Go/ No-Go Decision
What Is Go/No-Go Decision Making?
Go/No-Go decision making is the process sales, proposal, and solutions engineering teams use to determine whether to pursue or decline a business opportunity—typically an RFP (Request for Proposal) or bid.
It’s a structured qualification step that evaluates factors like profitability, client fit, resource availability, and likelihood of success before investing time in crafting a full RFP response.
Learn how Iris helps automate early-stage RFP qualification in our blog: How to Streamline the RFP Process with AI.
Purpose of a Go/No-Go Decision
The goal of a go/no-go decision is to ensure teams focus only on high-value, winnable opportunities.
Without a qualification step, sales and presales teams can waste hours responding to RFPs that aren’t a good fit or stretch resources too thin.
A formal go/no-go framework helps:
- Prioritize deals with the highest potential ROI.
- Align sales, legal, and technical teams on strategy early.
- Reduce burnout from unqualified pursuits.
- Increase overall RFP win rate by focusing on the right opportunities.
Related reading: Common Mistakes That Lower RFP Win Rates.
Go/No-Go Decision Criteria
When evaluating an opportunity, teams typically consider:
- Strategic Fit: Does the deal align with company goals and target markets?
- Win Probability: Is the client relationship strong enough to compete effectively?
- Resource Availability: Do we have bandwidth to deliver a high-quality proposal?
- Compliance Requirements: Can we meet all mandatory terms, timelines, and formats?
- Profitability: Will pricing, margin, and contract terms support business goals?
Many organizations use a go/no-go checklist or scorecard to guide these assessments, often built directly into their proposal automation tools.
The Go/No-Go Process
- Opportunity Intake
The sales or business development team logs the new opportunity and shares the RFP details. - Initial Review
Proposal managers or presales leads review requirements, timelines, and constraints. - Collaborative Evaluation
Teams assess fit using a scoring matrix or checklist—sometimes through a short meeting or form. - Decision Meeting
Stakeholders determine whether to “Go” (proceed), “No-Go” (decline), or “Conditional Go” (pending clarification). - Documentation
The rationale is recorded for internal tracking and future learning.
Iris integrates go/no-go workflows directly into RFP intake dashboards, allowing faster and more consistent decisions.
Why It Matters
A well-defined go/no-go decision process improves:
- Efficiency: Teams avoid low-value pursuits.
- Collaboration: Everyone aligns on which opportunities to chase.
- Profitability: Resources are allocated where they’ll have the greatest impact.
- Predictability: Historical data helps refine future qualification criteria.
Explore how AI supports this process in RFP Evaluation.
Best Practices
- Use a standardized checklist to remove bias from decisions.
- Revisit criteria quarterly to align with shifting business priorities.
- Involve both sales and delivery teams in decision-making.
- Track “no-go” reasons to identify recurring blockers or market trends.
- Automate opportunity intake and scoring with tools like Iris Pro for consistent qualification.
