The role of the Strategic Partnerships Department

At Bornfight, we do things differently. Our philosophy can be best described by our Code of Passionate Determination which drives us to approach opportunities with a can-do spirit and a hunger to create the most effective, functional and aesthetic solutions. We aspire to understand the bigger picture, learn about our clients and understand that in resolving the issue at hand we must have a profound handle over all technical and business questions.

This is surely a tougher path to take and certainly one that has affected all departments in our company. It has manifested through the manner and type of internal educations we have, the way we organise communication between different teams and the way we test and question every decision and output we create. It also means we don’t start new projects without going through the Discovery process because we know that there is a much more complex story to what our partners are trying to achieve. And maybe even a simpler solution!

What is the role of the Strategic Partnerships Department at Bornfight?

The role of the Strategic Partnerships Department (SPD) is to guide clients towards strategically optimal solutions that can improve their overall business. To achieve that, the team needs to understand the client’s business, their pain-points, industry and landscape. Additionally, members of the Strategic Partnerships Department need to have knowledge about business models and what we as a development company can provide in order to combine these two segments and suggest the most appropriate digital solution.

Essentially, members of the Strategic Partnerships Department are consultants to the client. We understand that every business challenge is unique and needs a completely custom approach and a solution. To achieve this, we naturally have to be aware of the business strategy and technology & design aspects to find that sweet spot that leads to effective solutions.

During a project, the role of SPD is to ensure that the client is satisfied, that the project stays within the vision and that it fits into the general strategy that the client has. On a similar level, the Strategic Partnerships team must also ensure that projects that our company takes on fit into the strategy of Bornfight and that stable cash flow and revenue growth is attained. The team continuously makes decisions that concern both the client and the company, so they always take into account the possibility for future work and long term potential, as well as all financial and legislative aspects.

In their day to day work, members of the Strategic Partnerships Department have the exciting position of being involved on projects from the very first stage. Team members conduct sessions with potential clients to validate their ideas and concepts. This is done before the project is presented to other agency teams and it allows us to transfer our knowledge about the client’s business and vision, so that we as a development company can deliver the best possible solution – both for our client and for their end users.

Let me give you an example…

Let’s say we have been contacted by a potential client looking to build a new website. The first thing we will do is set up a call to discuss the project and create a first (at least virtual) connection. During this call we will try to interpret why the client wants to build a new site. We will ask key questions to understand their business model, their industry, competitors and target audience. Deeper questions about their current pain points, key messages and content, functional & technical requirements and structural needs will allow us to build a much clearer picture in our minds of what the client wants to achieve. A pivotal part of the call is also explaining our agency process and relevant references in order to build trust and credibility.

This crucial step allows us to summarise conclusions from our call and provide a brief for our specialist teams. They will, in turn, use these to provide their own suggestions as well as estimates in terms of time needed for design and development. At times we may use the initial or subsequent calls to motivate the client to go back to the drawing board because it is also very likely that a much simpler version of the site can solve their goals. Once we are aligned with the client on the scope, as the Strategic Partnerships Department we are able to create our agency proposal which outlines the process, cost and timeline of the entire project.

Our work does not however end with the approval and project kick off. We work with the agency team, especially the Project Manager on the project to keep track of progress and potential roadblocks. Through regular updates with the client, we ensure their satisfaction and detect potential opportunities to increase the partnership.

Is the Strategic Partnerships Department for you?

Becoming a partner for our clients is a continuous process that means we have to dedicate a significant amount of time to learn about each client’s background story and all the potential factors that can influence them. Additionally, as generalists we have a unique position in which we have to learn about many different fields and be able to maintain conversations through various contexts because we also must ensure that successful projects lead to long term partnerships.

As a team, we place a strong emphasis on reading about world events, changes in laws, economic factors, breakthroughs in technology, trends in design & development and even popular culture. All of this with the goal of being able to have a holistic approach to any business challenge that comes about.

With this in mind, when we look to grow our team, we look for individuals that have an ever-learning mindset and an insatiable curiosity. We know that this is the foundation that allows us to approach challenges from various angles and maintain conversations with clients of different backgrounds, experiences and knowledge.

We know that we do not have all the answers, but we like to believe we can signal the way for our clients and, through exhaustive and collaborative work with our design and technology specialists, we know Bornfight can provide the right digital solution for our clients.