How a major UK building society defined a hybrid model when its primary print supplier's viability came under threat — anchored in a clearly-defined target operating model.
The Context
A large UK building society faced a critical disruption when concerns emerged around the on-going viability of Communisis, its primary provider of high-volume transactional customer communications. Print production and composition services for statements, regulatory notifications, and customer correspondence — communications that underpinned core banking operations — were suddenly at risk. The potential failure of the supplier created immediate concerns around operational continuity, regulatory compliance, and reputational risk.
The Challenge
The organisation was forced into a high-stakes sourcing decision under significant time pressure — but lacked a clear strategic framework to guide it.
The traditional binary choice between insourcing and outsourcing no longer reflected the complexity of the environment.
Technology prioritised control; procurement focused on cost; risk and compliance emphasised continuity; and CCM being embedded within Marketing created unclear technology ownership.
Limited internal experience in managing composition and print, having historically relied on outsourced delivery.
The immediate need to stabilise operations risked reinforcing existing dependencies rather than enabling a better long-term model.
Our Approach
Aspire CCS supported the CCM leadership team through a series of focused workshops, bringing external perspective and structured discussion to anchor decisions in market evidence rather than internal assumption.
Execution
Through iterative discussion and alignment sessions, the organisation converged on a hybrid model. Aspire then supported the next level of decision-making:
Outcome
Greater control over customer communications and data.
A centralised CoE established to govern and manage communications capabilities across the group.
Avoided the need to invest in and operate cost-intensive infrastructure.
This approach delivered:
In complex, high-risk environments, sourcing decisions must move beyond binary choices. The most effective models combine internal ownership of strategic capabilities with selective external execution, anchored in a clearly defined operating model.