RFP_bschutter_10.21.15_FINAL

[ACME AUTOMOTIVE CLIMATE SURVEY 2016] 1
BL Consulting – Response to RFP
BL Consulting
Response to Request for Proposal
ACME
Automotive
10.21.2015
ProposalBy:
Bethany Schutter
Lead Project Consultant
BL Consulting
500 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60601
Bethany@BLConsulting.com
616-558-4587

October 21, 2015
ACME Automotive
123 North Ave
Houston, TX 77054
Mr. Wilson,
On behalf of BL Consulting, I am pleased to respond to your request for proposal. We
recognize the importance ACME Automotive places on customer satisfaction and
applaud the effort to increase the organization’s performance through a survey
initiative. We believe that establishing a collaborative relationship with ACME will
yield justifiable business success for you as a client.
The following document contains a broad overview of the services offered by BL
Consulting with special attention awarded to customization for ACME. BL Consulting
is especially equipped to partner with ACME. Although we were recently established
as a firm in 2012, we have landed contracts with organizations such as Plastic
Omnium Co. and IAC Group in our short lifespan. This is due in part to the fact that
we boast only the most qualified and effective consultants who are able to offer
multiple solutions to the same problem and adapt quickly to the culture and needs of
the client.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your request for proposal. We hope that
we will be partnering with you in the near future. If you have any questions or
concerns while reviewing this document, please do not hesitate to contact me directly
at Bethany@BLConsulting.com. You can also reach me in my office at 616-558-4587.
Best,
Bethany Schutter
Bethany Schutter
Lead Project Consultant
BL Consulting

Executive Summary Overview: ACME Automotive
ACME Problem Statement
ACME Automotive has experienced rapid change with regard to management practices, work
unit climate and performance reports over the past year. These changes have been observed most
acutely since the merger with P&P Services in 2010. Safety issues and high turnover are
additional issues of concern for ACME.
In order to drive results toward organizational performance goals, BL Consulting will partner
with ACME Automotive in designing, administering and analyzing an organizational opinion
survey. This survey will be a tool through which organizational issues can be unearthed,
discussed and tackled effectively.
Attacking the Problem
Our proactive project management process is equipped to find and attack organizational
weaknesses while unearthing organizational strengths for capitalization.
 Survey Designand Development
o Dimension and Item Development
o Task Force Evaluation of Items
o Piloting and Modification
 Survey Administration
o Survey Opening
o Ongoing Communication
o Data Collection
 Analysis with Action Planning
o Data Analysis
o Recommendation Construction
o Final Report and Executive Presentation
 Action Planning
 Opportunity for Ongoing Support (additional cost)
BL Consulting has the tools and expertise to find the right level of customization for each client.
Cost of services can range from $76,000 – $128,000 based on the level of customization ACME
chooses. Please see the Cost Chart in the appendix [page 15] for detailed cost break down.
We are excited to collaborate with ACME
in an effort to explore solutions for success in further detail.

Table of Contents
Cover Letter Page 2
Executive Summary Overview Page 3
BL Consulting Profile Page 5
ACME Problem Statement Page 6
Survey Objectives
Pooling Resources
Communication Plan
Overcoming Potential Barriers
PHASE 1: Survey Designand Development Page 9
Initial Dimension & Item Development
Item Review
Types of Items
Piloting
PHASE 2: Survey Administration Page 11
Distribution
Response Rates
Confidentiality
PHASE 3: Survey Analysis and Action Planning Page 12
Presentation of Results
Action Planning
Additional Services
Summary Page 14
Appendix Page 15
Cost Chart
Estimated Project Timeline
Sample Announcement Letter
Sample Instructions Letter

Sample Survey Items
BL Consulting Profile
BL Consulting is a boutique consulting firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 2012,
BL employs only the finest consulting and analysis professionals. BL Consulting has the ability to
cater to the survey needs of every sector including private, public and non-profit organizations. By
choosing expertise in survey content, BL offers what other firms cannot in terms of customization and
follow-up. Working with small expert teams increases trust and communication between the client and
the consulting firm.
Our professionals specialize in survey design, implementation, and analysis in addition to workforce
development. BL Consulting believes that by delivering customized surveys and recommendations for
each client, optimal results can be obtained. Our unique action planning will provide our client with
the opportunity to increase productivity and client satisfaction, tackle individual challenges, and grow
as an organization. Boasting previous collaboration with automotive manufacturing giants like Plastic
Omnium Co. and IAC Group, BL Consulting can back our survey expertise with industry experience.
“We commit to delivering exceptional service and results to our clients.
It is our hope that ongoing relationships will be built through integrity, trust and success.”

ACME Problem Statement
ACME Automotive has experienced rapid change over the past years as the result of a merger
with P&P services. Affected areas include management practices, work unit climate and
performance reports over the past year specifically. These changes have been observed most
acutely since the merger. Additional concerns for ACME are safety and turnover.
Survey Objectives
A survey is particularly useful for finding organizational weaknesses and formulating a plan of
attack for organizational change. Optimally, a survey initiative will serve ACME by addressing
current concerns and uncovering unnoticed weaknesses. There are clear objectives for each
phase of the survey initiative:
 PHASE 1: Design and Development
o Gather preliminary data that may point to organizational weaknesses
o Gain employee buy-in through communication
 PHASE 2: Administration
o Gather actual organizational data that will be used for analysis
 PHASE 3: Analysis and Action Planning
o Interpret results and compare to initial concerns
o Identify differences among groups of employees
o Form an action plan for organizational change
Throughout the course of the project, ACME’s initial concerns will be addressed. However, a
needs assessment conducted in Phase 1 will help unearth organizational concerns that may not be
so obvious. Before a needs assessment can commence, a task force should be assembled to assist
with key components of the project.


Pooling Resources
It is essential that a survey task force be created from within ACME to act as the driving force of
the project. The task force will represent different functional groups from within the organization
to facilitate a more informed, accurate and influential process. Champions from different
divisions and locations will collaborate on several projects during the design and development
phase. Those who serve on the task force will not only be representatives for their respective
employees and locations, but will serve ACME by acting as communication liaisons throughout
the survey process. A task force is composed of a Survey Sponsor, Subject Matter Experts, and
Survey Champions. See Figure 1 for an example of a prospective ACME task force.
 Survey Sponsor: Typically, the Director of Human Resources or another HR leader will
fill this position to act as a primary contact for BL Consulting consultants.
 Subject Matter Experts: Representatives from each functional division of ACME should
be nominated or volunteer to be the voice of their employees for dimension and item
construction.
 Survey Champions: Representatives from each geographical location should be
nominated to assist with content development and communication from headquarters.
Figure 1: ACME Task Force
 NOTE: Members of the task force can be nominated by the survey sponsor or can serve on a
volunteer basis. Those who choose to serve on a volunteer basis tend to be more engaged and
dedicated to the work, therefore enhancing the communication and overall effectiveness of
the task force.
TaskForce
SubjectMatter
Experts
Representatives
fromEach
Functional
Group
Survey
Champions
Representatives
fromEach
Geographical
Location
Survey
Sponsor

Communication Plan
Communication is crucial to the success of the survey process. Communication will increase
response rates by endearing employees to the idea of providing feedback and gaining employee
buy-in. The communication process and timeline will be spearheaded by ACME leadership and
will be facilitated by the consulting professionals at BL Consulting. Communication engenders
commitment that ultimately drives organizational change.
There are several modes of communication to employ:
 Initial Announcement Letter
 Announcement via Intranet
 Company News Letters
 Town Hall Meetings
 Email Reminders
 Huddle Meeting Reminders
 The Initial Announcement Letter should be administered as soon as possible to prepare
employees for the impending initiative. This letter helps the employee understand why the
organization is taking on a survey initiative and what will be done with the results. See an
example on page 16 in the Appendix.
Overcoming Potential Barriers
There will always be unexpected events that come up during the survey initiative. BL Consulting
is well equipped to work collaboratively to overcome potential barriers. We will work together to
find solutions that best fit ACME and will ultimately lead to survey success and satisfaction.
Below are some common barriers and potential solutions.
 Task force accountability  Task force volunteers rather than nominations
 Low initial response rates  Increase communication or offer incentives
 Overextending ACME budget  Adjust the Statement of Work (SOW)

PHASE 1: Design and Development
Phase 1 is where the process of choosing dimensions and writing items begins. During this
phase, a needs assessment will be conducted to determine the directions the survey questions
should go. By first determining the obvious needs of the organization, questions can be
developed (or adjusted; see option 2) to tease out the true areas of strength and weakness.
There are a couple of options for initiating the dimension and item development process. The
decision between these options should be based on budget, time constraints, and desired level of
customization.
Option 1: Focus Groups
Ideally, focus groups will be conducted with groups of employee from every level. Employees
will speak in an open and confidential environment about specific issues they have observed and/
or experienced in the work place. Information from these sessions will be collected by the
facilitating consultant and reviewed for dimension development. Items will then be drafted and
reviewed by the task force. This process can be more time consuming and expensive but yields
results that may be optimally primed to capture the unique opinions of ACME employees.
Option 2: BL Consulting Database
BL Consulting has conducted extensive surveys with clients similar to ACME. As an alternative
to focus groups, survey items can be drafted from our database and adjusted to meets the needs
of ACME. This option is typically less time consuming.
 Based on the needs presented in the Request for Proposal, we recommend that the following
dimensions be included in the survey, among others.
1. Communication – This dimension will assess how well information is exchanged and
shared within the company and determine how accessible information is to employees.
2. Satisfaction – Understanding how satisfied employees are with day-to-day work activities
will help the organization better understand its workforce in general.
3. Transformation/Diversity – This dimension will help assess opinions about the recent
merger with P&P Services by determining employee opinion regarding how managers
and other employees treat them.
Item Review
After the dimensions and items have been drafted through one of the above process, the Survey
task force will have an opportunity to review each item and make adjustments. Items will be
evaluated for clarity, relevance (to AMCE employees) and specificity. BL Consulting will
facilitate this process; we will be at each meeting (whether virtually or in person) to ensure a
smooth process and adequate outcomes.

Types of Items
 There should be approximately 60 close-ended opinion items on the survey measuring
several dimensions. These items will each be rated on the same 5-point Likert scale ranging
from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”.
 At the end of the form, comment boxes will be available for open-ended response
feedback. This space is valuable for employee feedback beyond the scope of the close-
ended questions and also provides a space for participants to clarify previous answers.
 In addition to these items, demographic information should be collected up front for
analysis purposes. Cutting the data by demographics can help the organization understand
if issues are more pertinent to different sectors of employees. We recommend collecting the
following demographic information:
1. Gender
2. Ethnicity
3. Tenure
4. Geographic location
5. Department
6. Role/ Position
7. ACME vs. P&P employee prior to merger
 Overall, the survey should take employees approximately 30 minutes to complete. Keeping a
survey short, yet informative to the organization will optimize participation and engagement.
Piloting the Survey
When each dimension and item has been reviewed, the preliminary version of the survey should
be administered to a small group of diverse participants. These participants should be a random
sample of at least 30 employees who will take the survey and provide feedback. The results of
this pilot can be analyzed for reliability and validity to ensure the survey is statistically sound for
this population.
 Validity analysis will be conducted to ensure that items are truly measuring what the
dimension intends to measure. For example, will the item “I understand ACME’s strategic
vision for the future of the company” really measure the dimension of ‘communication’?
 Reliability analysis will be used to determine if the items that make up each dimension
work together to give reliable dimension scores. For example, will the items “I understand
ACME’s strategic vision for the future of the company” and “ACME communicates
information effectively to the company as a whole” equally and consistently measuring the
dimension of ‘communication’?
 If adjustments need to be made to items (rewording, deletions, etc.) in order to increase
validity and reliability, they will be done before the official rollout of the survey.

PHASE 2: Administration
The data collection phase is the heart of the process as this is the time when employees will be
responding to the survey. It is crucial that communication remains a priority during this phase in
order to optimize response rates. BL Consultants will be available for employee questions via
phone throughout the duration of this process. Please see the Appendix [page 17] for an example
of the instructions and link that will be in the email.
Distribution
We recommend a census approach to survey distribution. By including each of ACME’s 8000
employees, each employee has the opportunity to feel leadership has heard his or her opinion.
This is especially important because of the current tumultuous state with regard to ACME’s
recent merger. Another massive benefit of using a census method is that the data analysis can be
much more inclusive and comprehensive, potentially unearthing things that would not be found
if the survey was administered to a select group.
We would like to partner with ACME to find the best way to distribute the survey via email. A
link to an online version of the survey will be in the email. We are aware that there is an email
accessible computer at each work site. This computer can be used to administer surveys and
collect data electronically. Employees can be given a time slot during work hours to complete the
survey on-site. Not only will this method allow for fast and immediate data collection, it could
also decrease the potential error that is associated with entering data manually.
DesiredResponse Rate
In an ideal world, everyone would partake in the survey initiative. However, response rates of
100 percent are not a reality. Response rates for a large organization typically fall between 35
and 80 percent. Typically, a rate of 80 percent or higher will only be observed in an organization
with an established internal survey process in place. When administering this initial survey, we
aspire to reach a response rate between 50 and 60 percent. This response rate will yield an
acceptable amount of data to move forward with analysis. The most tried and true way to
increase response rates is through initial and continued communication throughout the
organization.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is of upmost importance during the survey administration phase. Maintaining
confidentiality is integral to success because an employee who feels his answers could be linked
back to him is much less likely to respond honestly to items, if he responds at all.
Employees will not be asked for their name, as responses are to remain completely confidential.
We will protect against identification through demographic responses by running analysis on
groups of no fewer than ten. Additionally, data must not be connected to any outside database
(such as Human Resource Information Systems) that could provide identifying information. BL
Consulting will ensure confidentiality by stripping any incoming identifying information (HRIS
data, IP addresses, etc.) from the data before it is added to the SPSS file.

PHASE 3: Analysis and Action Planning
Presentation of Results
After an extensive data analysis, Bethany Schutter, Lead Project Consultant for BL Consulting,
will present the results to ACME leadership. The findings will be presented in a comprehensible
report, accompanied by explanation that will lead to understanding the current organization-wide
and group-level issues. The presentation will also include preliminary recommendations for
action planning based on the results. There are several components of the analysis on which
results will be presented.
 Item Level Analysis – Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, etc.) will be
provided for each item. Additionally, tables will be constructed to present the percentage
responses to each of the items. For example, tables could show that for a given item, 25%
responded “Strongly Agree”, 18% responded “Agree”, 4% responded “Neutral”, etc. This
micro-level look at the data is often desirable to organizations.
 Collapsed Item Level Analysis – After the item level analysis, the data will be collapsed
to show Unfavorable (combination of Strongly Disagree and Disagree responses), Neutral,
and Favorable (combination of Strongly Agree and Agree responses) percentage responses
to each item. The same analysis as above will be run on the collapsed data for a medium-
level view of the results.
 Dimension Analysis – In addition to the item analysis and the collapsed item analysis,
responses will be averaged over dimension. Dimensions will be extracted from the data
with a Varimax Rotation Factor Analysis. Once the dimensions (factors) are extracted, we
will average item percentages to find how favorable each dimension is.
 Content Analysis – Information from the open-ended responses will be collected and
condensed for reporting. Any information that may have been missed by the close-ended
questions will be revealed in the final report.
 Demographic Cuts – Cutting the data by demographic can be extremely insightful for
leadership teams. See the following example:
o If considerable disparity is observed between the responses of those who were part
of ACME before the merger and those who worked for P&P Services, it could
indicate a lack of employee knowledge about organizational mission and strategy.
This can lead to differing organizational norms and feelings of dissatisfaction.
Having knowledge of this disparity can enable management to attack the problem
by increasing communication.
 BL Consulting is pleased to offer analyses of specific departments or locations per request
from ACME leadership. However, to protect the confidentiality of individual employees,
analyses will not be run on groups containing fewer than 10 employees.

Action Planning
As a final service offering, action planning will be included in the presentation through our
recommendations for how to attack the problems that were visible in the analysis. We are both
willing and equipped to facilitate a conversation with the leadership team to outline and nail
down the following process with regard to each area of improvement:
1. Identify key areas of focus from the data analysis results.
2. Formulate step-by-step plans for each area needing improvement.
3. Assign ACME leaders to head each project to ensure timely and effective completion.
4. Ensure the organization in its entirety is aware of the programs being rolled out.
It is important to maintain an emphasis on organization-wide communication throughout this
process. Communication will enhance employee buy-in and ultimately lead to increased success.
Additional Services
BL Consulting is equipped to offer follow-up services that extend beyond the survey process.
With considerable experience working with other organizations similar to ACME, we offer off-
the-shelf and customizable training programs in leadership, communication, and diversity.

Summary
BL Consulting is pleased to present this proposal to ACME Automotive. We believe that through
our Survey Design, Administration, and Analysis process, we are able to serve ACME’s needs.
We offer unparalleled value through pricing and customization according to the client’s needs.
 Communication and Confidentiality are top values throughout the survey process.
 Survey Design and Development: We ensure the needs of the client are addressed
from the very first phase; planning is the foundation for success.
 Survey Administration: We are available for customer service throughout this phase
to ensure optimal response rates.
 Survey Analysis: Using the most advanced technology and talented consultants, we
will deliver the results of your survey with actionable recommendations.
We look forward to speaking in further detail in the near future.

APPENDIX
Cost Chart
Budget Item(s) Price Range*
Survey Designand Development
Item Drafting $5,000 – $20,000
Item Review $2,000 – $5,000
Pilot Survey with Analysis $10,000 – $12,000
Final Review and Item Adjustment $1,000 – $2,000
Sub Total $28,000 – $39,000
Survey Administration
Survey Prep/Web Design $3,000 – $5,000
Continued Support/Project Management $2,000 – $5,000
Sub Total $5,000 – $10,000
Survey and Data Analysis
Data Preparation & Cleaning $1,000 – $2,000
Data Analysis $8,000 – $10,000
Executive Report & Recommendation Prep $4,000 – $5,000
Executive Presentation $2,000 – $4,000
Sub Total $15,000 – $21,000
Follow-up Program Development Variable by need
Miscellaneous Costs
Travel $20,000 – $50,000
General Supplies $8,000
Total $76,000 – $128,000
* Price range is an estimate and is based on level of customization for ACME. Costs include
price of materials and hourly wages for BL Consultants. Estimates do not necessarily account for

unexpected delays. The price of travel is listed separately for adjustment based on desired
customization.
Estimated Project Timeline
* This Gantt chart is an estimate only and is subject to alteration. This chart depicts a project
time line of approximately 4 months and 1 week.
1/15/16 2/4/16 2/24/16 3/15/16 4/4/16 4/24/16 5/14/16 6/3/16
Survey Design and Development
Task Force Review
Piloting
Refining Items
Final Survey Approveal
Survey Administration
Survey Opens
Additioanl Days for late respondents
Survey Close
Survey Analysis
Item Level Analysis
Collapsed Item Analysis
Dimension Analysis
Content Analysis
Demographic cut Analysis
Recommendation Generation
Executive Presentation with Action Planning

Sample Announcement Letter to ACME Employees
Dear ACME Employee,
ACME leadership is pleased to announce that we are rolling out a survey initiative in March
2016. The purpose of this survey is to identify areas of improvement within the organization and
to better understand our workforce. With the assistance of the outside survey vendor BL
Consulting, we hope to identify areas of strengths and weakness. It is our goal to make ACME
Automotive one of the most desirable organizations to work for.
We are asking for your direct and honest input about daily operations at ACME. In order for this
initiative to be a success, we would like to invite each and every one of our employees to
participate in giving feedback. Your input will provide ACME with data that can be translated
into actionable plans for organizational improvement.
Thank you for participating.
Sincerely,
Jacob Wilson
Jacob Wilson
Chief Executive Officer
ACME Automotive

Sample Instruction Letter to Employees
Instructions
Please read each question carefully and respond by checking the box next to your answer. This an opinion
survey and there are no right or wrong answers. Providing your honest feedback will allow AMCE
leadership to better understand its workforce and recognize areas for improvement. Remember, this
survey is completely confidential and your answers will never be linked back to you. Results from this
survey will be made available to all ACME employees and should show areas where organizational
improvements will benefit everyone.
There are 3 parts to this survey:
Part 1: Demographic Questions
This section contains seven (7) questions that will enable ACME better understand employees in terms of
groups. Please answer all of the questions and remember that your answers are completely confidential.
Part 2: Opinion Dimensions
The opinion section of the survey is split into 3 sections (section A, B and C). Each section contains 6-8
questions and should take about 5 minutes to complete. This section will be asking for your opinions,
feelings, and attitude about working at AMCE.
Part 3: Comments Section
This section contains two thought boxes for open-ended responses. Please use this space to write down
and suggestions you have for ACME’s leadership or the organization as a whole.
You should take this survey on the designated work computer (in your direct supervisor’s office) during
your allotted time. This allotted work time should have been assigned to you by your supervisor between
the dates of Tuesday, March 1, 2016 and Friday, March 25, 2016. If you are absent on your designated
day, there will be make-up dates available March 22 - March 25.
Once you are seated and have read through the instructions, the survey should take approximately 25-30
minutes to complete. If you have trouble accessing the link or questions related to the survey, please
contact the help desk of BL Consulting at 800-555-5555.
To access and begin the survey, please click the link below:
www.ACMEsurvey2016.com/climate

Sample Survey Items
Example Dimension 1
Communication: This dimension will assess how well information is exchanged and shared within the
company. It also helps determine how accessible information is to employees. Additionally, these
questions will help determine how well leaders listen to employees and sort out misunderstandings.
Please decide extent to which you agree with each statement and check the box next to your answer.
1. ACME communicates information effectively to the company as a whole.
Not Applicable Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
0 1 2 3 4 5
2. My director communicates information effectively to my department.
0 1 2 3 4 5
3. I understand what is expected of me in terms of daily tasks.
0 1 2 3 4 5
4. I understand ACME’s strategic vision for the future of the company.
0 1 2 3 4 5
5. I am satisfied with the method my supervisor uses to communicate with me.
0 1 2 3 4 5

Example Dimension 2
Satisfaction: This dimension will measure how positive and optimistic employees feel about a future with
ACME. It will also help determine if employees find work activities challenging and interesting.
Understanding how satisfied employees are with day-to-day work activities will help the organization
better understand its workforce.
Please decide extent to which you agree with each statement and check the box next to your answer.
1. Overall, I am satisfied with my job.
0 1 2 3 4 5
2. I feel accomplished at the end of each workday.
0 1 2 3 4 5
3. I am encouraged to share new ideas with my supervisor.
0 1 2 3 4 5
4. I see a future with ACME.
0 1 2 3 4 5
5. My job makes good use of my skills and abilities.
0 1 2 3 4 5

RFP_bschutter_10.21.15_FINAL

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