Sourcing; a phased approach?

Strategy and Scoping

An essential initial step in strategic sourcing is an analysis of the possible and desirable sourcing options. BlinkLane evaluates in workshops with management the various sourcing options with reference to your business strategy, the IT organization's level of ambition, the existing IT capabilities, market developments and market trends. Next, a detailed business case is drawn up, with a risk analysis. BlinkLane transparently identifies the sourcing model with the greatest added value for your business.

Select: which selection procedure?

There are numerous ways of approaching selection. BlinkLane helps you choose the most suitable selection procedure and we then work closely on carrying it out. The best known is the Request for Information/Request for Proposal/Due Diligence procedure, in which several suppliers are requested to submit a proposal based on the requirements defined in the RFI and RFP. The proposals are then assessed on price-quality ratio. This procedure is usually required within the government sector pursuant to European regulations.

However, there are alternatives. One example is the Benchmark Procedure which selects one supplier at an early stage. The selected supplier will have been assessed by BlinkLane in advance to confirm market compatibility, by means of a financial and quality benchmark. An example of where this procedure is suitable is in recontracting. It goes without saying that the nature of the services is important in choosing the selection procedure. For instance, BlinkLane follows a different approach in the selection process for a standard IT infrastructure than for a complex application portfolio.

Contract: drawing up a usable contract

BlinkLane assists in the negotiations and in drafting the contracts. Your business case and the ability to meet the sourcing and business objectives are always paramount.

Transfer: a good start is half the work

The provision of services changes hands in this phase. Experience has shown that the first months are crucial to the satisfactory progress of the services through the contract period. The transition is usually on an 'as-is' basis in the first instance. In other words, the services are transferred, preserving a comparable level of service and retaining the existing processes. The transfer to the supplier's working methods and sites takes place only after satisfactory performance of the first step.

Develop sourcing capabilities: BlinkLane IT Excellence Framework™

Sourcing is crucial. This is why your IT organization itself must have the capabilities in house for successfully tackling the strategy, implementation and management of sourcing relationships. BlinkLane ensures that you develop these capabilities by using the IT Excellence Framework™. This framework is based on the eSCM, ISPL, CMMI, IT Service CMM and ACMM standards and the practical experience of BlinkLane's consultants.

A clear picture of your sourcing ambition emerges during the strategy phase. We then subject the IT organization to the BlinkLane IT Excellence Audit™. The audit provides insight into the status quo of the IT chain and the sourcing activities that your organization itself can perform now, exposes obstacles and reveals the improvement potential. We use this output as a basis for an improvement plan, which we execute in parallel with the project's other sourcing activities.

Monitor: to measure is to know

Once the new sourcing relationship has been established, we monitor performance throughout the term of the contract. Monitoring may use audits and benchmarking of the quality of the services. However, BlinkLane may also audit the status of the sourcing capabilities of the internal organizations. Finally, in sourcing too, we are always mindful that the capabilities of the internal IT organization and the external supplier have the greatest impact on performance.

Monitoring may form the basis for modifying the sourcing relationship. It may also reveal that the internal organization has room for improvement. Whatever the case, our objective always is to create maximum added value for your organization through sourcing.