Not a second opinion.A third — the one that signs with you.
Senior. Independent. Accountable. We plug into your exec team as a fractional sourcing office — from first RFP to live provider governance — for a fraction of what the large strategy, Big 4 and sourcing advisory firms charge.
- No juniors
- Zero provider fees
- Fees tied to outcomes
On EUR 20–60m annual IT spend, that’s EUR 2–15m — invisible, year after year.
One operating system — in three tiers.
Standalone or stacked. Each priced so a CFO can approve it without going to the board.
Sourcing Sprint
6–12 weeks, fixed fee. Scoping → market view → RFx → negotiation → signature → transition plan. With delivery covenant.
Fractional Provider Office
2–5 senior days per month. SLA reviews, contract calendar, escalations, QBRs — ongoing, on your side.
Embedded Interim Lead
Senior partner as interim Head of Sourcing / VMO for 3–9 months — during transformations, carve-outs, PMI.
Six written mechanisms that keep our neutrality honest.
Anyone can claim neutrality. We anchor it in every engagement — before the first invoice. No provider bonuses, no hidden referral fees, no partnerships that colour our recommendation.
Senior-Practitioner Guarantee
Every day you pay for is delivered by a senior partner with 15+ years of sourcing experience. No pyramid. No juniors at the wheel.
Neutrality Declaration
Contractually documented on every engagement. No commissions, bonuses or kickbacks from providers — not now, not retroactively.
Delivery Covenant
Contractually committed outcomes, not just days. If the promised outcome doesn’t land, we follow through at our own cost.
Full Transfer on Exit
All models, tools, scorecards and decision logs transfer to you. No vendor lock, no black boxes, no dependency after the engagement closes.
Price Clarity
Fixed fees or fixed tranches. No scope-creep uplifts, no hidden travel expenses, no end-of-month T&M surprises.
Peer References
Before you sign, speak with two clients who ran comparable mandates with us in recent months. Unfiltered.
All six commitments are part of every engagement letter. Not marketing — contract text.
Why a third opinion — not another consultancy.
The market already has strategy firms, Big-4 multi-service giants and sourcing advisors. They all do good work — but all of them carry structural incentives that colour their advice. 3rd Opinion is built deliberately different: small, senior, neutral, outcome-accountable.
| Criterion | Strategy firms | Big-4 / Multi-service | Sourcing advisors | 3rd Opinion FSPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who delivers? | Pyramid — partner sells, senior manager steers, consultants execute | Large mixed staff, partner not continuously on the ball | Small teams, often specialised, but capacity-driven | Two senior partners, hands-on, from kickoff to handover |
| Incentive structure | Follow-on mandates, transformation programmes | Cross-sell into audit, tax, technology, managed services | Provider deal flow, in part framework partnerships | No commissions. No partnerships. No cross-sell |
| Focus | Strategy, operating model, transformation | Broad advisory palette, compliance-adjacent | Tender, RFP, price negotiation | Decision points in the sourcing cycle: scope, contract, transition |
| Engagement format | Multi-month programmes, large teams | Project or managed-services contracts | Sprint or tender projects | Fractional: tightly defined, time-boxed, repeatable |
| Exit / Knowledge transfer | Often dependent on follow-on engagement | Dependent on an ongoing managed service | End of project, tooling stays with the advisor | Full transfer of all models, tools and decision logs |
| Price | T&M, high day rates, open scope | T&M or retainer, frequent change requests | Project-fix or success fee | Fixed or fixed tranches, contractually committed |
We don’t compete with these players. We take on the part none of them can structurally own — the neutral, senior-led sourcing decision.
About 3rd opinion
Your trusted, neutral perspective in the complex IT landscape.
Founded on the principle of absolute neutrality, 3rd opinion GmbH provides unbiased IT consulting.
- 100% Independent & Neutral
- No Software Sales or Implementation
- Exclusively Representing Client Interests
