This article is taken from the 2021 Relocate and Think Global People Awards supplement.Click on the cover to access the digital edition or on the links below to read all of the articles on our website.

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The right strategic partner ensures international organisations achieve their goals quickly and efficiently. Suppliers with specialist knowledge and established networks are a critical success factor in agile corporate responses in these fast-changing times – especially where the accent is inevitably on the intricacies of compliance, cost containment and collaboration.But sustainable partnerships are built on more than technical know-how and global reach. In a business all about people, the most effective collaborations add value and deliver results by investing in positive working relationships.

Bringing everyone to the table

Santa Fe Relocation’s highly successful collaboration with energy network E.On SE is a shining example of excellent corporate and supplier partnership in action. It was delivered with empathy and sensitivity during particularly testing times.E.On SE engaged the global relocation management company in early 2020 – just as the pandemic gathered pace – to support its major restructuring and joint venture with fellow utility company, RWE. Research suggests at least one in four joint ventures will fail. One of the main reasons is a lack of attention to how corporate cultures are brought together and developed, which can lead to a business-critical loss of people with key skills and knowledge.Yet business partners across global mobility, HR and payroll in the two companies together with Santa Fe have worked together to play their part in making this joint venture a success. This they achieved by unifying two separate mobility programmes into one full suite of assignment management services for four distinct globally mobile populations to ensure business continuity.

Building transparency and trust

As an expert third party, Santa Fe played a pivotal objective role in discussions with both parties from the outset. Listening to, understanding and balancing different perspectives helped Santa Fe create clarity about the ultimate goal with every stakeholder.The relocation management company worked hard to understand everyone’s needs and concerns around bringing the two legacy programmes together and revised its service delivery model to meet E.On SE’s exacting requirements. This enabled Santa Fe to work seamlessly with E.On SE’s Global Mobility team, HR business partners, global mobility and payroll to ensure a smooth and timely transition to the new programme.Critically, feedback from all stakeholders shows their huge satisfaction with the outcome. Excellent working relationships prevail since the go-live date, leading the judges to conclude: “An emphasis on team work, transparency and understanding has resulted in an exceptionally positive relationship between the corporate and supplier. A true partnership is in evidence. And it is great to see that you had a good time as well working together, especially during 2020 – a very difficult period.”Alistair Hunt, Senior Business Development Manager at Santa Fe Relocation, expressed his delight at receiving the accolade. “It’s great for all our employees to get recognition for what they do. They are doing such a great job on behalf of all our customers, but they don’t always get the recognition for all they do so this is fantastic. It gives everyone a lift after such a difficult year.”www.santaferelo.com

The 2021 Relocate and Think Global People Awards Supplement - Out Now

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