Software Cases

Randy Lindsey

Bid Management System for Book Publishing Company

A small consulting firm in the book publishing field was pricing and presenting project bids using an ancient SuperCalc spreadsheet. This had been refined over many years to incorporate enormous amounts of industry-specific knowledge and pricing formulas, but had become so unwieldy that it was nearly impossible to update with new prices, or even to understand how the prices were computed. In addition the presentation to potential clients looked very "1970's" and did not foster confidence in the firm's modern capabilities.

I consulted with the firm's owners to produce a detailed analysis of the SuperCalc spreadsheet. Using this knowledge I designed a modern database-driven application which incorporated their industry-specific knowledge and formulas. By designing for flexibility I was able to produce an application which accommodated ongoing changes in pricing, policies and procedures.

The firm is now delighted with the modern, professional look of their client proposals and with their ability to adjust pricing as they move into the future. They have seen an increase in their percentage of winning bids.

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