Nowadays it is difficult to turn on the television, read the news, or even scroll through LinkedIn without generative AI (GenAI) being front and center. While some government contractors have been early adopters and have benefitted from the time and cost savings GenAI offers, many are still struggling with internal governance questions, general bureaucracy, fear of the unknown, or are still in the early planning or discovery stages. If you’re looking to adopt Gen AI for your GovCon organization, this guide will help you understand the steps from a Project Manager’s perspective.

While generative AI can do many things to significantly enhance operational efficiency and innovation, it requires careful planning, execution, and follow-on monitoring (i.e. basic PMP delivery principles) to launch a successful project. Here are the five primary steps for to effectively incorporate Gen AI into your workflows.

Step 1: Assess Current Workflow and Identify Opportunities

Before integrating any new technology, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of your current workflow. Start by outlining your current processes, covering everything from business development and capture to proposal writing and contract management. Identify bottlenecking areas or any time-consuming, manual tasks. Common opportunities for AI integration include data analysis, proposal generation, and compliance checks.

Once you have a detailed overview, prioritize the areas where Generative AI can have the most significant impact. For instance, if your team spends a considerable amount of time on proposal writing, AI can assist in generating RFI responses, RFP first drafts, and suggesting improvements based on past successful proposals. The biggest opportunities for time and cost savings are repetitive time tasks. Target AI for those use cases.

Step 2: Choose the Right AI Tools and Technologies

Selecting the right tool is critical to successful integration. Consider tools that are specifically designed for government contracting or those that can be customized to meet your needs. Evaluate the features, ease of use, and compatibility with your existing systems. For example, tools that offer natural language processing (NLP) capabilities can be invaluable for drafting and reviewing contracts.

The tool should also fit your security needs. If you handle CUI or other sensitive information you should look for a tool that doesn’t publicly “train” on your data or store information in an environment not appropriate for this purpose. Depending on the security level of your data/ data repository you may need to use tools approved for government use, such as Microsoft Azure Government. For certain data sets you may want to self-host them in your own private cloud.

Step 3: Develop a Comprehensive Implementation Plan

With the right tools in hand, the next step is to develop a comprehensive implementation plan. This plan should define the timeline, resources, and training required for successful integration. Engage stakeholders from different departments to ensure not only a collaborative approach but to capture potential use cases not originally included in the plan.

The timeline will depend on the platform. Certain SaaS tools can be available to end users almost immediately while self-hosting a tool may require weeks to set up the infrastructure, install, and provision users.

Required resources will include a cross functional team to stand it up and then leverage the system for maximum use. IT, knowledge and content administrators, business stakeholders, project management, and end users will all be needed throughout the implementation so be sure to keep that in mind.

Training is a crucial component of this phase. It is critical to ensure your team is well-versed in using the new AI tools. This might involve workshops, online tutorials, or even hands-on training sessions provided by external experts. The goal is to ensure that everyone is comfortable and confident in using the technology. Selecting a vendor that will contribute to your success is critical. The vendor’s customer success team should be a partner throughout this process that will be relied on extensively. Most users will not have generative AI experience or may have minimal knowledge through applications like ChatGPT. Training is a key element to learn how to maximize the value of AI for your specific business. Leaning on SMEs that can walk you through the basics of prompting, integrating corporate knowledge, and evaluating past performances will allow your team get up to speed as soon as possible.

Step 4: Monitor and Evaluate Performance

Once the AI tools are integrated into your workflow, continuous monitoring and evaluation is essential. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the integration. These could include metrics such as time saved, error reduction, and overall project efficiency.

Regularly review these metrics to identify any areas for improvement. Encourage your team to share feedback about any challenges they encounter and adjust accordingly. This iterative method ensures that AI integration continues to add value over time. Providing feedback to the vendor’s customer support team is also crucial, as they may offer additional prompts or resources to address specific use cases, alleviate bottlenecks, and enhance KPIs.

Step 5: Scale and Innovate

After successfully integrating Generative AI into your GovCon workflow and demonstrating its benefits, consider scaling its use across other areas of your organization. This could involve expanding the AI’s capabilities to other departments or downstream workflows.

Innovation should be at the heart of this phase. Encourage your team to explore new ways to leverage AI. By fostering a culture of innovation, your organization can maintain a competitive edge in the government contracting space.

Conclusion

Incorporating generative AI into your GovCon workflow is not just about adopting new technology; it’s about transforming the way you operate to deliver better results for your clients. By following these five steps—from assessing your current workflow to scaling and innovating—you can enhance your organization’s efficiency, improve decision-making, and achieve greater success in your projects.

As a Project Manager, your role is pivotal in driving this transformation. By leading the charge in AI integration, you’re not only optimizing your current processes but also paving the way for a more innovative and future-ready organization. Best of luck and happy hunting!