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Category Archives: Managed Services
← Older postsThe Failure of Southwest One: What Can We Learn?
April 9, 2013
In 2007, Somerset County Council struck a deal to outsource various services to a joint venture company. That company — Southwest One (SW1) — was intended to serve as a trailblazer that demonstrated how public and private organisations could work together to benefit the communities of the South West and further afield. However, at the end of March the death knell of the relationship was marked by news that Somerset
Posted in Contract Management, IT Contract, IT Dispute, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Performance Improvement, Project Recovery, Public Sector, Risk Management | Tagged culture, southwest one | Comments OffHow to Use an Expert to Fix a Failing Provider Relationship
November 27, 2012
It’s a common situation. An organisation is very disappointed with what they perceive to be unsatisfactory service delivery from a strategic provider and they want out of the contract. They appreciate that exiting a service provider, complex IT or strategic commissioning contract can open up a proverbial hornet’s nest, so they bring in an expert to assist in facilitating a relatively smooth process. If at that stage Best Practice Group
Posted in Contract Management, IT Contract, IT Dispute, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Performance Improvement, Project Recovery, Risk Management | Tagged case study, city council, contract termination, expert witness, ICT outsourcing, IT outsourcing, outsourcing, provider relationship, strategic commissioning | Comments OffShould Local Authorities Overcome Their Fear of Strategic Commissioning?
November 14, 2012
Although Councils are tasked with slashing budgets whilst maintaining (or even increasing) the quality of public services, the endorsement of strategic commissioning as a potential solution is seen by many councillors as dangerous ground upon which to tread. In fairness, their reticence is understandable. We recently reported that Cornwall County Council leader Alex Robertson was ousted from his role in the wake of his attempts to finalise a hefty strategic commissioning contract.
Posted in Cut Costs, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Performance Improvement, Procurement, Public Sector | Tagged due diligence, procurement, strategic commissioning | Comments OffWhy Strategic Commissioning Must Not Be Shunned by Struggling Local Authorities
October 23, 2012
Cornwall County Council leader Alec Robertson was ousted from his role last week in the wake of his attempts to finalise a hefty strategic commissioning contract. Robertson planned to outsource various Council services in a deal worth £300m. This followed the resignation of his deputy leader, Jim Currie, who protested Robertson’s eagerness to proceed vehemently. If this news demonstrates anything, it is that strategic commissioning is clearly under a great
Posted in Cut Costs, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Public Sector | Tagged local authorities, outsourcing, strategic commissioning, strategic commissioning alternatives | Comments OffManaged Service Provider Up For Sale? 3 Risks to Consider and 3 Steps to Take
September 18, 2012
The news last Thursday that Northgate Managed Services has put itself up for sale comes as little surprise to those of us with extensive experience in the managed services sector. The company has been struggling to provide any significant return for its group and in turn, its investors. Despite a turnover in excess of £128m in the last financial year, Northgate MS made an operating profit of just £200,000 — and that
Posted in Contract Management, IT Contract, IT Dispute, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Performance Improvement, Procurement, Project Recovery, Public Sector, Risk Management | Tagged capital investment, contract terms, managed services, northgate managed services, service levels, service provider relationships, service provider risks, service recovery | Comments OffBack to Basics: The Importance of Culture in a Service Commissioning Partnership
September 13, 2012
There are many factors that you must bring under consideration when entering into a service commissioning partnership. You are no doubt familiar with the “usual suspects” — price and capability. It isn’t unreasonable for them to be key considerations — after all, the success of any commissioning partnership is typically defined by its cost and service delivery quality. But that does not mean that price and capability should be the only considerations.
Posted in Back to Basics, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Procurement, Project Management, Public Sector | Tagged culture, profit culture, public sector, service commissioning | Comments OffBack to Basics: 5 Things You Must Do During a Commissioning Contract
August 6, 2012
At Best Practice Group, we regularly get involved in established commissioning partnerships that are in dire need of revitalisation. More often than not, a client will seek out our services with the aim of dismantling their commissioning agreement with minimum damage caused. They are typically surprised when we tell them that we can in fact repair and replenish the partnership to such an extent that it meets (and exceeds) desired outcomes.
Posted in Back to Basics, Managed Services, Outsourcing | Tagged business outcomes, commissioning, culture, goals, governance team, workflow | Comments OffAdult Social Care – Key Steps to Reducing Costs and Improving Performance
July 30, 2012
The following post focuses on one of the key issues explored in our new white paper on Adult Social Care Services. Download your free copy here. The age of austerity for public services is an established fact. The pain has been real, and continues to be both for Councils and for those who rely on their services. Against this backdrop, Councils will continue to be experiencing an ever-increasing demand for
Posted in Contract Management, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Procurement, Public Sector | Tagged adult social care, councils, integration, local authorities, multi-sourcing, section 75, service provider relationships, social care, strategic commissioning | Comments OffNHS Trust Hit with Huge Monetary Penalty – Could It Have Been Avoided?
June 18, 2012
At Best Practice Group, one of our greatest frustrations is seeing major service provider relationships erode in a very public manner, when better management could not only have prevented such an outcome, but served to benefit both parties and led to a healthy long term relationship. That is why today I want to explore a recent incident in which Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust was charged with an enormous
Posted in Contract Management, Managed Services, Public Sector, Risk Management | Tagged ico, monetary penalty, nhs trust, service provider relationships, service providers | Comments OffYour Service Provider’s Duty to Warn
January 23, 2012
Have you ever been hit by unforeseen cost increases to your contracts? Did you feel your service provider really should have known about these costs and warned you about them in advance? Have you gone on to pay these costs? A recent court case judgment has re-enforced the ‘duty to warn’ that professional service providers (such as strategic/outsourcing/technology partners) have to their clients. The case, J Murphy & Sons Limited
Posted in Contract Management, IT Contract, IT Dispute, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Project Recovery | Tagged Legal Cases | 4 Comments ← Older postsGet Free Updates
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