Now that you’ve decided you want to go after some serious business with Boeing, where do you start? Lots of people race to the “Sign Up to be a Vendor” areas on their web site and complete that process, without doing an honest strategic evaluation of what, where, when, why and how they want to do business with Boeing in the first place.

• What business do we want? Boeing has lots of needs for its Charleston facility. “Janitorial contractor” may mean a lot more than it appears to on the surface, for instance. Just because your business is in that line of work doesn’t mean it can handle their facility. Look at all of the detail for the need they’re describing. Read all of the fine print to make sure what’s being described is something you truly want and can perform well.
• Where are the people to do it? Almost all of the businesses in Charleston will have to add people to work with Boeing, and not just a few people. For some businesses, a contract with Boeing will mean hiring double the work force. If you’re in a specialty industry, strategically think about where you can go to line up the talent you’ll need should you be successful. It will be better to think through that now than it will be to scramble for slim pickings when the stress of a contract win hits home.
• When do we need to be ready? Because the facility won’t be open right away, your business has plenty of time to be strategic. Look at their needs and project out when you will have to accomplish each of your preparatory steps so that the actual process is easy.
• Why would Boeing choose my business? You’ve got to have all kinds of answers to this question to prepare a competitive response to their vendor system. Merely going through the motions won’t cut it. What can you do to help your business stand out or to highlight how it is uniquely qualified for the contract in question? Thinking through why Boeing should choose your team may also highlight where you’re not prepared, and you will have time to fill holes well before you need to.
• How do we know this is right for our business? You don’t, but there are things your team can do to remove some of the nebulousness. Financial analyses are easy to do for possible investments in equipment and people, for projected cash flow, for possible impact on revenues and expenses over time, and more. Seeing the numbers can sometimes make a decision to proceed exciting, or it can throw up a glaring stop sign.

If you’re considering a pitch for Boeing work in Charleston, now’s the time to start preparing. By making an investment in some strategic planning, you may help your business fly with Boeing without flying away. POSITUS can help you be ready. www.positusonline.com