Sprint scenario

A European industrial manufacturer regularly reaches the final stages of major tenders, but wins fewer contracts than expected.

The latest figures show a win rate of 35%, raising questions within the sales and management teams.

Price is often mentioned as the main reason for losing. But beyond individual sales reports, the company has limited insight into what actually influences customers' decisions.

With the next commercial planning session approaching, the management team wants to challenge a familiar assumption: are we actually just losing on price?

Meet Pixie

Pixie is one of the fictional archetypes in the AI Business Council, representing a UX and digital strategy leader shaping complex customer journeys. Her challenge provides the starting point for this AIBC Lab sprint.

The challenge

Are we actually just losing on price?

Sprint focus

SYNCHRONIZE

Defining the decision process

The Sprint begins by bringing together the manufacturer's existing commercial knowledge, lost-tender observations and AI-powered market intelligence to challenge the assumption that price is the main reason for losing business.

To narrow the challenge, the Sprint focuses on the five most recent lost tenders. Using available sales documentation and input from the sales and account teams, four key decision-making roles come into focus: operations, engineering, finance and procurement.

Using AI-powered simulations, we explore how these different decision-makers define value, influence requirements and evaluate alternatives.

A visual Buying decision map makes their competing priorities and potential breakdowns visible, revealing where the manufacturer's value proposition may lose its relevance throughout the purchasing process.

REFINE

How could we rethink go-to-market?

The emerging insights become the foundation for ProTender, an internal commercial concept designed to help sales and marketing teams rethink how they engage customers throughout the buying process.

Rather than focusing on winning the final tender, ProTender explores how the manufacturer could rethink its go-to-market approach around how customers actually make purchasing decisions.

From identifying opportunities, shaping propositions to planning sales and marketing activities, the concept challenges when, where and how the organization creates value throughout the buying process.

By bringing opportunities together under one recognizable concept, the Sprint makes a potentially different commercial approach tangible — giving the organization a shared direction to explore, challenge and build upon.

ACTIVATE

From concept to change

In one week, the Sprint has moved from questioning why the manufacturer loses tenders on price to exploring how its entire go-to-market approach could better reflect customer buying behavior.

ProTender provides a tangible starting point for that shift, connecting three commercial opportunities into a shared direction for sales and marketing.

The Sprint explores how these principles could influence existing planning, customer engagement and ways of working — identifying where changes could make the greatest difference.

The outcome is a focused activation plan outlining initial priorities, responsibilities and opportunities to test the approach in upcoming customer engagements, before committing to broader changes.

Potential sprint outcome

Buying decision map
A visual exploration of key decision-makers, their priorities and where value may be lost throughout the purchasing process.

Commercial concept
A named and visualized approach built around three principles, providing a shared direction for sales and marketing.

Commercial activation plan
A practical outline for introducing the concept into existing sales and marketing activities, with priorities, responsibilities and opportunities for testing.

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