Working initially with business owners or organization principals, we identify areas of over-head expense in their firms that can be reduced by any combination of the following actions:
 

	securing better rates & terms from an existing vendor;
	bringing in more competitive vendors, or;
	discovering new operations methods that reduce the identified expense.

What follows are varied examples of work that IRP international  has done for clients. The variety of cases that follow has been constructed in order to demonstrate a general ability to deal with vendors on behalf of clients in a positive way.

These true cases show a differing-range of results from very small to substantial savings achieved for clients. These scenarios demonstrate our flexibility and willingness to work on a wide-variety of expense problems -- whether the problem is large and noticeable or simply small but persistent.

IRP result:
IRP completed successful cost-reduction negotiations with the client's existing cellular provider. Results of the negotiations were: 1) a new per-minute rate 29% below normal "corporate" rates; 2) better terms of payment with consolidated billing, and; 3) a billing plan where minutes used are calculated on an enterprise-wide basis instead of per phone -- saving the monthly fee normally charged per phone number. Additionally, new telephones were obtained to replace less-than-optimal phones that the client owned. This additional bonus (valued at over $2000) brings the total client savings to over $10,500.

Client situation:
Client owned security monitoring equipment in approximately 30 properties in Texas and paid for monthly monitoring service for each system. Several vendors were involved as the properties had been purchased from different sellers. Client wished to explore the possibility of reduced cost for the central station monitoring of its business locations.

IRP result:
By consolidating the various locations into one major bid, IRP was able to gain strong competition from several solid vendors. Client chose to change all of their service to a new vendor offering better customer service and performance at least equal to the existing vendors. Client's largest existing vendor held them to the terms of existing contracts but, the new vendor agreed to a staggered set of service start dates that provided for a smooth transition.

Client situation:
Property and general liability insurance policies covering two of the client's commercial real estate properties were due for renewal. Each policy had been written under a different company and had experienced annual premium increases. Client intended to shop the policies for better rates but, due to more important demands on time, was unable to devote the time necessary to properly deal with the matter. The issue was then turned over to IRP.

IRP result:
IRP visited with several leading insurance agencies and obtained competitive quotes for the two policies. Quotes ranged from higher than the existing renewal rates to less than half of the current rates for equal to better coverage. The quotes obtained demonstrated the extreme inconsistency in insurance underwriting. The best quotes were from the agency most favored by the client and represented savings of over 30 and 50 percent with top rated companies underwriting the policies. Client switched to the new policies and immediately saved over $4,300.

Lower Costs
 = 
Found Money!

Client situation:
Client contracted for janitorial service from a small "mom-and-pop" cleaning firm which had been doing an adequate job but, had not developed the business systems necessary to ensure that employees consistently completed all cleaning assignments. However, the vendor had a proven record of being trustworthy and this was of major importance to the client as the facility was a laboratory environment.

IRP result:
IRP approached the situation with the idea of obtaining only a few competitive bids from other, more systemized, janitorial firms with known excellent reputations. After receiving a thorough bid that provided substantial savings, the original vendor was approached and given an opportunity to match the bid as well as upgrade some deficient areas of service. The existing vendor agreed immediately to make improvements and to match the competitive offer. Client then agreed to keep the proven vendor.

Client situation:
With over 80 service people working out of multiple locations city-wide, personal paging service is heavily relied upon to contact individuals in the field. The environment and duties of most of the people assigned pagers require that call details be delivered via pager without need for a call-back. This necessitates the use of either old-style voice pagers or newer digital messaging pagers.
The use of digital messaging pagers requires the use of specialized equipment or software by the person initiating a page and works fine in an environment where pages are placed from a few central points. However, the unique situation of the client is that detailed pages must be placed from dozens of locations - both known and unknown. This demand requires the use of voice paging for most of the client's users.
The client wished to evaluate their paging consumption, explore other options and lower related costs.

IRP result:
By obtaining competition from the only three paging firms in the city that offered both digital paging and voice paging, IRP was able to encourage the client's existing vendor to continue providing the service as previously subscribed at a much lower annual cost. Client was able to keep possession of the same pagers and pager telephone numbers that were already in place -- eliminating any change-over expense or frustration. Additionally, client received an improvement in their existing voice paging service with the vendor agreeing to re-establish a "repeating message" option on all voice pages -- a service the vendor had unilaterally discontinued at an earlier date.

Lowering expenses puts more money in your pocket or back in your budget!

Client situation:
Approximately a dozen small photocopying machines of the same make and model were in use by the client in one city. On-site maintenance contracts for the copiers were due for renewal with two units having been renewed just prior to IRP's involvement. The existing service vendor had increased the rate over the previous year by $25.00 each on the two renewals already made.
Client wished to avoid any increase in cost over the previous year and explored the possibility of using a different vendor if a better rate could be found.

IRP result:
Due to the make of the copiers, only two local vendors were found with competence in servicing the units. In obtaining the necessary usage information needed to allow the second vendor to make an intelligent proposal, certain users were made aware that maintenance contracts were being evaluated. A user, with loyalties to the existing vendor, contacted the vendor to make it aware of the coming competition. This contact was made before IRP was prepared to meet with the vendor.
The vendor then immediately processed the renewal of the remaining ten copiers and invoiced the client for the renewal. The rate -- $50.00 per machine less than the newly increased rate billed in the prior month (IRP factored its fee based on the old rate only - a difference of only $25.00 per machine.)

Other expenses areas worked:
(thousands upon thousands saved)
 

	Property & casualty insurance policy renewals
	Company health insurance policy renewals
	Computer & network maintenance & support services
	Capital equipment purchasing (medical & manufacturing)
	Telephone answering services
	Fleet fuel pricing & discounting
	Mailing machine & postage costs
	Newsletter & advertising production
	Banking & financial services
	Office supply discounting
	Internet services
	Trademarking & copyrighting