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From Vendor Chaos to a $950K Growth Ecosystem
From disconnected vendors to a scalable, ROI-driven ecosystem—how an education function turned partnerships into a growth engine.
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Partnerships Without Performance
Vendor relationships were a mess. Fragmented contracts, unclear payment terms, and no systematic way to evaluate partners. 30% of partners had no assigned internal contact, and nobody could prove which partnerships actually drove results.
Why Typical Vendor Management Failed
Cost-cutting missed the point. We built a tiered ecosystem with automation and ROI tracking to prove which partnerships truly drove growth.
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Structured Partnerships That Drive Collective ROI
We transformed the vendor network into a scalable partnership ecosystem—introducing Gold, Silver, and Basic tiers with automated onboarding, contract management, and performance tracking to grow without added headcount.
Tiered Partnership Model
Structured levels with clear criteria for advancement and benefits at each tier
Automated Operations
Smartsheet and Zapier workflows for onboarding, compliance tracking, and reporting
Internal Marketing
"Did You Know?" campaigns and LMS integration to drive partner program adoption
ROI Measurement
Results Assessment System connecting partner activities to enrollment and revenue outcomes
How We Diagnosed It
We ran a comprehensive systems-level diagnostic across strategy, operations, and experience:
- 📄 Contract audit of 30+ vendor agreements
- 🧩 Workflow mapping across finance, education, and vendor teams
- 📢 Stakeholder interviews with marketing, finance, education, and leadership
- 📈 Revenue attribution analysis for missed opportunities
- 🧠 Systems analysis using Open Systems Theory & HRD frameworks
- 📊 Performance benchmarking against ideal vendor activity
Frameworks Applied
Results Assessment System (RAS)
Connected partner activities to business outcomes with statistical validation
Systems Theory
Analyzed partnership ecosystem as interconnected system requiring integrated solutions
Stakeholder Engagement
Mapped internal adoption barriers and designed targeted communication strategies
Contract Lifecycle Management
Standardized agreements and automated compliance tracking across partner portfolio
The methodologies and frameworks shown here are representative highlights from this engagement. Each project leverages additional diagnostics, tools, and adaptations specific to the client’s context. This summary is intended to illustrate approach, not provide a comprehensive account of all methods applied.
From Vendor Sprawl to Strategic Partnerships
What was once fragmented contracts and administrative burden became a tiered ecosystem that drove measurable revenue. Partnerships were transformed from overhead into a growth engine.
$950k
Annual Revenue Growth
Annual revenue generated by transforming scattered vendor relationships into strategic partnership ecosystem.
Tiered partner model created optimization pathways, co-branded marketing opportunities, and performance-based renewals driving mutual value.
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60%
Less Admin Work
Admin time saved through automation using Smartsheet and Zapier infrastructure that eliminated hundreds of hours of manual coordination and reporting.
Staff redirected energy toward strategic partnership development and learner support.
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100%
Contract Standardization
Contract standardization achieved with enforceable KPIs eliminating legal and operational risks from inconsistent terms.
Standardized agreements create vendor accountability and objective criteria for performance evaluation and renewal decisions.
48%
Increase in Enrollments
Learner enrollment increase through internal marketing system and strategic partner placement in learning pathways.
Targeted campaigns and streamlined processes made it easier for employees to discover and engage with development opportunities.
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Beyond the Engagement
This engagement demonstrates systematic transformation of complex vendor relationships into strategic revenue-generating partnerships through data-driven design and automated operations that deliver measurable business results.
Explore More Case Studies
Explore how we’ve applied evidence-based consulting across industries, challenges, and scales.
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Scale Partnerships
If your partnerships feel scattered or under-leveraged, we can help you design a structured, data-informed model that scales without burning out your team.
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