Large process outsourcing service provider faced critical challenges in delivering consistent and competitive transitions.
A large process outsourcing provider faced a crisis: a major client was threatening to terminate a multimillion-dollar contract due to persistent service quality issues, cost overruns, and deteriorating trust. The relationship had become acrimonious, operations were inefficient, and the provider risked losing not just this client but its reputation in the market.
The 52-week turnaround timeline was the last chance to salvage the relationship. The provider needed to simultaneously fix operations, rebuild trust, and demonstrate sustained improvement—all while continuing to deliver services under intense client scrutiny.
We designed and led a year-long operational transformation addressing process efficiency, cost reduction, and relationship reconstruction. The engagement combined diagnostic assessment to quantify performance gaps, process redesign to eliminate inefficiencies, technology implementation to enable automation, workforce optimization to right-size teams, and governance restructuring to rebuild client trust.
The transformation addressed root causes, not just symptoms. We eliminated redundant handoffs, automated manual processes, optimized staffing to match actual workload, implemented quality controls to prevent errors, and established transparent reporting so clients could see improvement in real time. The governance restructuring created formal escalation paths, proactive communication protocols, and joint problem-solving mechanisms.
The transformation delivered 35% OpEx reduction while simultaneously improving service quality—proving that efficiency and quality aren't trade-offs when operations are properly designed. Process cycle times improved 40%, error rates dropped 60%, and client satisfaction scores increased from the 40th percentile to the 85th percentile.
More importantly, the relationship was saved. What began as a termination threat converted into contract renewal and expansion. The client became a reference account for the provider's transformation capabilities, and the operational improvements became replicable across other accounts. The governance model—with transparent reporting and joint problem-solving—became the provider's standard for client relationships.
The turnaround succeeded because it addressed operations and relationships simultaneously. Technical improvements without trust rebuilding wouldn't have saved the contract; relationship work without operational improvement wouldn't have been sustainable. The year-long timeline allowed for real change—not just quick fixes that would degrade over time. Most critically, transparent reporting and governance gave the client confidence that improvements were genuine and sustainable.