Diagnosis, Solutions, Transformation, Sustaining & Improving
Diagnosis
The purpose of the Diagnosis phase is to determine the business case for change combining ‘hard' benefits (e.g. cost saving and avoidance) and ‘soft' commercial benefits (e.g. transparency, speed to market, brand integrity) and the ‘requirements' (i.e. the future demand for marketing goods and/or services). The diagnosis stage focuses on analysis of external costs but also includes a review of internal ways of working and cost & activity reporting.
Solutions
The Solutions phase builds on the facts uncovered during the Diagnosis phase, identifying and considering a range of options for optimising the in-scope areas of marketing spend, together with a recommended strategy and road-map. The proposed solutions and recommendations are based on applied best-practice from peer-group organisations adapted to fit the particular characteristics of the client organisation e.g. level of centralisation, spend profile, skills & capabilities, etc.
Transformation
The Transformation phase is essentially the implementation of the strategy and road-map agreed during the Solutions phase. Typically this will involve working closely with the client marketing and procurement team on a variety of workstreams, ending in the achievement of ‘business as usual' status for the newly optimised area of marketing spend. Workstreams will vary significantly by project but may include supplier selection, systems specification and process re-engineering. At the end of the transformation phase the largest part of the MSc intervention is complete.
Sustaining and Improving
The Sustaining & Improving phase ensures that the solutions delivered through the transformation stage are embedded for the long-term. Related activities include auditing & benchmarking, training and performance management reviews. These can be delivered on a regular basis during the lifetime of a supplier contract or during the first few activity cycles after the Transformation phase.