Services
Procurement

We're here to guide you on your Services Procurement journey

Our Services Procurement solution brings visibility, compliance, efficiency and cost savings.

We enable our clients to effectively buy and manage their service engagements through optimisation of their procurement processes, policies, and technology within their overarching talent strategy.

MANAGE THE PROCESS

FACILITATE THE BUY

OUTSOURCE THE CATEGORY

MANAGE THE PROCESS

We are here to guide your SOW bid process. By transitioning the right work to the right resources, our team delivers consistency, increases visibility, and ensures compliance. This reduces risk through managing tactical tasks and frees up your customers’ teams for high-value projects.

Not sure where to start? Transaction management of project record administration through Pontoon is a natural place to start outsourcing your Services Procurement activities.

Guide the buy

We use a consultative approach to help you with labor category identification to ensure the right channel is engaged to meet your needs.

Cost savings

We negotiate, forecast, and control rates to save on your costs.

Start simple then scale

We simplify the process by off-loading administrative tasks and providing SOW template review and guidance while keeping your process consistent.

Data-driven decisions

We’ve got the data, systems, and capabilities to help you gain greater visibility into your external workforce.

FACILITATE THE BUY

In addition to the features of managing the bid, we provide vendor selection guidance, drive competitive bidding, and manage project scope to avoid scope creep, additional time, and costs.

This means you keep the benefits of managing the process, plus some.

Increase efficiency

We provide vendor selection guidance and competitive bidding for your projects using our comprehensive library of supplier information and analytics to expedite the approval process.

Delivery management

We plan, monitor, and execute operational processes to drive consistency and hold your suppliers accountable.

Cost control

With our cost control expertise and negotiation strategy, we ensure that you stay within your budget.

Business intelligence

By leveraging industry benchmarks and category insights, we help you make data-driven buying decisions.

OUTSOURCE THE CATEGORY

Our most complex offering provides execution of an agreed-upon sourcing strategy for human capital throughout the project lifecycle that focuses on category management to reduce risk, ensure compliance and capture enterprise-wide cost savings.

Outsource the category focuses on portfolio management and executing the right strategy.

Demand planning

We are the category experts, delivering guaranteed control in managing your tasks, costs and schedule.

Strategic sourcing

We find the right suppliers, negotiate SOW terms, and implement a sourcing strategy that fits your business.

Increase profitability

We optimise ROI and improve vendor oversight to maximise your procurement spend.

Trusted partnership

We leverage best business practices and our industry experts to find the best values. The result? A trusted customer-focused partnership formed through their existing MSPs.

Is Services Procurement right for you?

Do you lack visibility, data and insights within your Services Procurement solution?

Is your Services Procurement missing clear milestones and deliverables?

Does it take 3-4 days to compile data and make decisions in your Services Procurement programs?

Contact Us

FAQ

Services Procurement

Question 1

What is Services Procurement?

Answer

Services Procurement secures specialised services via skilled external workers for specific projects. At Pontoon, we offer comprehensive procurement solutions based on a modular approach that grows with your needs and ambitions. Each module/pillar delivers increased value for service-based outsourcing. Together, they cover the whole spectrum of SOW management needs, from worker tracking, through managing the process, all the way to end-to-end procurement. You can start anywhere and add new modules as your Services Procurement and Statement of Work (SOW) management strategy evolves. Our method helps your procurement teams deal with limited resources and time so you can concentrate on essential projects.

Question 2

What are the services in scope?

Answer

The scope of Services Procurement encompasses Statement of Work (SOW) management, worker tracking, vendor selection, bid facilitation, Supplier Relationship Management, and category outsourcing. With a flexible and modular approach, Pontoon seamlessly integrates into your organisation, providing strategic support at every stage of the procurement process. Our solutions mitigate risks like worker misclassification and help reduce costs. Suppose you want to streamline operations, manage administrative tasks more efficiently, and gain better control over spending. In that case, our “Manage the process” option, which includes SOW management, is the ideal choice. “Facilitate the buy”, on the other hand, encompasses vendor selection and bid facilitation, simplifying these processes for your procurement teams. And finally, if you outsource the whole category to us, we will handle the entire procurement process from start to finish.

Question 3

What is a Statement of Work (SOW)?

Answer

A Statement of Work (SOW) is a foundational document used in service relationships, providing a detailed outline of a project's scope, objectives, timelines, and contractual terms for engaging temporary workers. Precise Statements of Work are critical to procurement success. Pontoon will work closely with you to craft SOWs that transparently articulate project requirements, mitigate risks, and facilitate successful outcomes. By collaborating with our clients to ensure alignment in project expectations, we minimise misunderstandings and maximise project efficiency. Additionally, our dedicated team manages all aspects of SOW administration, including tasks, agreements, approvals, and payments, using Vendor Management Systems (VMS) to streamline processes and enhance automation for optimal efficiency and transparency.

Question 4

What role does a Managed Service Provider (MSP) play in Services Procurement?

Answer

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) plays a crucial role in Services Procurement by acting as an extended team member focused on optimising the sourcing and management of external services. We believe that Services Procurement outsourcing should be managed through strategic change management based on client readiness and maturity level. Starting with transactional activities allows for a foundational approach, managing onboarding, offboarding, payment management, time sheeting, and contract administration. This builds trust and delivers immediate value to our clients. As trust deepens over time, there’s a natural progression towards more ambitious goals, such as full-category management. Clear communication and setting expectations upfront are essential for aligning our capabilities with your objectives. Ultimately, the role of Pontoon’s MSP extends beyond mere service provision to a strategic partnership that supports your business objectives through tailored procurement solutions.

Case studies

Take a look at how we have partnered with our clients to create solutions for their contingent workforce.

Read more

Services Procurement

Supplier management best practices for cost savings

In response to the challenges faced by our client, a prominent French life sciences company, we initiated a comprehensive strategy rooted in supplier management best practices to address uncontrolled rogue ...

Life Sciences & Industrials

Services Procurement

SOW compliance strategies for cost avoidance

Our client, a global financial services company, was facing challenges with misclassified SOW projects in the UK. Initially, the company was unaware that over half of their 90 SOW projects were ...

Financial Services

MSP

Digital transformation with tech hiring strategies

Digital transformation in the media industry Media industry executives recognise the importance of digital transformation in their industry. 85% of companies believe digital technologies will reduce costs in their tech and ...

Life Sciences & Industrials

Services Procurement

Achieving Key Results Within a Services Procurement Programme

Driving transformation efforts forward is reliant on having the right resources within the workforce. ...

Life Sciences & Industrials

Services Procurement

Mitigating SOW procurement risk delivers 12% annual savings

While overseeing a major financial institution's global Managed Service Provider (MSP) programme, Pontoon identified a significant opportunity for SOW procurement improvement: addressing rogue spend associated with Statement of Work (SOW) ...

Financial Services

Work with us

We focus on experience, leveraging our network of global delivery centres, technology stack, segment specific approach and supplier base to scale fast and deliver successfully.

Learn more

Sign-up for our newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to recieve communications that focus on global talent insights, designed to guide your success and navigate an ever-changing world of work.

Sign-up now