sSource Group, Strategic Sourcing for Life Sciences

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sSource Group Consulting Services

sSource Group is an independent consulting firm that provides customers with long term, all encompassing procurement strategies or single point solutions and support for specific procurement needs. Using sSources' "Strategic Sourcing Procurement" model can result in increased quality of procurement activities with at least a 10% reduction in cost for IT services. Using a comprehensive "Strategic Sourcing Framework" comprised of formal methods, tools and models can result in increased quality and service levels of procurement activities with at least a 10% reduction in real-world, out-of-pocket costs for IT services. sSource Group can also augment client's Procurement/Buyer organizations by any of its six services during peak work loads.

sSource Group provides consulting services in six specific service areas. Service areas are delivered to clients as individual components for single point solutions, combined in different delivery packages to resolve a specific group of issues or as one complete package in order to develop an entire procurement and sourcing strategy.

sSource Services include:

Procurement Strategy Development and Implementation

Supplier Selection

Workforce Acquisition and Deployment

Contract Negotiation and Management

Supplier Relationship Management

Asset Management

Spending with external suppliers is the largest single expense for most companies. Currently up to 50% of every purchasing dollar is spent on business services such as facilities, contract labor and information technology (IT) services. These external expenditures represent one of the largest opportunities for cost savings at most companies. "Despite the amount spent on services, however, a significant portion of services purchases - 25% to 40% - have not been controlled. This suggests that few companies have developed standard procedures and disciplined strategies for acquiring and managing services, and, thus, pay premium rates." (AberdeenGroup, Services Spend Management: Addressing the Total Cost Lifecycle, 5/2003)

IT products and services are mission critical components of life sciences companies. Large companies usually have a staff of professionals to select and manage this spend. Medium to smaller companies either hire consultants or do it themselves. They have often not gotten expected service or have paid too much. Many clients focus primarily on getting the best price with little effort expended addressing the terms and conditions that come with that price. Although price remains a very important factor in the negotiation process, often the costs, obligations and restrictions associated with the terms and conditions in contracts far outweigh any last-minute price discounts that the client may win.