Case Study / Client: Informa PLC
Accelerated supplier selection process to support Digital Transformation Programme.
Informa is a leading international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business. Their global portfolio of knowledge, event and information-based businesses connects people, providing unrivalled access to high quality, specialist intelligence and links across commercial, professional and academic communities. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 100, the huge organisation has over 11,000 team members working in more than 30 countries. The size and complex operations of the organisation understandably require expert change and transformation delivery to help achieve the ambitious objectives of such a successful company.
With a long-standing relationship, Speculo had been working with Informa across multiple service disciplines for some time, from the provision of expert Programme and Project Managers to the sourcing of key suppliers. So, when the need arose following an acquisition, for effective identification and appointment of suppliers as part of a Digital Transformation Programme, Informa knew exactly who to turn to.
The Challenge
As a result of the acquisition and to ensure timely delivery of the Digital Transformation Programme, the identification, assessment and appointment of the key supplier had to happen at speed. As the programme was already underway, it was important to maintain momentum and insert Speculo’s sourcing expertise efficiently, so as to minimise risk and disruption. In addition, it was imperative to ensure a cultural and ethical match between Informa and the chosen supplier.
Key Deliverables
> Streamlined selection process
> Independent analysis & advice
> Specialist RFP experience
> Effective risk assessments
The Solution
With a proven track record of delivering RFI, RFP and Supplier selection services, Speculo were engaged to act as an independent party to help identify, assess and appoint the chosen supplier in a completely unbiased and non-vendor aligned approach. Informa were able to take advantage of Speculo’s specialist knowledge, industry expertise and on-demand resources to streamline their technology procurement process and ensure the objectives of the Digital Transformation Programme were met.
With the need for rapid selection of supplier, the process was kicked off quickly, employing Speculo resources to capture a detailed understanding of Informa’s requirements before applying MoSCoW prioritisation analysis to generate specification statements. Furthermore, Speculo conducted initial market investigation and formed a shortlist of supplier candidates, before undertaking interviews, on Informa’s behalf, to ascertain their capability and suitability. Ensuring a complete picture was achieved, risk assessments of each were conducted, reporting on Capability, Capacity, Financial Standing, Human Resources, Environmental, Quality, Ethical and Security elements. As a result of the comprehensive analysis process, Informa were able to further narrow the field, before Speculo designed a targeted RFP for release which included an independent, level scoring mechanism to ensure responses where consistent and scoring fair.
The Outcome
By utilising Speculo’s experience in both the IT and procurement fields, Informa benefited from an accelerated selection and on-boarding process, reducing a typical timeframe of 3-4 months to an incredible 5-6 weeks. This was achieved via a number of proven Speculo techniques, including expert led prioritisation of requirements, a bespoke “gold standard” selection process that ensured only candidates that explicitly met Informa’s key metrics were put forward, a comprehensive risk assessment and specialist RFP process that included an accurate and meaningful scoring system which allowed for efficient comparison and decision making.
Meeting all of Informa’s speed and delivery objectives, the selected supplier was onboarding within 2 months of the process starting and remains in a productive, positive relationship with Informa a year on. The programme this facilitated has been completed and Informa have grown from strength to strength.
> Independent analysis for balanced outcome
> Greatly reduced delivery timeframe
> Informed decision making and conclusion
> Rapid onboarding of key supplier
> Perfect cultural and ethical fit
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