Partner Practitioners
Polymath Consulting do not believe in a ‘bench’ approach. Instead each project is staffed by practitioners with real expertise in the project. Our ability is to bring together all the relevant skill sets in a highly cost effective manner for a client delivering real added value.
As part of that process we have long standing business relationships with a number of Partner Practitioners who provide specific areas of expertise and resource and for the Middle East provide us with an ‘on the ground resource’. Many of these partners we have worked with on numerous projects over many years.
Compliance and Regulatory Services – Neopay
Neopay Ltd has extensive experience in providing compliance and regulatory solutions to the e-money and pre-paid sectors, including partnering in the development and release of some of the largest Pre-Paid Card schemes in the UK and Europe. With over 15 years experience, they have delivered practical, cost-effective solutions to a variety of businesses from small UK start ups to FTSE100 listed and international firms and regulators. Services they offer include:
- FSA compliance advice
- EML Application support
- Anti-financial crime advice and training
- E-money regulatory and risk services and solutions
- FSA part IV permissions
- Pre-audit preparation and review
Cultural/Behavioral Change - LiveChange
LiveChange help people to change their behaviour. They do this by getting people to understand more about their jobs and their businesses and become motivated to contribute to its success. They work with Leadership teams, across directorates and organisational wide in both the private and public sectors, in the UK and Internationally. The programme content varies according to client focus and has included Understanding Leadership and Change, Creating and implementing an organisational vision and values, developing and understanding strategy, improving sales force effectiveness and delivering innovation.
Data Analysis - r-cubed
r-cubed delivers exponential performance to businesses by providing fast, powerfull analysis of customer data, but perhaps more importantly, the means to truly realise the opportunities it finds. Using its powerful technology r-cubed brings together Web, Email, SMS and DIrect Mail into a single analysis view of customers. r-cubed not only identifies 'what' its clients should be doing, but rapidly tests and implements these quick wins, without the need for any new software or data. These independent 'data driven' experts have a long list of blue chip clients vouching for them and their pragmatic approach that has generated clients £Millions in incremental profit.
Employee Motivation - Worldspan
Worldspan helps organisations build and maximise relationships with people who are critical to their business success. Whether to win new customers, create customer and brand loyalty, launch new products or motivate and engage employees and channel partners, Worldspan design and implement solutions through integrated or standalone events and motivation campaigns.
Financial Modeling - Insight
Insight is recognised as a leader in the payment cards industry for financial modeling.
In addition to a range of “off-the-shelf” Insight Financial Models that they have developed to enable clients to quickly assess business change impacts or develop business cases for card issuance, they can also develop bespoke model solutions to suit specific needs.
Examples of their bespoke modeling services include:
- Impact of scheme pricing changes (eg SEPA, chip & PIN)
- Migration from paper-based product to card (eg gift voucher to prepaid card)
- Evaluation of payment scheme proposals (to support PfG or MBA negotiations)
- Product profitability comparison (eg comparison of consumer loan, storecard to general purpose revolving credit product)
- Migration Strategy analysis (eg ATM to POS strategy for debit cards, private label to general purpose card)
- Card simulations (training tools)
- Profitability benchmarking
Information Technology & Communications Procurement - MA Consultants
As part of the project MA Consultants can assist the client in determining the appropriate Information Technology & Communications (ITC) infrastructure to meet the business needs and to identify potential suppliers. MA Consultants is independent of any ITC suppliers and will work with the client to find the most effective solution and suppliers to meet the objectives. Following an objective evaluation of the current ITC infrastructure and an assessment of future requirements, MA Consultants shall provide the client with a detailed report of the changes needed.
MA Consultants would then work with the client to create a Response for Quotation (RFQ) or Invitation to Tender (ITT) detailing the requirements and to identify prospective suppliers that could be invited to respond. MA Consultants then would create objective criteria to ensure that accurate and unbiased assessments of the responses are made. Although any decision on which supplier or suppliers to be used is entirely a clients to make, MA Consultants could assist the client in the evaluation of the shortlist. We would then work with the client and the chosen supplier to ensure an accurate inventory of requirements, a calendar of activities and a detailed project plan to meet the deadlines. Our work will ensure that any risks to the project are identified and minimised and milestones agreed. With MA Consultants the client can be sure that dedicated attention is given to the entire project by our experienced consultants, hence minimising the risks and allowing the client to focus on the existing business and customers.
Insurance - Regency
General Insurance development specialists helping clients identify the gaps in the market, right through to launching insurance products using their own infrastructure or helped by carefully selected partners.
Local Government – Ticon
Ticon work with Local Government/Councils/Authorities to help them reduce the cost of their transactions and improve their business processes. This work covers all aspects of procurement, P Cards and Prepaid Cards for use in local government. Their clients include over 10 local Councils, 5 London Boroughs and a wide range of other local authority and similar organisations.
Market Research – Aspect
Aspect Market Research is pragmatic, every time. They take a long hard look at the issues, client aims, audience and the facts. They use proven technique, take an objective view of the information produced and then analyse it in depth. Presenting clients with fresh insights and accurate, actionable results.
Mentoring – Reaching for the Best
Reaching For The Best Limited, MD David Mellor is a highly skilled business mentor and coach with wide experience of leadership, management and business issues. He is a former senior executive of a FTSE 100 global financial services organisation. In 2005 he founded Reaching For The Top Limited and in 2008 Reaching For the Best Limited to develop a portfolio career, drawing on his significant corporate experiences, mentoring and coaching executives and senior management in The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Coutts & co, Nat West Business Banking and Barclays plc. and a number of smaller businesses. He coaches and mentors managers and executives to identify barriers to change and execute successfully their role in delivering change. His business development, networking skills and formatting of networking clubs have delivered numerous business to business deals, generating substantial income for clients. His key areas of expertise are:- Mentoring and coaching. Business development/networking skills. Developing key personnel.
Operational – Capco
Capco is a leading global provider of integrated consulting, technology, and transformation services to the financial services industry. They combine innovative thinking with their unrivalled knowledge of the financial services industry to offer clients consulting expertise, complex packages integration, and managed services to move your organization forward. As true professionals in innovative ways of transforming operational capability and efficiency, they help you successfully increase revenue, reduce costs and enhance control.
Procurement – Purchasing for Profit
Purchasing for Profit take clients’ purchasing seriously. Using their ‘SpendMapping’ and ‘SmartBuying’ processes they create significant savings flowing straight to your bottom line. They promise a payback of at least 5:1, but depending on the project, it could be 20:1 or higher.
Retailer Partnerships - Riverside Associates
David Whitby is ex corporate sales director Argos plc. And works with the top 250 retailers who have over 50 outlets each and has worked in some capacity with virtually all of these. Currently Riverside is working with around 50 retailers either actively look for opportunities on their behalf or supporting them in a strategic function. Work carried out for the clients includes:
• For retailers, identifying and selling them into new incremental channels
• For suppliers or those looking to partner into retail, Riverside gain access to high level personnel within retailers
Service Strategies - MA Consultants
Many companies have excellent products, meeting the needs of their chosen marketplace effectively. However, often insufficient thought is given to the warranty and service surrounding this product. When the product is functioning, customers are satisfied, the business operation is working effectively and profits are being made. When a failure occurs, it may not be long before customers are complaining, the operation is under strain and significant costs are being incurred. MA Consultants can help the client to design warranties and service plans to meet the needs of the client customers effectively. Service can be a differentiator to ensure the client product outscores the competition and is a significant source of profit for the client organisation.
MA Consultants could assist the client in developing the client service operation and structuring it to meet the needs of the client customers based upon the features of the client products. As part of this activity, MA Consultants would identify the likely costs of service delivery and any potential charges that could be levied for additional or enhanced services. If the client does not have the resources to deliver these services in all locations or around the clock, MA Consultants could assist the client in identifying prospective service partners. MA Consultants could help the client detail the responsibilities of the client and the client service supplier and any specific terms and conditions that need to be agreed in order to meet the service needs of the client customers effectively. On an ongoing basis, MA Consultants could monitor the services delivered and the opinions of the client customers and help the client modify the services if required.
Middle East
Strategic Marketing and Corporate Communications – DCC
Dynamic Corporate Communication (DCC), is a niche marketing and corporate communications consultancy based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Services offer include: Strategic Planning, Marketing Services, External/Internal Communications, Crisis Management, Press Releases, Media Relations, and Event Management.Marketing and Corporate Communications
Media Buying – Protos Media
Provide answers to communication issues. They advise our clients on how, when and where to invest their media budgets to achieve brand objectives cost effectively. They are adequately resourced to provide placement of advertisements in any media in any country. Their intimate knowledge of the media market workings and strong supplier relationships gives them the added advantage of being able to offer their clients competitive rates.
PR and Creative Agency – MICE Management
Based in Bahrain since 1997, MICE Management is a unique marketing service agency that combines the art of Public Relations, with effective Advertising and skilled Event Management in order to bring your key messages to your target audience in the most cost effective manner. The company has dealt with many major campaigns for high level businesses throught the Gulf Region and has a strong portfolio of national campaigns at government level building its reputation on achieving results.
Retailer Relations/Consultancy – R2E Consultants
Founded in 2005 by Walter Kleinschmit, ex General Manager of Kingdom Centre, Saudi Arabia and founding member and Past President of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres. Through their work with retailers and shopping centres they can enable unparalleled access to retailers in the region. In addition for retailers they offer:
- Market positioning and rebranding
- Location / partnering advice to retailers entering /expanding in the Middle East