So, Barkers was contracted to deliver a broader strategy across technology and Procurement, to help the categories achieve the biggest returns on technology spend, during this transition. This meant staffing consultants with the credibility and experience to meet the task. Then, the team set out to reshape how the categories work together.
Barkers’ approach was to keep the more transactional work (such as managing renewals) in good working order, whilst building and executing more detailed strategies to address the larger more complex contracts and areas of spend. Now, Barkers is in the process of transforming the culture of how the department and organisation operate. This involves renegotiating and consolidating large agreements, moving some managed costs to preferred suppliers and constructively challenging demand and improving processes. This happens whilst also rolling out the broader strategy. And the focus is on the space where divestments impact big-ticket technology requirements and contracts (such as with Workday, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP, etc.).
Barkers has invested heavily in building relationships with technology stakeholders, understanding their business objectives and building this intelligence into effective strategies, to make the most of their supplier agreements. Barkers’ goal is for the pharma CDMO to really benefit from its investments in technology, now that its use needs have shifted. As such, the Barkers team is focused on identifying opportunities, efficiencies, cost reductions, risk management approaches, and anything else that will support the categories’ success. The team wants to make the organisation as agile as possible in the way it operates, whilst overlaying experience and expertise to reach the right decisions and outcomes.
So, Barkers is providing its strong industry expertise and institutional knowledge of the business to really support the category with its evolving requirements and challenges. The benefit will not only be cost savings and value-add, but also substantial risk mitigation and future proofing of the pharma CDMO’s financial commitments.
