In a $ 146 billion IT industry, clients are sought by pitching since each project is worth millions of dollars. A client requests for proposals, is called RFPs. Generally pre-sale team of engineers write the proposal in a dull and dry manner, mostly doing a copy and paste work drawn from some past proposals. Actually here what is required is  imagination and creativity. Instead of engineers, you could utilize the services of design thinkers, MBAs and business analysts. Proposals have to be strategic, and the approach is to be that of a consultant. It should focus on outcomes. Why should there be an RFP? It is a battle lost. It should be a conference like brainstorming session where various possibilities and outcomes emerge. A potential solution is wireframed.

There is a technological shift — automation, cloud services, outcome centric measures. These should be factored in the solutions. It requires a new or modified approach. Infosys has made a new proposal creating team, to be headed by Shabana Khan, a California-based design thinker who was formerly with SAP.