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Features & Benefits
Case Studies
Media & Blog Resources

Black Hat Review Sessions

This is a common capture process used across U.S. Government contracting, but we execute it in an uncommon manner.  This process starts with extensive preliminary analysis of competitors to provide an understanding. We take this process several steps further by using a simulation-based approach to anticipate and better understand probable opposing win strategies. Our methodology has been developed and refined over the life of the business to optimize realism and to challenge capture teams to not be complacent.  Our Black Hat review process features:

  • Independent written analyses of competitors delivered before any discussions in order to educate participants on each competitor’s opportunity specific capabilities
  • A virtual format as to maximize scheduling and participants availability
  • Dedicated and professionally trained Black Hat facilitators
  • Facilitated breakout sessions structured as problem solving events vs. “slide crafting” or “slide reading” events
  • Complete post-session analyses to communicate outcomes of the Black Hat review and to conduct a scoring of competitors based on the session results

Features & Benefits

  • All Black Hat review groups have a dedicated FedSavvy Strategies lead and all are personally trained by the firm’s Managing Principal with over 250 completed Black Hat reviews.
  • “Competitor profiles” provided have 20+ pages of analysis of a featured competitor to quickly educate each participant on capabilities
  • Analysis of competitors leverages FedSavvy Strategies’ independent intelligence collection and internal proprietary database…no re-use of subscription database materials
  • Simulation-based Black Hat review drives critical thinking in the scenario of an opportunity pursuit…find the path to a win for a competitor in order to defeat them
  • Post-session analysis ensures learning from the session is fully captured
  • Mock scoring of competitors vs. known evaluation criteria enables objective assessments of competitor threats
  • Deliverables are shaped to make a smooth transition to a follow-on price-to-win (PTW) effort

Case Study

The opportunity was a large-scale (>$500 million ceiling value) cloud migration and operations contract supporting a defense customer.

Challenge

Our client required a Black Hat review session covering two different competitors. There was no “true” incumbent for this opportunity, as the contract was fundamentally an evolution of previous work. As a result, we had to piece together past performance for each competitor that could prove relevant. This involved evaluating competitors’ relevant work in the federal civilian sector, in addition to their defense work.

Solution

We evaluated these competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, personnel, and discriminators against established customer issues throughout two sessions focused on each competitor. We also helped the client to identify key takeaways from the session that could help them prioritize actions for enhancing their capture effort.

Outcome

Our client won this contract opportunity which set them up for similar opportunities in DoD and beyond.

Media & Blog Resources

How to be a good participant in a Black Hat review

May 3, 2021Admin@fedsavvy

Participants make a Black Hat work Over time, we have shared approaches to executing a good Black Hat review as a facilitator. Now it’s time to focus on one of the most critical ingredients – the participants! As the saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work!” The merits of participants can make a Black Hat…

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Fundamentals of the Intelligence Process and Competitive Intelligence in GOVCON

February 9, 2021Admin@fedsavvy

This blog is specifically written by Brian Lindholm, Managing Principal and Founder of FedSavvy Strategies. He is a nerd. Competitive Intelligence (CI) is my passion.  In this blog, I am going to provide a non-boring and very practical definition of CI.  Better yet, this blog will also share with you some steps to go from…

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Adventures in Lying to Ourselves

August 3, 2020Admin@fedsavvy

When we work in a capture, there are many challenges to overcome in order to realize a win.  Beyond managing the many moving parts of a complex contract capture, we encounter what is often our greatest foe – ourselves. Why are we so dangerous…well, to our own interests?  Simple.  We lie to ourselves.  Do we…

Read More
View All Related Posts

Check out a podcast we did with Skyway Acquisition on the topic of what is a Black Hat review and tips on how to use it.

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