Top Plating Ltd uses electroplating processes to coat products in silver or gold, to customer specifications. Most of the company’s work is obtained through the tender process, where the company responds to an invitation to submit a competitive bid. Over the last few months Top Plating has been very quiet, and the managing director, Adam Cornish, is concerned that the business will fail if it does not improve its success rate with tenders. The company has two production departments, preparation and coating, and the production requirements for individual jobs can differ significantly. Some jobs require extensive preparation, with minimal coating; others require little preparation but multiple coats.

The following table describes the results of the five bids that the company submitted last month. (The numbers in brackets after losses indicate where the company was ranked in the bid process.)