The Consultancy conundrum.

The value in expert consultancy services is well documented, however, for smaller organisations the cost can sometimes appear prohibitive. So, how do you get that experience and insight to help you succeed without committing to significant work?

Here at BGS, we have considered this dilemma very carefully and have created a tailored solution to meet your needs.

BGS packaged consultancy services.

As a result, we now offer packaged services that provide great value and will help increase your confidence in the business and the IT changes you need to make.

Perfect for smaller organisations.

If you’re a relatively small organisation with a limited investment budget, we can offer a flexible, managed service for a modest annual commitment. You select the appropriate services for your change priorities and “drawdown” on your annual investment with BGS quarterly—putting you in control!

Tailored to your needs.

With an agreed number of days per quarter, BGS provides access to subject matter experts (such as payments, risk, finance, and technology specialists) who can provide input to your business cases, project plans, solution designs and test/implementation plans as an independent advisor.

Based on your internal change plans and industry programmes, we agree on priority focus areas for the quarter ahead. We then allocate the appropriate resources and time to the agreed priorities.

Complemented with a quarterly review to track the quality of BGS deliverables and to review overall service performance, our genuinely flexible model to provides access to our expert consultants and industry knowledge, helping you achieve your business goals and objectives.

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How reviewing your approved supplier lists will bring innovation, creativity and cost reductions.

Approved Supplier Lists benefit many organisations, large and small. They enable procurement departments in collaboration with the business to:

• Reduce costs
• Improve quality
• Lower risk – through pre-supply selection and management.
• Build beneficial relationships with suppliers.

How often does your organisation evaluate the genuine value derived from your Approved Suppliers?

Procurement professionals understand the importance of knowing exactly where and with whom their organisation buys. Managing company spending, quality deliverables and risk mitigation, particularly across an extensive portfolio of suppliers, is hugely time-consuming – but getting it right will make a significant contribution to the bottom line.

Approved Supplier List

An approved supplier list is a list of your top suppliers with whom you will prioritise spending, who have been assessed and aligned with your corporate values and policies. Consolidating spending with key suppliers benefits an organisation:

• reduce overheads with fewer vendors to manage,
• increase volume discounts, and
• improve relationships between buyer and supplier.

However, approved supplier lists must retain the flexibility to ensure changing business needs are met continuously – particularly important in today’s climate.
The economic and political environment over the last few years, with Covid-19, the UK exiting the EU and war in Europe, has created significant cost increases, supply instability and the adoption of alternative business models.

Organsiations have been fighting hard to continue to service their customers during a sustained period of instability and uncertainty, with heavy reliance on their suppliers. As a result, business-as-usual activity, including reviewing and refreshing approved supplier lists, has had to be de-prioritised.

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Welcome to BGS Consulting Procurement services.

BGS Consulting understands the importance of organisations undertaking a supplier review and refresh; generating competition, stimulating innovation, securing cost reductions, and adapting to market conditions.

We support organisations by helping them review their supplier landscapes in line with their business requirements, commercial objectives, and market knowledge. As a result, we have a track record of success in bringing our clients the benefits of enhanced procurement performance.

With over 16 years of experience, BGS consulting is the perfect partner to help you assess your approved supplier list and identify new opportunities to increase efficiencies and business performance.

As procurement experts, we understand the value you can derive by taking the time to assess your supply base. BGS Consulting has led commercial exercises for clients to help them re-align their supply base, generating cost reductions, competition, and innovation.

Enhance your procurement performance – contact BGS Consulting.

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Do you have a strategy for payments? Are you keeping pace with market developments and consumer trends? Are you offering your customers what they want? 

Knowing what you need and understanding how your organisation accepts payments are fundamental to delivering that strategy.

Does your customer get the best possible experience when paying online?

The recent introduction of Strong Customer Authentication has changed the game for e-commerce payments. Maximising your authorisation rates and minimising the disruption in the checkout process is vital to you and your customer.

How much does accepting payments cost your business?

This is often an opaque cost to your business, which appears far too complicated to understand and consequently ignored. Typically accounted for as a below the line cost rather than directly aligned to your trading performance.

Do you understand your data loss risk relating to customer payments and compliance obligations?

Know where you process data that falls within PCI DSS regulations and understand your compliance with those regulations. More importantly, assure yourself that you are effectively managing your data loss risk.

A well-considered payments strategy will help you:

• Determine if your payment partner(s) capabilities and roadmaps align with your requirements.
• Identify if you need to consider a replacement or an additional payment service provider(s) to meet your desired outcomes.
• Assess the potential of new payment propositions to deliver your objectives. Prioritise investment decisions

Having a target business and technical architecture for payments will help you:

• Define a change programme of improvements.
• Create an environment to make it easier to add / remove payment provider(s).
• Understand if your internal set-up is optimised for payment processing.
• Understand the operational resiliency of your payment capability and the consequences of the recent Strong Customer Authentication regulations.
• Focus on the customer experience and optimise payment acceptance rates.

Maintain a focus on your cost base to help you:

• Get traceability and a breakdown of all payment fees allowing you to understand and identify opportunities to reduce costs.
• Get insight into the implications of changing card scheme fees.
• Assess if you are getting value for money from your Acquirer and Payment Service Provider(s).
• Negotiate better deals.
• Inform your strategy.

Gain a better understanding of your risk profile:

• Know where you process data that falls within the scope of PCI DSS regulations, understand your compliance with regulations, and, more importantly, manage your risk of data loss more effectively.
• Create robust processes to ensure new payment initiatives are introduced in a controlled manner.

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BGS Consulting takes the pain out of payment strategies and regulatory compliance.

With a long history of working with financial services organisations and large UK retailers, BGS Consulting is ideally placed to help you understand the complexities of the payments ecosystem.

Experts in the payments industry, we understand both the digital and in-store payments environment. BGS has helped clients with their customer payments strategy, understand their PCI DSS compliance obligations as well as the definition and embedding of new operating models.

We have led commercial exercises for clients to help them select payment suppliers to support their objectives. As a result, we have helped our clients secure significant annual cost savings in their card acceptance fees and understand their cost base to identify further opportunities.

Get in touch to discuss your project brief and we’ll take it from there.

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In conjunction with Autorek, BGS Consulting has produced a look-ahead to some of the regulatory reporting changes coming in 2023, together with some insights from our customers on the challenges these present.

We hope you find it helpful.

Download Report >

If you have any Regulatory challenges that BGS Consulting can help with, email [email protected] to arrange an initial call with one of our experts. We’re here to help.

Get in touch to discuss your project brief and we’ll take it from there.

The post The Regulatory Reporting Handbook 2023 appeared first on BGS Consulting.

Strategic plans and objectives often fail due to poor execution. This can be down to many reasons, including doing too much at the same time, a lack of internal knowledge and expertise, or becoming distracted from your targeted goals.

With the scale and complexity of transformational change across all market sectors currently at its highest, getting execution right has never been more crucial.

Not all projects are equal in terms of benefits. The balance and mix of projects require regular review and prioritisation. Organisations need to be clear on what is important to them and align their resources with these priorities to sharpen the focus and realise their strategic goals.

With the scale and complexity of transformational change across all market sectors currently at its highest, getting execution right has never been more crucial.

Executing successful change programmes.

BGS help Financial Services organisations and major Retailers:

• Organise, balance and prioritise their change portfolios into executable programmes and projects;
• Shape and define individual change initiatives into a clear Business Case with a realistic delivery plan;
• Execute successful RFIs and RFPs, using tried and tested methodology and market knowledge;
• Structure, mobilise and lead effective delivery teams to achieve desired change and targeted benefits;
• Deliver large-scale integration programmes spanning multiple vendors, often with regulatory oversight;
• Enhance and improve internal change management capabilities, methods and delivery models.

If you have a change plan that needs to be shaped, a business case that needs to be defined, an RFP that needs to be executed or a critical project that needs to be delivered, get in touch with BGS today.

The post Protect your investment and keep your projects on track. appeared first on BGS Consulting.

A lot has happened recently and we’ve had to learn to deliver change differently. Here at BGS, we’ve adapted and are thriving.

When it comes to creating competitive propositions and serving your customers, you’re the expert. When it comes to change management, we know how to adapt.

BGS is a niche consultancy specialising in change management. Our solutions provide a deep-seated knowledge and expertise to define and deliver business transformation, regulatory change and operational improvements. We know how to deliver change to best support you and your customers, whilst keeping you compliant and operationally efficient.

Adapt and thrive with BGS.

Get in touch to discuss your project brief and we’ll take it from there.

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This brings both challenges and opportunities.

Why it’s needed.

A well defined and executed recovery roadmap provides a clear opportunity to gain competitive advantage. By getting it right first time, designing a new operating model, reworking or implementing new processes and embedding new working practices you can adapt faster and give your business a solid foundation for enhanced and sustained efficiency.

Key benefits.

An effective roadmap that is well implemented will contribute to reduced operating costs. But there are other benefits to be achieved – flexibility in how, and when, people operate will lead to more engaged staff, with higher productivity levels, particularly if their views and opinions are sought when the roadmap is being constructed.

Why BGS.

BGS Consulting is here to assist you in many ways. We can lead the necessary activity and support you in fulfilling all necessary quality assurance activity. Our deep-seated skills and expertise in designing and implementing Target Operating Models, process design and process enhancement, are provided by BGS’ fully qualified and experienced Lean manufacturing practitioners and 6 Sigma Black Belts.

The post Business resumption and operational efficiency in the face of Covid-19. appeared first on BGS Consulting.

We understand why you might want to stick with big consultancies but we believe you deserve better. BGS offers a high-quality and great value service, with your objectives in mind – nothing else!

BGS is a niche consultancy specialising in strategy execution and change management. Our solutions provide you with deep-seated knowledge and expertise to define and deliver digital and business transformation, regulatory change and operational improvements.

We manage and deliver against clearly defined work packages and offer better value-for-money than the big consultancies.

Challenge us and surprise yourself – let’s conquer the status quo together.

The post We’re up for the challenge. appeared first on BGS Consulting.

Time is of the essence.

If you’re not ready, up to 25% of your payments could be declined, meaning a considerable loss of business. 

There’s a lot to do… and quickly.

Whilst many retailers will have a hard time navigating the implementation of 3DS2, which can be costly and time consuming, not all retailers are the same. The impacts on an online grocery retailer will be completely different to that of an online fashion retailer. However, in addition to 3DSv2, there are other options for Retailers to consider, which have the potential to reduce both risk to trade and payment costs. 

BGS has developed an SCA roadmap.

Talk to the experts.

BGS is a UK firm of management consultants specialising in transformation and change delivery, involving payments, digital channels and regulation.

Over the past ten years, we have delivered industry-wide payment changes such as SEPA and Faster Payments. We are currently working with industry bodies and our partners on-behalf of Retail and Bank clients to deliver PSD2 and SCA.

BGS is uniquely placed to assist E-Commerce Retailers and to help them minimise disruption and risk to trade.

In particular, we can;

Carry out payment cost opportunity and trade risk assessments

Formulate payment strategies for Retailers, taking into account emerging capabilities and trends;

Manage complex change programmes and supplier management.

Additional benefits.

BGS recently performed a cost opportunity assessment for a large UK Retailer, which identified significant potential savings and has already resulted in a negotiated cost reduction of over £1.5m per annum.

Take the first step to protect your trade and reduce your costs.

Contact us today to accelerate your plans.

The post Strong Customer Authentication, embrace the change. Benefit from new opportunities. appeared first on BGS Consulting.

Changes to IR35 legislation mean that companies need to find a new way to engage and manage talent for critical project work, but this doesn’t need to be painful, BGS is the perfect solution.

We have a proven track record in delivering high-quality solutions and better managed outcomes than on and off-payroll contractors. We manage and deliver against clearly defined work packages and offer better value-for-money than the big four consultancies in our areas of expertise.

Checklist for Engagers

Clearly defined statements of work

Outcome focused with shared risk

Control & supervision sits with provider

Capacity with ability to substitute

Service & quality commitments

BGS Service Commitment

Engagement Partner led

Regular service quality reviews

Delivery checkpoints against plan

Competitive commercial terms

Shared risk, insights & outcomes

BGS is a niche consultancy that specialises in strategy execution and change management. We provide solutions with deep-seated knowledge and expertise in delivering digital and business transformation, regulatory change and operational improvements.

Keep your projects on track, engage BGS today.

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