operations and sourcing
Corporations and their operations have been subject to increasingly greater pressure to improve their performance over the latest years. Such improvement may be derived from efficiency gains in the processes or from a quality increase in service delivery. Efficient supply management, while ensuring adequacy to the business requirements, is yet another aspect that may significantly contribute to increase operational performance.

We help our clients optimize their operations, particularly in the area of business process transformation.

Furthermore, we provide advisory in supply management, namely, by assisting in procurement management  process and, on a later stage, by managing and controlling the execution of the contracts or projects.
This practice will typically produce a Process Development Plan for the corporation, as a final deliverable, including the corresponding Reference Technical Architecture.
Business Process Transformation
Under Business Process Transformation we help our clients address questions such as:
  • How can I develop my corporation’s processes in order to make them more efficient?
  • What development methodology should be adopted and what indicators should be used to measure efficiency?
  • What technologies should be adopted to support and boost process efficiency increase?
  • How can I make my corporation’s process management more effective?
  • What technologies should be adopted to increase process management effectiveness?
This practice will typically produce an Action Rationale for the sourcing operation as a final deliverable, including the recommended Sourcing Model and the Business Case for the operation. A Tender Specifications/Technical Specifications document may also be produced to support the outsourcing process.
Strategic Sourcing Advisory
Under Strategic Sourcing Advisory we help our clients address questions such as:
  • In line with the predefined strategic priorities, which corporation areas should be outsourced and what is the rationale for that?
  • What is the most suitable sourcing model for a certain area or project (in-sourcing, full outsourcing, selective outsourcing, etc.)?
  • How should the organizational model (structure, job description, staffing) evolve in an outsourcing scenario?
  • What is the current cost of the area to be outsourced (Base Case)? What gains can be expected with this operation (Business Case)?
  • How should outsourced services and their service levels be specified?
  • How can I select the most suitable suppliers for a particular sourcing operation?
  • What aspects should be taken into account in negotiating and contracting a sourcing operation?
This practice will typically produce a Contracting Model, a Tender Specifications/RFP and a Proposal Assessment Model as final deliverables.
Procurement Process Management
Under Procurement Process Management we help our clients address questions such as:
  • What contract model best suits my project or service, and what tender documents will have to be produced?
  • What should be specified in the Tender Specifications/RFP?
  • How can I select the most suitable proposal?
  • What aspects should be taken into account in negotiating and contracting the project or the service?
This practice will typically produce a Service Delivery Model as a final deliverable, including the respective Deployment Plan.
Service Delivery Models
Under Service Delivery Models we help our clients address questions such as:
  • How should an area in my corporation organise as a service provider within a client/supplier logic?
  • What services and corresponding service levels should be set in the Service Level Agreements?
  • How can I ensure compliance with the agreed service levels?
This practice will typically produce a series of Progress Reports on the project/program implementation as final deliverables, including risk and contingency identification and corresponding mitigation or recovery actions.
Project/Program Implementation Management and Control 
Under Project/Program Implementation Management and Control we help our clients address questions such as:
  • How can I make sure that my project/program develops at a pace that is in line with my requirements?
  • How can I ensure compliance with cost and deadlines?
  • How can I manage my supplier(s) in order to guarantee compliance with deadlines and cost?
  • How can I ensure integration between the different elements in my project? Or integration between the different projects in my program?
  • How can I manage the risks associated with the implementation of my project/program?
  • How can I set up my project/program in order to encourage all stakeholders to be positively involved?
This practice will typically produce a series of Management Reports on contract compliance as final deliverables, including the identification of risks or contingencies and respective mitigation or recovery actions.
Outsourcing Contract Management

Under Outsourcing Contract Management we help our clients address questions such as:
  • How can I make sure that the outsourced services are delivered in line with expectations (services, service levels and cost), while ensuring internal service customer satisfaction?
  • How can I ensure that the outsourced service delivery is continuously in line with the continuous variation of my business’s requirements?
  • How can I ensure that the adequate skills and competences are involved in the outsourcing contract management, where the supplier has a far greater experience than my corporation?
  • How can I ensure that the outsourced services are delivered in a competitive environment (in line with the market’s best practices) over the entire contract period?
This practice will typically produce a Cost Diagnosis and a Potential Savings Rationale as final deliverables, together with an Action Plan for cost reduction.
Cost Reduction Advisory

Under Cost Reduction Advisory we help our clients address questions such as:
  • How can I adjust the size and composition of my current organizational structure in order to efficiently manage my business?
  • Which of my currently in place contracts should be optimised or renegotiated in order to minimize costs?
  • What current processes should be optimised to increase cost effectiveness?
  • What current processes should be optimised to reduce inefficiencies and save human labor?
  • Where are the “hidden costs” that erode my profit margin?