Madison Cross: Strategy to Implementation, a Reality

"Being able to provide sustainable results and the fact that we can help our clients in the entirety from strategy, implementation, and outsourcing is what really sets us apart,” says Tony Karabatsas, Partner at Madison Cross. As the procurement industry wades through a phase of heightened risk-taking, increased spend and overwhelming sets of variables to achieve, Madison Cross, the firm from Australia, simplistically manages to optimize results with their holistic approach towards procurement. The company addresses clients’ needs with their integrated set of solutions and also enables the quintessential jump from strategy to implementation, and to ensure benefits delivery through an effective business model, operational process streamlining and overall systemic transformation. The critical nature and focus of Madison Cross is to align to strategic intent whilst achieving tactical versatility with greater flexibility in dealing with clients. As a result the firm has set new benchmarks in the procurement industry through some of its major transformations with key clients.

The Madison Cross approach achieves different business objectives with the application of customized strategy for each organization. Madison has developed its proprietary 3Dimensions (3D) transformation model. This approach focused on developing a clear and agreed direction amongst stakeholders (the first D). Once this strategy and direction is endorsed, a viable detailed operating model which can sustainably operate in the desired future state is developed (the second D). This detailed operating model is analyzed and a detailed roadmap of transformation initiatives are then designed and scheduled to move the organization from the current to the desired or ‘transformed’ state.

Ultimately the firm analyzes the situation and then implements the strategy to ensure the desired outcomes are practical and sustainable within the clients organization. With the leverage of key technologies in their service delivery and incorporation of a SaaS model in the procurement and project delivery areas, Madison Cross is able to engage clients in projects and turn them into a collaborative initiative. The technology in their mainstream services enables clients resource to be a part of a single team and share information and review documents and the direction the project is moving. As Tony elucidates, “Technology has had a major impact from the perspective of alignment, feasibility, involvement, ownership and communication during our major programs of work.”

For business consulting, the firm which itself is an assembly of former senior executives of large corporations and major consulting firms, leverages a unique client service model to assemble the right team with the right skills for each assignment. This model allows it to deliver at competitive cost due to low fixed overheads. The firm forms multi-disciplinary teams combining industry specialisation, subject matter knowledge, and structured solution approaches retaining the ability to design, build and operate solutions, with links to outsourcing as and when required.

Madison Cross has the complete set of services ranging from strategy development, supply chain, strategic procurement, IT / Technology, operations optimization to program delivery services coupled with consulting and outsourcing to manage categories, spend and contract compliance.

The Madison Cross team has delivered major business transformation and project solutions to clients across industries which include consumer markets (manufacturing, retail and distribution), government, financial services, energy and utilities and technology. The firm has complete work for many tier one listed and government departments including Victorian and Federal Government Departments across health, education, defence, retail, fast moving consumer goods, postal, logistics, electricity and gas retailers / distributors and generators.

The firm has also completed assignments across the Asia Pacific, Europe and North America with very strong, implemented results. Case studies such as the Department of Defence procurement case study provides us with a definitive view towards the quality of service carried out by Madison Cross. The firm delivered on the promise of significant improvement in procurement cost, administrative cost and service levels, as well as significant identified reduction in acquisition spend. These outcomes were achieved by the collaborative model Madison Cross used in partnering with the client’s team and the innovative procurement strategy, operational model / transformation design and effective implementation roadmap.

The Melbourne-based company is uniquely qualified to work with major organisations resulting from their deep procurement knowledge and experience, outsourcing model, templates to accelerate delivery outcomes and most importantly the team culture within them.

As part of their upcoming plan, Madison Cross is seeking to consolidate and grow their position in government, consumer goods retail, finance, whilst further developing its business in the Healthcare and Higher education sectors.