Course: UNIT 9: Writing proposals

BADGE – Becoming a Digital Global Engineer

Intellectual Output

BADGE – Becoming a Digital Global Engineer
Project 2019-1-FR01-KA203-063010 (167 512 512)

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Objectives

After studying this lesson on writing proposals, you will be able to

distinguish between different types of proposals;

identify the type of information to include in a proposal;

write an effective proposal.

Warm-up questions

What is a proposal?

For what reasons are they written?

Who are they written for?

Did you know…

If you propose something, you put forward a suggestion or make an offer. Therefore, a proposal is a document which offers an idea or suggests a course of action which needs approval, funding, or permission from the reader. A proposal attempts to persuade the reader that the proposed idea or plan is a good one. Successful proposals bring in new business for companies as well as help small companies to expand, while they may also fund research or innovation, among other things.

Instructional material

There are four basic types of proposal: internal, external, solicited or unsolicited.

Internal proposals are written by and for someone within the same company or organisation. For this reason, they tend to be shorter than external proposals and may take the form of a memo. They usually address a work-related issue and will be read by managers, directors, or company owners.
External proposals are sent outside the company or organisation in most cases to solicit business or funding. They are longer and more formal than internal proposals and may be written in response to a request for proposals (RFPs), as described below.
An RFP is sent out by a company or organisation which wishes to solve a problem or address an issue. This request invites other companies or organisations to propose solutions. The company or organisation will then sift through the solicited proposals to find the most suitable one. However, solicited proposals do not have to be external – a manager may, for instance, ask employees to prepare proposals to solve internal issues.
Unsolicited proposals are those which are not specifically requested. In this case, the writer firstly has to convince the reader that there is a problem, and then that the solution or course of action suggested in the proposal is the right one.

Every proposal is unique in that it addresses a particular audience and has a particular purpose. The context will also dictate how the proposal is presented, whether it be a memo to a boss outlining an idea, or a long, formal report to an outside company or organisation with detailed information on what you propose and how it will be achieved. Particularly when writing an external report, you will need to spend some time researching the company, the problem or issue you will address and any previous or alternative theories or solutions which you may use to support your proposal. The following sections are common in proposals, but this is not an exhaustive list (nor is it necessarily the only order) - there may be other information that your reader would need to have in order to understand the proposal and to be convinced that you have the best solution to the problem. On the other hand, internal reports may not need so many sections or so much detail. Finally, proposals often also include graphics and data to outline the problem and put forward the solution.

Proposal organisation

Introduction
Background
Proposed solution
Outcome
Method
Schedule
Qualifications
Budget
Conclusion
References

In terms of language, proposals are similar to reports in that they tend to be rather formal. However, a proposal differs in that it is not completely impersonal – if you are trying to persuade the reader that your company is the best choice to solve their problem, then the language will be more personal, particularly in the ‘Qualifications’ section.

Study the example of a solicited internal proposal below.

To: Rob Russell, Operations Manager

From: Ed Toley, Plant Manager

Date: 15/04/21

Subject: Proposal for introduction of drones at Exington Manufacturing Plant

In response to the request by management for alternative ways to complete time-consuming tasks at Exington Plant, this proposal recommends the use of drones in order to optimise inventory tracking, the transportation of parts to the production hall, and asset monitoring.

Background
Lean manufacturing techniques have been in use at Exington Plant for several years with good results. However, certain manual tasks are still proving to be time-consuming and inefficient. There are three areas in which employees require an inordinate amount of time to complete tasks: inventory tracking, the movement of parts from the warehouse to the production hall, and the monitoring of production line machinery.

Benefits
Drones offer the perfect solution in each of the above areas:

In terms of inventory tracking, drones can carry out accurate inventory checks in far less time by scanning the RFID chips and barcodes on the component packaging. This would enable us to free up the employees to do other tasks in the warehouse.
As regards transporting components or spare parts to the production hall, drones can carry up to 5kg, therefore they would be a convenient, safe, and fast method of moving small and light-weight items to the production line.
Finally, equipped with infrared and thermal technology, drones could provide an overall view of the machinery in the production hall. This would make it possible to monitor the condition of the machinery and control the temperature, as well as help to identify any problems before they have a significant impact on the production process.

Outcome
The use of drones would result in a more efficient use of manpower, a safer workplace, fewer stoppages in production and more efficient operations.

Method & Schedule
Initial research has revealed three main players within the drone technology sector: Dronex, Techsolve and NOVOdrone. All three companies offer the type of drone technology we would need and have solid experience in the field.

Thus far, none of these companies has been approached for information, therefore this would be the first step if we were to decide on using drones. I suggest that the companies are contacted, meetings are set up and their offers are examined. It is also key that our company’s IT team is involved, too. Secondly, it would be advisable to trial the technology, preferably in the warehouse as this is the area where it would be most useful. On viewing the success of the trial, we could move to using other applications.

Costs
In terms of cost, it would mean a large investment in technology, equipment, and staff training. Costs vary considerably depending on drone capabilities and application, as well as other factors such integration with current digital solutions and the required infrastructure. A minimum cost of $50-75, 000 is to be expected. All three of the abovementioned companies also offer initial and on-going training, maintenance, and tech services.

Conclusion
The use of drones in manufacturing facilities is becoming more popular and the company could optimise its operations by implementing this technology in three areas at its Exington manufacturing plant. Despite the substantial investment needed, this would bring long-term benefits such as more accurate and faster inventory monitoring, more efficient use of labour, faster and safer movement of goods from the warehouse to the production line, and improved asset management.

ET

solicit – ask for, try to obtain;
sift through – examine carefully to find something specific or separate what is useful from what is not;
address an issue – deal with a problem;
exhaustive – including everything, complete;
free up – make available;
asset – something useful or valuable, property or goods considered valuable.