During the morning event organized by Décision Achats, Jean-Rémy Jacono, Chief Operating Officer of LittleBig Connection, shared a clear and structured interpretation of the challenges associated with off-panel sourcing.
His message: in an increasingly complex environment, purchasing departments need to rethink how they manage intellectual services. It is no longer simply a matter of controlling expenditure, but of managing a constantly evolving flow, while meeting the expectations of the business lines.
A fragmented market, unprecedented pressure on purchasing
The intellectual services market has undergone profound change: the number of freelancers has doubled in two years to exceed one million in France, and there are tens of thousands of consulting firms. Faced with this explosion in supply and the diversification of business needs, traditional approaches to supplier panel management are showing their limitations. Purchasing departments must strike a delicate balance: responding quickly to operational expectations while maintaining control over budgets, compliance, and contractual commitments. Between the rigidity of panels and uncontrolled openness to non-panel suppliers, the pressure is mounting.
Sourcing platforms can no longer be limited to a passive role. They must now offer guarantees in terms of control, contracting, and performance. Simply providing access to a talent pool is no longer enough.
We need someone who can put the right safeguards in place, not just a fixed platform.
The case of a large pharmaceutical group: streamlining and restructuring
One particularly telling example mentioned during the discussion was that of a pharmaceutical group that LittleBig Connection has been working with for over five years. At the time, the organization had a panel of fifty listed suppliers. It made the strategic decision to reduce this panel to just nine companies, considering that these partners were capable of meeting the company's most strategic needs.
This repositioning was made possible by the creation of a complementary marketplace dedicated to recurring but non-strategic needs. This marketplace was not open access: it operated according to precise pricing schedules, validation processes prior to contracting, and comprehensive monthly reporting to ensure transparency of flows.
A small panel and an organized marketplace: that's the winning combination.
This hybrid organization has enabled the company to achieve several significant results:
One-third reduction in sourcing times
Stable maintenance of the portage rate
Sustainable relationships with selected service providers
Increased satisfaction among operational staff
The company has thus gained in clarity, efficiency, and control, while retaining the agility necessary to respond to specific needs not covered by the referenced providers.
Distinguishing between contracting and consulting: a performance lever
One of the key points highlighted during the presentation concerns the distinction between contracting and consulting. Although these two types of services are often treated together, they follow very different approaches.
Consulting involves complex, structured assignments with a strategic scope. Contracting, on the other hand, involves one-off assignments that are limited in time and scope, aimed at providing targeted expertise for an immediate need.
By clarifying these two flows, companies can adapt their processes, limit the pitfalls associated with cascading subcontracting, and offer simpler pathways for operational staff. This segmentation also makes it easier to track volumes and adopt specific indicators for each type of service.
Meeting peak demand without overstretching the framework
Another key challenge is the ability of procurement to respond to rapid increases in demand, particularly during critical projects, launches, or internal transformations. In these situations, companies need to mobilize quickly and effectively.
LittleBig Connection addresses this issue by drawing not only on its network of qualified freelancers, but also on partner digital services companies capable of providing multiple profiles within a controlled contractual framework. This ability to structure the contracting flow in project mode makes it possible to absorb peaks in workload without exceeding budgetary or regulatory constraints.
This approach transforms the platform into an operational tool, but also into a governance lever for purchasing.
From sourcing to management: a new level of maturity
With more than 300 annual services managed via certain platforms, the subject of off-panel is no longer a niche issue. It is becoming an area of optimization in its own right. The most advanced companies are now setting clear objectives: for example, a target ratio of 20% contracting, a controlled portage rate, and a limited number of active partners.
To achieve these objectives, they need tools capable of consolidating data, issuing alerts in the event of deviations, and providing a clear overview of the distribution of flows..
A small panel and an organized marketplace: that's the winning combination.
KPIs then become tools for dialogue between purchasing, business lines, finance, and legal departments. We no longer talk simply about daily rates or unit costs, but about overall governance, trajectory, compliance, and efficiency.
Rethinking the role of procurement: from gatekeepers to conductors
Faced with this change, purchasing departments are being called upon to rethink their role. It is no longer a question of imposing rigid controls or restrictions, but rather of orchestrating a complex ecosystem while ensuring both flexibility and security.
The goal is not to slow down the trades. It's to enable them to move quickly, without stepping outside the boundaries.
This approach involves moving away from transactional relationships with suppliers and adopting a continuous management approach. Purchasing becomes a catalyst for overall performance, relying on tools capable of meeting today's challenges: speed, compliance, reliability, and transparency.
Would you like to structure your intellectual services procurement and regain control over non-panel suppliers?
Our teams are here to help you.
