strategic alignment

At the highest level, it’s about helping marketers, procurement and management understand what strategic drivers and considerations are necessary to deliver their marketing objectives.

And ensuring that those marketing objectives are aligned to their business needs.

Strategic questions include;
Do you have the right structure in the marketing department and the right engagement process internally and externally?
Do you have service providers for your marketing plan?
Do you have the right contracts in place?
Do you have the right remuneration model that encourages results?

Strategic versus reactive All too often marketers react to the marketplace rather than monitoring it and making strategic decisions on how to engage with it. The reactive approach means decisions are taken quickly and without planning, and costly mistakes made which have to be fixed later. Both approaches move with the same speed, but one is rushed and the other is well considered. A strategic approach is also more likely to be innovative because it enables an organisation to recognise and capture opportunities before the competition. Strategic planning puts you in the right place at the right time, and gives you the chance to be a market leader rather than a follower.

TrinityP3’s Strategic Alignment services include:

  1. Roster Ratioanalisation
  2. Supplier Search & Selection
  3. Remuneration
  4. Contracts
  5. Engagement Agreements
  6. Environmental Strategy
  7. Strategic Production Sourcing

1. Roster rationalisation

Determining the optimum number and calibre of suppliers to deliver your needs

Do you have the right number or mix of suppliers? Are the suppliers you currently use the right caliber for your needs? Are you achieving the economies of scale commensurate with your spend?

Supplier rosters can often develop organically in response to short term needs or to fill skill gaps in the existing roster. Reviewing the roster on a regular basis provides the opportunity to take a more strategic approach to your roster of suppliers. Rationalization can provide increased value and reduce the internal resources required to manage the large number of suppliers.

2. Supplier search and selection

Selecting the ideal supplier to deliver your needs

Do you need a supplier with a unique skill set? Is an existing supplier underperforming or no longer relevant to your needs? Are you wondering if you have the best supplier solution available in the market place?

Supplier search and selection can be time consuming, costly and disruptive. Finding the range of suppliers available in the market place is often difficult to obtain. Any process requires a high level of due diligence and governance to ensure the outcome is positive for all participants and avoid any potential reputation damage.

3. Remuneration

Ensuring your remuneration level and type supports the delivery of maximum value

Are you paying the right level of remuneration? Does your remuneration model align your suppliers efforts to delivering your objectives? Does your remuneration structure provide you with the flexibility to respond to the changes in the market with little cost impact?

The role of remuneration is more than simply paying for the resources and services you need. Remuneration models can encourage your suppliers to work together more collaboratively. It can encourage the supplier to align their service delivery to your strategic needs and objectives. And it can provide you with the flexibility to change your level of remuneration to reflect your changing needs.

4. Contracts

Developing contracts that provide transparency, accountability and management efficiency

Do you have a current contract with all of your suppliers? When was the last time it was reviewed? Does it provide you with the level of protection you need? Does your contract reflect the remuneration model and terms and conditions you need? How hard is it for you to terminate the agreement?

Contracts are an essential part of any business relationship in defining the scope of the relationship and managing the day to day activity and service delivery of that relationship. Yet many contracts become quickly irrelevant to the functioning of the relationship until a problem occurs, when one or both parties realise the gaps or inadequacies of their current contract… if in some cases, it even exists.

5. Engagement Agreements

Replacing SLAs and supplier KPIs to encourage more collaborative working environments

What level of service do you expect from your agency? What do they expect from you? How quickly do you want them to respond and how? Are they underperforming to your expectations? And if so why is it happening? What is your role in them meeting your needs?

Traditionally, service level agreements and KPIs were used to set service expectations. But these are very uni-directional and based on a servant master relationship. In marketing, the service level of the service provider is directly impacted and dependent on the role of the marketer. Therefore TrintyP3 provides a process for developing an Engagement Agreement through a series of workshops between marketers and agencies to discuss and agree the expectations and needs of both parties at every touch point and interaction.

6. Environmental Strategy

Aligning marketing practice and impact with the organisational environmental strategy

What is your organizational environmental strategy? What is your role in delivering these environmental objectives? How can marketers achieve their communications strategies, while achieving alignment with the organisation’s environmental objectives?

When most organisations set a carbon neutral environmental objective, the life-cycle audit will often include all aspects of the business except the very function that informs stakeholders of the objective and results. Marketing plays an essential communications role in any environmental strategy for most organisations. Therefore it is essential that marketers are able to develop a sustainable environmental strategy that is aligned with the organisation’s goals.

7. Strategic Supplier Sourcing

Achieving cost efficiencies and enhanced quality through effective production and supply sourcing

What contracts do you have in place for production? And who holds them? Beyond print management and media buying contracts, what other opportunities exist for you to achieve greater value and efficiencies?

Traditionally, most third party supplier contracts for printing, television production and merchandise were held by suppliers on behalf of the client. Even some contracts with media proprietors were held and managed by the agency. Today, many companies realise the more cost effective and transparent approach is to engage and manage these relationship directly with the third party suppliers.

For more information on any of these services, email people@trinityp3.com

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