Newbie |
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| None Specified |
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| Friday, April 17, 2009 |
| Tuesday, January 05, 2010 10:54:15 PM |
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I have seen SharePoint used successfully at several companies, and used it myself recently to set up a comprehensive repository.
It is nice because it houses all data, as well as acts as a live-document repository-- you can share a document during the proposal development process with authors and maintain version control.
All other tools I've heard of were home-grown.
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Thanks so much! 
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Which version of Word do you use? Here are instructions for Word 2007...
Word 2007:
(1) On the Review tab, in the Protect group, click Protect Document, and then click Restrict Formatting and Editing.
(2) In the Protect Document task pane, under Formatting restrictions, select the Limit formatting to a selection of styles check box, and then click Settings to specify which styles others can apply or change.
(3) Under Styles, make sure that the Limit formatting to a selection of styles check box is selected.
(4) Select the check boxes next to the styles that you want to allow in the document.
(5) Under Formatting, select the check boxes next to the types of formatting that you want to allow or prevent.
(6) Click OK.
(7) If you receive a message stating that your document may contain formatting or styles that are not allowed, do one of the following:
a) Click Yes to remove styles and formatting that are not allowed — for example, styles that you did not select in the Formatting Restrictions dialog box.
b) Click No to keep the formatting or styles in the document. Note that users will not be able to use the styles or formatting when they edit the document.
Under Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
To assign a password to the document so that only people who know the password can remove the protection, type a password in the Enter new password (optional) box, and then confirm the password.
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- Double click on the header (or where the header should be) to get yourself in the "header" screen
(1) To have a line underneath text (as a paragraph style)
- Type your text (and format accordingly)
- Highlight the text / paragraph
- Under the "Page Layout" tab, third column ("Page
Background"), clikc on the "Page Borders" button
- Under first tab ("Borders"), select "custom" setting,
the "style" line you want, the "color" and "width" of
line, etc. Also, make sure the "Apply to" option
says "Paragraph." Then select the button that shows
the line underneath the paragraph only.
- Hit okay and adjust your tabs to make the line start
and end where you want it to.
(2) Alternatively, still in the "header" screen you can draw a line.
- Under the "Insert" tab, select "Shapes" and then find a line you like
- Draw the line where you want it
- Select the line, and a "Format" tab will appear
- Under the "Shape Styles" section (second section),
you can use the quick buttons to select width /
color, etc. OR click on the diagonal arrow next to
the words "Shape Styles" to pull up the
familiar "Format Auto Shape" box you are used to
from Word 2003.
The same options apply to footers... I personally suggest setting a paragraph style (option 1), as setting a line (option 2) may move around on you if Word applies an "auto format" style on you--- as it tends to do.
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Lee,
I couldn't agree more with your points below... but it leaves me asking, "so how DO you start a good executive summary?"
- Is it necessary to even identify that you are responding to RFP Number 123456, or does cover of the proposal take care of that?
- Can you give some examples of good title sentences?
- Some bad ones?
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I recently implemented a Microsoft SharePoint site for my company's references. It is a cheap and easy tool (if you know how to use Microsoft Office, you can figure out SharePoint). The benefit is it is hosted on a website, so you can access it anywhere, anytime and don't have to install software on everyone's computers.
SharePoint is completely customizable, and acts like a database. You add a new record for each refernece, and can add any fields you want (i.e. description, industry, account rep, date sold, dollar value, etc.). You can even update the record everytime you use the reference with a "reference count" field.
Then, SharePoint allows you to sort and search by any of the fields you create--- makes it very easy. It will also show you when things were last modified, so you can go in periodically-- i.e. every quarter --- and update the info for those that were added in that period.
The biggest advice I can give is to get your account reps involved. The individuals who actually interact with the clients are the best to know who will serve as a good reference. Ask each rep to give you 3-5 clients who could serve as references, and make them responsible for updating info on a quarterly basis (you can manage the process by collecting info from them and reminding them). This takes the burden off of you to know what is going on with every client reference at all times.
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I used to work in the A/E industry in PA / Delaware... and APMP would still work for you. The role of the Proposal Manager is similar in the A/E industry to other industries.
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