Selection of a comms solution provider for the CBI
Selection of a comms solution provider for the CBI
Business Imperative
The CBI had developed plans to standardise office operations on a converged mobile and VOIP solution. To ensure that it could benefit from the best solution and cost, the team planned a formal market entry programme. Acert was recommended to them to design and run the process.
Analytical Approach
Working closely with the client, we developed an RFP that encouraged the creativity of suppliers to define the most cost effective solution, providing them detailed analysis and profiling key aspects such as SMS, ‘internal’, external and international calls.
Central Role
The client’s management team down-selected five organisations to receive the RFP. Our management of the process included:
- Single point of contact for all bidders
- Reviewing all responses (including requesting further information where appropriate)
- Formal evaluation and documented assessment of the merits and/or shortcomings with each of the bids
- Selecting/recommending a preferred and a reserve bidder
Business Impact
As a result of the process, the CBI selected a (new) business partner to provide an end-to-end, fully managed service for its end-users. The implemented solution delivered on the key requirements of low cost, high flexibility and a future-proof technical solution.
Managed print project management and procurement for a global enterprise client
Managed print project management and procurement for a global enterprise client
Rapid Growth
Having grown massively both organically and by acquisition, this large media conglomerate recognised the opportunity for business improvement and savings to be realised from a shared services approach. A substantial IT innovation project had been established right across the scope of technology for the business. In-house and office (managed) print was one of eight categories targeted.
Immediate action
An audit was commissioned to develop a meaningful understanding of the scale of the opportunity. The project required collection and analysis of data from many tens of companies and locations in the UK, US and Germany, as well as detail-gathering on the underlying contractual and commercial position across hundreds of individual local agreements.
Tangible results
The assessment phase was delivered to budget on an aggressive timeline, revealing a $1m+ annual savings opportunity. We went on to commission and manage an expanded assessment, covering sites in a further fifteen US cities. As a result of the success of the initial phases, we were retained to project manage the supplier selection process in the US, UK and Germany, together with subsequent contract negotiations.
Solution Strengths
Acert was engaged because of our relevant competencies including:
- Deep knowledge of the managed print market, solutions and delivery models;
- Global supply-chain co-ordination and solutions architecture experience
- Multi-faceted project management across the technical, information-gathering, solution architecture and market entry elements of the programme
- Rapid engagement and project onboarding capability
Ability to bring in additional associates and resources for short-term requirements
Business Impact
The assessment phase covering c.30,000 staff and c.140m pages per annum was completed in under five months. Market entry and supplier shortlisting for the three territories followed quickly, with new contract development and negotiation over the following five months.