Engineering Inc. - September/October 2016 - 18

part of the Big Opps clientcentric marketing strategy, the firm created an initiative called Got Client? "It gets people to buy into the notion that they are responsible for client relationships and sets the stage for asking solid questions from the beginning of client discussions," Peterson says. To prompt client interaction throughout each Big Opps project, Got Client? incorporates three components: on business development. The transformation began by promoting Ryan McLean to CEO and president and moving Steve Margaroni from director of construction management to the chief development officer position. "It's a morphing of the "You only firm and really holding want to spend people accountable for busiso much to ness development," Shepard chase work, says. Toward that end, the firm launched an initiaso the smarter tive dubbed One Psomas. you chase it, "It's about people doing 1. Check It Out encourages the cheaper it everything as teams and not usually is, and people to regularly commujust about yourself or your nicate with their clients. region," Shepard adds. your return Capture planning is a peron investment 2. Kick It Off prompts projfect way to implement One should increase." Psomas, Margaroni says. "On ect managers and their team TOM BRZEZINSKI members to keep the client's bigger projects, our teaming WADE TRIM vision and goals in mind by approach is very strategic. referring to a pre-printed, There's internal coordination customizable worksheet. within the organization that needs to be done, [and] there's politics that might need 3. Make It Right promotes problem to be played. That's where you need to sit solving by having frank conversations down with your team and strategize." with clients. One example, the comprehensive 400Got Client? relates to capture planning "by helping our people approach projects from the client standpoint, from early on during the capture process and through the execution," McMeekin says. As much as LRA's capture planning is buttoned up and methodical, Psomas, which is based in Santa Ana, California, has taken a less formal, yet disciplined approach to what it calls Pursuit Capture Planning. "We developed Pursuit Capture Plan forms in 2008," says Corporate Director of Marketing Julie Shepard. She admits that getting people from all four of the firm's groups to use the forms has been challenging. However, Psomas made some executive changes in recent years that included an increased focus 18 ENGINEERING INC. SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 page Pursuit Capture Plan Psomas developed and monitored over several years in order to win a major wastewater treatment project, is a testament to the firm's new approach. "A lot of that success was because of how bad we wanted it and how hard the team worked," Margaroni says. "You need people around who are passionate about the pursuit." Regardless of how a firm chooses to enact its capture planning program, making long-term, strategic business development a key part of the company culture is vital. "Culturally we're still trying to get it more ingrained in the firm, but when we're all doing this together, it's less scary and more fun for the typically introverted engineer," Shepard says. At HDR, capture planning is definitely something everyone at the firm has bought into as part of the culture, Gruwell says. The reason, she adds, is because it works. "When we apply the processes and follow them, we are successful most of the time. I believe that's because capture planning continues the focus on our clients and keeps that top of mind, day in and day out," she says. ■ Bob Woods is a technology and business writer based in Madison, Connecticut. Psomas incorporated its capture plan initiative-called One Psomas-to help land this rail and bridge project in North Stockton, California.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - September/October 2016