As part of SBL’s strategic alignment and commitment to delivering value and service excellence to our client base, we recognise that a customer’s need to source, evaluate and implement a product or solution is a complex and time-consuming process, particularly as this requirement may specifically link to a number of defined project deliverables and involve a number of personnel across different departments within the business. More often, the depth and breadth of knowledge required to accumulate intelligence from vendors, consultants and other service delivery partners in an accurate and timely manner drives the total cost of the project beyond budgetary constraints – not to mention that in itself the process can often create more confusion that it delivers value.  In addition to this producing a scope of works for a project is a fundamental requirement.

SBL provide pre-competitive consultation and collaboration to fully support this requirement. SBL’s Procurement Consultancy identifies the most economically attractive solution thereby ensuring that the customer achieves enhanced value for money. Over the extensive period of our operation across both commercial and Public Sector organisations we have developed a sophisticated methodology for working with customers to enable efficient and cost effective enterprise scale consolidated procurements.

SBL is committed to ensuring its clients can maximise the use of their existing IT infrastructure by offering impartial advice and recommendations. This is primarily achieved by having an integral knowledge of our customer’s marketplace, existing business processes and technology issues that may impact a requirement.

The fundamental aim of the Client Interface Service is to ensure our customers receive the product and service that best suits their needs.  The operation of this service is particularly relevant with regards to Information Assurance (IA) products and services due to the proximity of national Security Issues.

The Client Interface Service also offers a number of unique and compelling business drivers around our ability to negotiate and secure preferential pricing and terms of trade.  This is primarily achieved through our Core Vendor Activity Plan which secures the engagement between SBL and Vendors on behalf of our customers and ensures we can maintain and manage high levels of accreditation and partnership status with Best of Breed Vendors. (For more information about some of the Vendors we work with please click here and visit our Partners section. The partners in this section are some of the key Vendors we work with, this list is by no means exhaustive.)  

In addition to this SBL can essentially own and manage the associated project due diligence which in most cases can negate responsibility for the client’s project key stakeholder.  We can also ensure delivery of bespoke project related support documentation around customised configuration, end user training and any co-termination agreements relevant to the project.

An overview of the features of SBL’s Client Interface Service

• Meeting with the customer to conduct a down-selection of any non-compliant responses and produce a short list
• Invitation of the short-listed vendors into technical and commercial discussions with an agreed customer / SBL team
• Deliver a review of the technical and commercial aspects of the vendor’s responses and conducting a tour of vendor nominated reference sites
• Further down-selection of vendors and invitation of best and final offers from remaining Vendors.
• Conduct final selection of product and vendor and hold debriefs for all vendors
• Finalise business case to the customer and manage resulting procurement and subsequent delivery

To substantiate the value of the service further some specific instances of successful deployments using this methodology in whole or in part are detailed below:

Rugby Borough Council - Helpdesk Solution
Denbighshire Council  - Encryption Software
London Ambulance Service - Content Filtering Software
London Ambulance Service - Anti-Spam Software
Bath & NE Somerset NHS - Back Up Solution
London Borough Of Tower Hamlets - Intrusion Prevention System
DII - MoD Anti Virus Enterprise Agreement
RAF Strike Command[1] - RAF Encryption Enterprise Agreement
RAF Strike Command - Helpdesk & System Management Tool Project
LAIPT - Secure Transactional Payment System (BACSIP Project)
Etb - Network Mapping & Visualisation Tool

Operation of this methodology has typically resulted in attainment of some, or all of the following benefits

• Attainment of best fit between the needs of the customer and the capability of the chosen solution
• Improved procurement efficiency
• Negotiation of ‘buy back’ discount on historic spend
• Attainment of improved volume discounts
• Clear and precise reciprocal understanding between the end customer and the vendor
• Inclusion of additional value add elements such as, employee purchase options, inclusive training and customised configuration guides

For further information on how the Client Interface Service can enhance your IT Development Strategy  please contact your SBL Account Manager or submit a request for further information to enquiries@softbox.co.uk