Commercial and Contract Management Helpdesk

The type, complexity and frequency of commercial and contract management issues vary. There may not always be the correctly skilled person available within an organisation to deal with them as they arise. Given the proven benefit of effective commercial and contract management, how useful would it be to always have access to specialist support?

Blake Newport’s Commercial and Contract Management Helpdesk is a flexible and innovative service using experienced personnel to provide support as and when needed. Initial assistance is provided remotely and is continued with either remote or site-based support, depending upon the requirements and budget.

Margin Enhancement

In the highly competitive technology and outsourcing sector, contracts tend to be hard won and keenly priced. All too often, with the focus on delivering the operational service, important commercial aspects of the negotiation are not shared with the delivery team, not implemented correctly or the right to apply legitimate contract changes and amendments lapses.

In any business relationship, the most effective way to generate more revenue, margin or commercial leverage is through a review of existing contracts to identify opportunities. Blake Newport’s Margin Enhancement service is focussed on maximising that potential.

Commercial and Contract Management Training

Many roles require a degree of commercial and contract management awareness including Sales, Operations, Finance, Customer Support and Service Delivery. The awareness of legally binding commitments or involvement in decisions about existing commercial or contractual situations could have a direct impact on a business if not handled correctly.

Blake Newport offers a range of training packages which bring a high degree of real world experience to any requirement. Training solutions are designed to enable the identification, management and resolution of commercial and contract issues, providing commercial awareness to benefit any business.

Contract Governance

Technology and outsourcing contracts require an established governance structure for the parties to discuss issues, monitor performance, manage conflict and conduct their relationship. With such a structure in place and, more importantly, operated correctly throughout the contract lifecycle, the parties will benefit from the timely and controlled communication and interaction that results.

Blake Newport is ideally placed to advise clients on appropriate Contract Governance, structure and content for their contracts.

Interim Management – Bid Phase

Bids for new business in the technology and outsourcing sector require significant commercial input in the form of negotiations with customers and suppliers, assessment of risk and preparation of clear and unambiguous bid and contract documentation. Blake Newport has significant experience in the commercial aspects of bidding and new contracts and provides support on both the customer and supply side.

Interim Management – Delivery Phase

Organisations often have projects of a scale or complexity which requires interim commercial support to be provided ‘on the ground’ for a period of time to help overcome the challenges. Where such support is required, Blake Newport has commercial and contract management professionals with experience of all types of technology and outsourcing contracts who may be assigned to provide the right solution for your business.

Contract Health Check

The wide-ranging scope and complexity of technology and outsourcing agreements demands a regular review of live contracts to ensure they are complete, accurate and reflect the current status of the project and/or relationship. Depending on the specifics of the contract this may involve recording scope changes and side agreements, but may also cover less obvious areas, such as verifying compliance with infrequent obligations and notice requirements. A Contract Health Check assesses whether an engagement is being properly managed, reviewed and recorded, whether the parties to the contract are compliant with their obligations and also helps to identify issues before they become problems.

Through this service, Blake Newport can ensure your contracts are current and fit for purpose.

Vendor Management

Many customer-facing technology and outsourcing contracts rely on underpinning service provider/vendor contracts for service elements which may be critical to the overall deliverable. It is therefore vital these supporting vendor contracts are created, implemented and managed correctly. Blake Newport provides commercial and contract management support for all types of vendor contract.

This covers the full range of commercial and contractual matters, including negotiation and contract creation, Change Control, implementation of effective governance and delivery of committed vendor work scope, monitoring and applying performance measurements, handling commercial and payment mechanisms, and addressing delays and claims.

Dispute Resolution

A disagreement on a contract may lead to a claim being made and potentially a formal dispute process being invoked. This may take the form of a contractual dispute resolution procedure, arbitration, mediation or possibly litigation. If faced with a claim or any of these circumstances it is imperative that you have a thorough understanding of the facts, an appreciation of the process and a clear indication of likely outcomes before commencement, as well as effective support as the matter progresses.

Blake Newport has the qualifications and capability to deliver cost-effective solutions and settlements or to act as mediator in a dispute.

We provide specialist advice in claim preparation, defending claims and represent clients in negotiations to reach an effective settlement. Having worked with many of the leading law firms we can also assist with procuring specialised legal support should the need arise.