Transitioning DSP Product Operations
A leading global Internet Giant was managing its flagship Demand-Side Platform (DSP) product operations through a third-party staffing service provider. While this arrangement had worked in the early stages, the model soon became unsustainable. The challenges were multi-faceted:
👉 Governance gaps led to lack of oversight and accountability.
👉 Limited scalability constrained in line with business growth.
👉 Talent development challenges:Career pathways and retention issues.
Client managed its DSP product operations through a third-party staffing model. However, the model posed challenges in scalability, governance, and talent development. To address these issues, Client made the strategic decision to transition operations to a Master Service Provider(MSP) capable of handling growth, enforcing governance frameworks, and maintaining high-quality output.
This was an 85 FTE transition project. The objectives were to: 👉 Seamlessly transition operations while retaining maximum existing employees 👉 Expand roles and responsibilities 👉 Implement a hierarchy and governance model 👉 Improve process quality and efficiency
Performed a comprehensive due diligence exercise to define the scope of work—clearly demarcating in-scope and out-of-scope activities. Formed a cross-functional core team (HR, Legal, Ops, Product SMEs, Lean Six Sigma experts) Defined ownership using a RACI matrix
Talent Retention: Focused on maximizing retention with backup hiring pipelines Process Optimization: Identified short- and long-term improvement opportunities Governance Model: Established clear hierarchy and escalation paths Workstreams: Organized into People, Process, and Technology with defined milestones
Recognized emotional and psychological impact of the shift. Managed this by: 👉 Developing comprehensive change management plan with training, stakeholder engagement, & feedback loops. 👉 Messaging was crafted to ensure clarity, consistency, & transparency, addressing concerns & building trust throughout the transition.
Short-term risk: Potential attrition immediately after transition. Long-term risk: Lack of institutional knowledge due to insufficient knowledge transfer (KT) and documentation. Tackled short-term attrition risks and long-term knowledge gaps with contingency plans and robust knowledge transfer protocols.
✅ 90% employee retention ⏱️ 25% reduction in SLA timelines 📈 23% improvement in quality scores ⚙️ 40% automation in manual reporting 🚀 12% boost in operational efficiency within 3 months