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RICE announces its new SaaS offering

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We’re excited to share that RICE is making a strategic pivot into the SaaS business. 

No, we’re not abandoning our roots as a strategic communications consultancy. We’re introducing Secondment as a Service, where we embed our seasoned consultants directly within our clients’ organisations for a set period. 

Why? This provides tailored, in-depth support and allows us to function as a seamless extension of in-house teams. It also offers clients the agility and flexibility of nearly full-time resources without the long-term commitment or having to invest in additional on-boarding. For brands needing extra support during crunch times or requiring specialised expertise, this has and can be a game-changing strategy. 

For us at RICE, it’s a chance to increase our value and strengthen client partnerships. Our consultants have done part-time maternity covers from the client’s office that ranged from three months to a year.

Importantly, this offering does not just benefit clients and the business. This experience is invaluable for our consultants, offering them insights into client challenges and a platform to solve problems together more seamlessly. For example, they act as a bridge between the client and the account team. As a result, consultants become more effective in serving and preempting clients’ needs.

How does it work? What does it look like in a day of a secondee? How often do we half-joke with our staff about not returning after their secondment? (True story, by the way.)

We interviewed three RICE secondees, one currently in the middle of their secondment, to share their experiences and insights.

Sarah Sim, Senior Account Manager, who did a four-month maternity cover for one of her clients in the enterprise technology sector in 2023, initially had apprehensions that quickly faded away. “My client had put together a detailed onboarding document, and set up the necessary calls and introductions for me. She made it clear to her internal stakeholders that I was their go-to PR person for the next few months. It made the process very empowering.” 

Before her secondment officially started earlier this year, Nicole Ong, Account Manager, also shared that her client took the time to integrate her into the company’s ecosystem. “My client introduced me to all her colleagues, told me about the relevant Slack channels that I could join to get important updates, and even got me involved in internal meetings and company events.” she added. “The onboarding process was seamless, even though I was not an official employee.”

Enriching both the client and consultant experience

Secondment provides an opportunity to deepen the partnership between clients and consultants. By working directly together on daily tasks, seconded consultants can better understand the client’s objectives and challenges, as well as the wider goals of the business. 

“Being a part of the day to day in the workstreams I support has given me invaluable insight into how the organisations works,” said Christa Yeo, Account Manager. “Taking part in internal discussions, contributing to planning, and even seeing how the company keeps team members engaged have opened my eyes to new perspectives that strengthen my understanding of my client.” 

Nicole further explained, “As an agency, we often get a brief from the client for any task, but we don’t see the work going on prior to that. Working from my client’s perspective helped me better understand what work is like for her ‘behind the scenes’. The additional context I learned is helpful for my team when we work on tasks now.”    

Co-creating a successful partnership 

Ultimately, secondment opportunities drive successful outcomes across the client-agency partnership. 

Sarah shared, “Being a good partner to our clients is more than just doing what they tell us to do. The secondment opportunity helped me understand the business better and see my client from a more multi-dimensional point of view. It strengthened our partnership with them in many ways – we know what pressures they’re under and what goals they want to achieve. We can build a better rapport with them as we continue working together.”

14.8.2024
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