Most of our work is on the client side of the table. That’s exactly why service providers find value in talking with us, and why we’re careful about how we do it.
Why we work with service providers
Our tagline is “facilitating healthy service relationships,” and it describes our vision as much as our work. A client can’t have a healthy relationship with its providers if the market behind those providers isn’t understanding and prepared to work with them.
That matters most in the public sector. States and other government agencies depend on a competitive, capable marketplace of service providers to deliver services for their agencies and constituents. When providers understand how public-sector buyers think, what they need, and how to engage with them, agencies get stronger proposals, more competition, and better outcomes. When providers find the process confusing or one-sided, many stop bidding – and everyone loses.
How we do it
Integris Applied helps clients build successful, long-term relationships with their service providers – relationships in which each party’s competing and collaborative business objectives are identified, honored, and achieved. We do that through a transaction process that invites providers to solve the client’s problems creatively, a contract framework built for multi-sourced environments and change, and a governance approach that keeps the relationship healthy after signature.
Unlike many advisory firms, we work to make the relationship fair for all parties. A deal that only works for one side doesn’t stay healthy for long. So we invest time with service providers, too, helping them understand the market and engage with clients well, within clear limits that protect our independence.
What we offer service providers
Briefings, training, and workshops. We help provider teams understand how sophisticated buyers structure managed services deals and why. Topics include:
- Multisourcing service integration (MSI) and Service Integration and Management (SIAM)
- Managed services RFP and contract features: deal structure and terms, governance models, service level management, integration, implementation, and pricing
- Public sector procurement
Proposal support. For opportunities where we have no client-side role or conflict, we can help a provider read the solicitation the way the government entity intends:
- Interpretation of requirements and contract terms
- Document review
- Mock evaluation
- Oral session preparation
Service integration maturity and accreditation. As the exclusive partner for Scopism SIAM Assured in the Americas, we assess providers’ SIAM capabilities against an independent, supplier-agnostic standard. Learn more about Scopism SIAM Assured.
A two-way relationship
The most useful provider relationships we have aren’t transactional. They include:
- Periodic briefings from providers, so we stay current on capabilities in the market
- Periodic briefings from us, so providers understand the goals and challenges clients face across a sector
- Strategy discussions about how to approach a prospective client that is not yet under contract with us
- Participation in our surveys on market trends
- Collaboration on research, including public white papers and briefings
- Workshops on contract methodologies such as service level management, service integration, and governance
Where we draw the line
Our value to clients depends on our integrity and independence, and our value to providers depends on it too. To avoid present and future organizational conflicts of interest, there are things we typically cannot do:
- Discuss a specific client once we are working for them, and certainly not while an RFP is active
- Represent formally in sales or negotiations on a provider’s behalf
- Work in context of a recent former or potential client
When we support a proposal, we also do not:
- Write the proposal
- Negotiate directly on the provider’s behalf
- Share internal or confidential information about a client’s capabilities, issues, or business risks
These limits protect everyone. Clients can trust our advice, and providers can trust that the market we help shape is a fair one.
Ready to talk?
If your team needs to better understand the buyer marketplace, or wants to understand how they may be thinking about contract structure and governance, we’d welcome the conversation. Contact us.
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