A large UK retailer was struggling with an inefficient technology operating model and an increasingly complex supplier landscape. Broadgate, part of Ortecha, assessed internal services, stopped unnecessary spend, and rebuilt a controlled sourcing model. The result: £1.4m in avoided waste, £1m annual savings, and over £12m saved through supplier consolidation and a shift to on-demand cloud services.
Scope:
Impact:
The retailer’s technology estate had evolved over time. Different teams, different suppliers, and different ways of working.
On paper, much of the payments platform was delivered as a service. In reality, internal operations had grown too large, too fragmented, and too disconnected from the business services they were meant to support.
Suppliers overlapped, responsibilities blurred and costs kept rising.
Leadership could see the problem. But there was no clear, shared view of where inefficiency sat or how to fix it without disrupting critical services.
This wasn’t just a cost issue. It was a control issue.
The delivery organisation had drifted away from the business. Services were no longer aligned to products. Multiple suppliers were delivering similar capabilities. Processes were immature and inconsistent.
The challenges:
Without a clear operating model, every decision added more complexity. And more cost.
The client needed an independent, evidence-based view of what was really going on.
Not another transformation programme. Not more assumptions.
They needed clarity. Where the overlaps were. Where the cost sat. And what could realistically be simplified.
We were brought in to assess the full technology service landscape and provide a practical path forward. We provided a grounded approach in how these environments actually run, not how they look on paper.
We started by mapping the reality of the operating model.
This exposed a clear pattern:
From there, we worked with the client to reshape the model.
Roles and responsibilities were redefined with clear alignment to business services. Internal teams were repositioned to focus on value, not overlap. And the supplier landscape was rationalised around a simpler, more controlled structure.
Alongside this, we ran a structured sourcing process across the operational towers.
This wasn’t just about cost reduction. It was about selecting the right suppliers, on the right terms, with clear accountability and flexibility built in.
With a clear view of the operating model and supplier landscape, leadership were able to stop misaligned activity with confidence. Around £1.4m of unnecessary spend was avoided simply by not continuing down the wrong path.
From there, the structural changes took hold.
Supplier consolidation reduced duplication and simplified delivery. A move towards on-demand cloud services improved flexibility and cost control. And a more aligned operating model ensured services were properly connected to business needs.
The outcomes were tangible:
Cost came down. But more importantly, control came back.
Supplier sprawl is rarely a sourcing problem alone. It’s what happens when operating models drift, ownership becomes unclear, and decisions are made without a full view of the system.
The organisations that manage this well don’t just cut cost. They rebuild control.
This engagement shows what that looks like in practice. Clear visibility. Simple structures. And decisions grounded in evidence, not assumption.
That’s what turns complexity into something manageable. And cost into something predictable.
A large UK high street retailer operating at national scale, with a complex technology estate supporting stores, payments and digital services.
Partner, Technology Transformation
Partner, Technology Transformation
