Problem Statement

This HFS client, a leader in digital marketing services, was looking to be ahead of the market and create scale into its marketing capabilities.

To achieve this, the client engaged HFS to review early exchanges with a provider of Marketing BPO services. Our understanding of this market allowed a rapid uplift of contract and pricing commitments.

For this fast-moving client, HFS held the hand of all stakeholder groups to gain consensus on requirements. In doing so, we helped the client be a step ahead of market change.

Solution

HFS Sourcing Advisors applied the insight from colleagues in customer experience and marketing to validate the client’s initial choice for a partner. HFS then guided the client through contract and pricing negotiation.

To undertake this, HFS did the following:

• Ran stakeholder meetings with all vested client functions including Ownership parties
• Worked in partnership with the client’s legal counsel to refine both MSA and SoW drafts
• Became the client advocate on the following topics:

–Equitable risk sharing

–Pricing and delivery team composition

–Productivity clauses

–Information security compliance

–ESG alignment

–Leadership and business alignment

• Internal reporting and advisor on critical negotiating positions

Outcome

HFS Sourcing Advisory delivered both advice and guidance through project artifacts and meeting support. The experience of sourcing advisors helped both project sponsors and key stakeholder groups move forward with confidence. We provided both project and management reporting documents and interfaced hand-in-hand with the client at all steps of the evaluation, selection, and negotiation.

With the delivery of our work, the client gained:

• A vastly improved five-year economic plan
• Acceptance by the service provider of risk-of-delivery obligations
• Guidance on post contract governance including performance management and innovation expectations surrounding the introduction of automation
• Scale in its marketing operations to preserve a focus on its own employee experience and provide contingency to swings in the digital marketing market.
• Mission accomplished!