Interim Executive Immediately Needed To Set Up Procurement Office

VP immediately needs a top interim executive for portco

A large cap VP came to us with an immediate need for a 3-month interim executive to set up a procurement office at one of their portfolio companies. Focused on healthcare technology, the portco didn’t have an existing procurement office. They were procuring technology from a variety of vendors and were ultimately looking to achieve a 10% savings opportunity with creating a procurement function. The firm was looking for the interim executive to set up quarterly business, inform potential cost optimization, and identify near-term wins and opportunities on this cost saving initiative.

BluWave identifies interim executive to fit exact criteria

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade interim executive needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of interim executives that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select BluWave-vetted candidates from our invitation-only Intelligent Marketplace that fit their exacting needs.

 

The firm connected with presented provider to start procurement initiatives immediately

Within a couple of days of the request, the PE firm was introduced to three exact-fit providers. The client then selected their top choice that had led five previous PE-backed procurement initiatives. The provider was able to start the project immediately, integrated the team right out of the gate, and started working towards the client’s objectives and setting up the procurement office.

 

Voice of Customer diligence needed for acquisition target

Managing director needs Voice of Customer research for target company

A middle-market PE firm Managing Director needed to perform Voice of Customer (VoC) research on an acquisition target that specialized in the SaaS space. Having just signed exclusivity on the potential new platform, time was of the essence and the firm wanted to quickly engage a consultant that specialized in B2B aggregate customer feedback. The PE firm had two weeks to complete this diligence work due to the LOI timeline.

BluWave identifies two pre-vetted, PE-grade providers

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade VoC needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of VoC consultants that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select BluWave-vetted VoC consultants from our invitation-only Intelligent Marketplace that fit their exacting needs.

Connecting to an exact-fit VoC Consultant, the research could begin immediately

On the same day the PE firm initially reached out, they were introduced to two exact-fit, BluWave-vetted VoC consultants that we had identified in meeting their exact PE, SaaS, and B2B experience criteria. The client selected their ideal choice and was able to immediately begin the VoC work with identifying which customers to interview, ensuring it represented a broad spectrum, and advising on the customer interview questions. The service provider was able complete the VoC research within the PE firm’s tight deadline.

July 2022 Roundup: BluWave Client Insights

BluWave works with over 500 PE firms from around the globe as well as their portfolio companies and proactive independent companies, connecting them with BluWave-vetted, best-in-class, third-party service providers across a variety of resource and functional areas. From information technology and manufacturing to healthcare, consumer goods, and beyond, our clients are expert business builders. In other words, they have their heads in the game and their hands on the pulse of news and insights you can use.

Check out the latest, curated collection of our clients’ musings on turning current market conditions and macroeconomic challenges into opportunity, human capital due diligence, and more.  

Joe Zidle: The Optimist Plays the Long Game

Blackstone’s Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist shares an evaluation of recession indicators while considering near-term macroeconomic challenges. His sentiment is that even though a recession looks like risk at the forefront, recessions are cyclical and business leaders who understand this have an advantage in the long run. Zidle digs into current market conditions and historical examples of different recession outcomes.

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What Is Human Capital Due Diligence? A Lot More Than You Think

ParkerGale Operating Team Partner, Jimmy Holloran, is joined by Laura Queen, founder, and CEO of 29Bison, a human capital consultancy focused on the PE space. They discuss how talent investments can unlock organizational true value and break down the human capital due diligence basics – what it is, how it’s done, and why it’s the fastest-growing of all the diligence workstreams.

Listen to the podcast >>>

Monitoring Commodities Through Technology

Veridapt CEO David Thambiratnam and Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Sean Birrell join the 2022 Macquarie Technology Summit to discuss the role of hardware and software technology in monitoring commodities while battling ongoing supply chain challenges, managing risks, and optimizing operations.

Watch the video >>>

People Matter: Prioritizing Human Capital Along with Investment Capital

Insight Partners Managing Director Praveen Akkiraju dives into how business builders can invest and prioritize human capital not only to survive the bad times, but to also be focused and ready to accelerate once the good times arrive. He shares why resilience plans start with protecting your human capital.

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Why Europe Will Emerge Stronger From the Current Crisis

KKR Partner and Co-Head of European Private Equity Philipp Freise outlines how the major geopolitical shifts will fuel the European economy, the beginning stages of untapped digitization opportunities, and how the private economy can remain resilient and embrace these challenging times, thus driving global transformation.

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Here’s what some of our clients had to say last month on creating value with digital transformation, boosting operating speeds, software delivery competence, and more.

Field operations expert needed for niche industry

SVP needs expert to improve operations performance for construction services portco

An SVP of a northeast-based PE firm came to us with an urgent need for an ops performance and improvement expert that could improve the management of their construction services portco’s field ops team. The PE firm was not confident in the head of field ops strategic leadership abilities and had noticed technician productivity was down and technician churn was up. They quickly needed a field ops expert who had seen a wide range of sizes and sophistications in field operations teams, and ideally had a strategic HR lens, to observe their teams and diagnose and roadmap improvements that could be made in order to increase productivity and reduce churn. The PE firm was looking to engage a provider immediately.

BluWave has pre-vetted operations performance consultant within network

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade operations performance & improvement needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of operations consultants that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select BluWave-vetted operations consultants from our invitation-only Intelligent Marketplace that fit their exacting needs.

Firm engages expert to drive operational improvement in portco

Within 24 hours of the request, the PE firm was introduced to three exact-fit operations performance & improvement providers that specialized in working with growing services businesses to improve their field operations team. The client selected and engaged their top choice, and the service provider was able to immediately assess gaps, identify opportunities, and create an improvement roadmap for the company.

 

Immediate HR diligence provider needed

PE firm has critical need for HR diligence provider for target company

A middle market PE firm partner approached us with an immediate HR diligence need for a software-based portfolio company that they had under LOI. The PE firm wanted to take their typical HR diligence efforts to the next level and were looking for a group that could look at the available HR information in the target’s data room, summarize weaknesses and gaps, identify any existing employment issues, and more. There was no formal HR team currently in place, and the PE firm was eager to have a team not only dig around and make recommendations pre-close, but also be able to come in and fix the gaps they identified post-close.

BluWave identifies PE-grade diligence group specialized in software companies

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade HR diligence needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of providers that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select BluWave-vetted specialized HR diligence providers from our invitation-only Intelligent Marketplace that fit their exacting needs.

Firm confidently engages with provider, gaining insight into target company

Within 48 hours of the request, we introduced the PE firm to an exact-fit service provider that specialized in performing HR diligence for PE firms evaluating software companies. The client quickly engaged the provider who was able to begin the diligence work within the next week. Thanks to their exact-fit background, the service provider was able to quickly gain meaningful insight into the company’s HR practices that gave the PE firm the information they needed to be confident in moving forward with the transaction.

Big Data Analytics Consultant Critically Needed

Urgent data analysis needed to evaluate portfolio company

A LMM VP came to us with an urgent big data analytics need for a technology-focused portfolio company that they were evaluating. The PE firm recently retained access to some of the target’s transactional data sets and the size of them was overwhelming. They needed an expert with a strong analytics and B2B background that could take the data and create cohort analyses from it. With LOIs due in one week, they urgently needed a consultant that they could connect with pre-LOI so the consultant could then hit the ground running post-LOI.

BluWave has pre-vetted analytics consultant specialized in diligence

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade big data and analytics needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of analytics consultants that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select pre-vetted specialized consultant from our invitation-only Business Builders’ Network that fit their exacting needs.

Firm engages exact-fit data analytics consultant to immediately start project

Within the same day of the request, the PE firm was introduced to an exact-fit provider that specializes in analytics consulting during diligence. The client was engaged and was able to start the project immediately post-LOI. The provider was able to dedicate their resources to create a systematic method of creating meaningful analyses from the data sets and ultimately provide the client with the exact insight they needed.

Q2 2022 BluWave Insights

Every quarter our team analyzes the projects we work on with our 500+ PE firm clients to get a birdseye view of the market. You can request your copy here to view all of the trends that we have seen over the past quarter.

Key findings from Q2 include value creation remaining strong due to the record number of deals made at robust valuation multiples during 2021, inflation continuing to wreak havoc on global economies, and the recessionary pressures availing substantial opportunities for all of the best business builders.

Learn more about the insights we gleaned from the report by watching the video below.

To request the full the report, click here.

Video transcript:

BluWave has a unique vantage in the North American economy. While working with more than 500 of the world’s top business builders, we’re able to understand unique insights into how and why the best business builders in the world are assessing opportunities and building value in their portfolio companies. Here are some of the unique insights we generated during Q2 2022. The name of the game in the second quarter was value creation. Value creation accounted for 68% of all activity funneled through the BluWave engine. Value creation was so robust during this last quarter for a number of reasons. Number one, private equity firms invested in a large number of companies last year so they’re acting on those investments to begin transformation. Number two, deal flow is down. A lot of the best companies were sold last year. Other companies are pausing their ambitions as the economic cycle is softening and the results slow in kind. The other mega trend that is readily apparent in our data is the specter of inflation. The private equity industry is not resting on its laurels. It’s taking aggressive action to raise prices, reduce costs, and bring in the right people with the right skills for the current times. It’s our hope that the data and insights we’re sharing will help you build your business with more speed and certainty. If you’d like to learn more and get the full report, please contact any member of the BluWave team or follow a link below.

Urgent Analytics Expert To Create eCommerce Sales Strategy

Critical need for business analytics provider specializing in ecommerce sales

A middle market PE firm director came to us with an immediate need to optimize their portfolio company’s ecommerce sales via third-party platforms. With two of their primary sales channels being the world’s largest third-party ecommerce platforms, they knew they needed to optimize the opportunity that existed there. The PE firm and portfolio company were in need of a business analytics expert with a strong ecommerce background that could look at their third-party sales data and provide recommendations on how to increase the sales they made via these channels. They needed a provider that could provide holistic strategic recommendations that could be presented at the company’s board meeting in a couple of weeks.

Using our extensive network, BluWave identifies pre-vetted specialized provider

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE- grade business intelligence and analytics needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of analytics advisors that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select pre-vetted specialized business analytics consultant from our invitation-only Intelligent Marketplace that fit their exacting needs.

Firm successfully connects to niche ecommerce analytics consultant

Within 24 hours, the PE firm was introduced to multiple, specialized service providers with the exact-fit niche ecommerce analytics experience they were looking for. The client confidently engaged with their selected consultant and was able to start the project immediately. The provider started the project by first understanding the client’s sales data that existed on these platforms and then began to draw insight on how opportunity in these channels could be optimized through key word optimization, product tagging, and more.

June 2022 Roundup: BluWave Client Insights

BluWave works with over 500 PE firms from around the globe as well as their portfolio companies and proactive independent companies, connecting them with BluWave-vetted, best-in-class, third-party service providers across a variety of resource and functional areas. From information technology and manufacturing to healthcare, consumer goods, and beyond, our clients are expert business builders. In other words, they have their heads in the game and their hands on the pulse of news and insights you can use.

Check out the latest, curated collection of our clients’ musings on creating value with digital transformation, boosting operating speeds, software delivery competence, and more.  

A letter of intent can vary widely from style to specificity, depending on the buyer’s style. In most cases, the buyer and seller agree that an LOI should not be exhaustive, but there are key pieces it should cover. Montage Partners outlines the five topics for your consideration that they deem essential in an LOI in order to head-off potential future problems.

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The “Playing to Win” framework” allows organizations to have a faster and lighter strategy design process, leverage the integrated choice-making throughout any strategic challenge they face, and significantly boost operating speed by having a clear perspective for decision-making. Insight Partners’ Operating Partner Pablo Dominguez and GTM Strategy Advisor Matt May dive into the five questions associated with this framework and how business leaders can use them to cultivate success.

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ParkerGale’s Partner Jim Milberry is joined by Mangoteque Founder and Principal, Dave Mangot to discuss all things DevOps. Having helped many distinguished organizations become “best in class” through his philosophy of “Getting Good at Delivering Software”, Mangot’s conversation will Milberry breaks down the four keys that define a company’s competence in software delivery.

Listen to the podcast >>>

An MIT Senior Research Scientist joins the 2022 Macquarie Technology Summit to discuss the role of digital transformation in creating value and improving bottom-line performance, how leadership plays a pivotal role in successful digital transformation, how to think about digital solutions first, and more.

Watch the video >>>

Strattam Capital Co-Founder and Managing Partner Bob Morse shares his experience with “First Board Meeting Surprises”, when founders & CEOs are often surprised by actions the investment team outlines in their first board meeting post-close. Morse outlines his transparent approach to these meetings known as the Five-Point Plan that he has found successfully avoids shocking surprises and actually gets the founders & CEOs excited about the post-close action plan.

Read more >>>

Here’s what some of our clients had to say last month about digital transformation, PE management, human capital, and more.

Imperative Sales Force Effectiveness and GTM Strategy Needed

PE firm urgently needs to assess effectiveness of sales team at healthcare portco

A middle-market PE firm Partner came to us with a prompt need to assess the existing sales team and go-to-market strategy at one of their portfolio companies that provides medical equipment and asset management services to the healthcare industry. The founder-owned portco was struggling with a high turnover rate and urgently needed to examine how to get the right sales team members in place. They were also in need of a new GTM strategy that they could execute once they had the right team in place. Having previously completed Voice of Customer (VoC) work, portco leadership was ready to take the next step.

BluWave identifies PE-grade consulting firms specific to the firm’s needs

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade sales effectiveness and GTM strategy needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of sales and GTM strategists that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select pre-vetted consulting firms from our invitation-only Business Builder’s Network that fit their exacting needs.

Firm engages with presented provider and moves forward to improve portco strategy

Within the same day of reaching out, the PE firm was introduced to a specialized sales effectiveness & training firm with additional experience developing GTM strategies for PE-backed companies. The client immediately engaged with this group and was able to start the project within 24 hours. The service provider we connected them with began by assessing the current sales processes and team members within the portco’s two verticals and then worked with them on developing an improved strategy.

IT due diligence provider with niche expertise

IT due diligence needed for business analytics company

A LMM Founding and Managing Partner came to us with a pressing need to perform IT Due Diligence on a company they were evaluating. The target was a business analytics company that ingests POS data from retailers, analyzes it, and then shares actionable insights with their clients. Given that the crux of the company was being able to ingest and then transform data, the managing partner was urgently looking to understand the tech stack and the internal-facing software. They needed a due diligence provider that could scrutinize data architecture, identify areas for improvement in the tech stack, and had experience evaluating inward-facing software.

BluWave connects client to pre-vetted technology advisory firms

Leveraging our founder’s 20 years in private equity, we have extensive frameworks for assessing PE-grade IT due diligence needs. BluWave utilizes technology, data, and human ingenuity to pre-map, assess, monitor, and maintain deep pools of diligence consultancies that uniquely meet the private equity standard. We interviewed the PE firm to understand their specific key criteria, and then connected the client with the select pre-vetted technology advisory firms from our invitation-only Business Builders’ Network that fit their exact needs.

Client moves forward with top choice and gains needed IT insight

Within the same day, the PE firm was introduced to two select best-in-class technology advisory firms that specialized in IT due diligence for PE-backed companies. The client selected their preferred choice and started the project the next day. The PE firm was able to successfully engage the advisory firm and gain the IT information they needed in order to make an informed decision.