Fuel Cycle · OUTSOURCING & COST OPTIMIZATION

Scaling Operations While Reducing Cost

The Challenge

Fuel Cycle needed to reduce operating costs and improve margins while building a model that could support future growth without proportional increases in headcount. At the same time, highly skilled account teams were spending significant time on research execution, which limited their ability to focus on client relationships and higher-value strategic work.

The Approach

Designed and led a new outsourcing strategy across survey programming, reporting, and crosstab production. The work began with evaluating potential partners and working with the CFO on vendor selection and contract negotiation, then defining the offshore team structure and interviewing candidates directly.

Rather than moving straight to a broad rollout, developed a controlled pilot with a single client account, with performance checkpoints to evaluate quality, workflow effectiveness, communication, and readiness to scale before expanding.

After a successful pilot, built and led the training and transition plan across 57 client accounts, serving as the primary liaison between internal teams and the offshore partner — overseeing training, running ongoing performance reviews with offshore leadership, and giving continuous feedback as the model matured.

The transition also exposed a barrier to scale: work was being executed differently across accounts. Introduced standardized processes and deliverable formats, including a consistent approach to survey programming, and led the internal change management needed to move teams from account-specific habits toward a shared way of working.

The Outcome

The new operating model generated approximately $250,000 in recurring annual savings while creating capacity to support continued growth without corresponding increases in internal headcount.

Beyond the financial impact, it established more consistent processes, created a scalable framework for outsourced delivery, and moved execution work off account teams so they could spend more time on client relationships and higher-value work.

experience details

Company: Fuel Cycle
Role: Director, Research Operations
Focus: Outsourcing & Cost Optimization

CAPABILITIES

Outsourcing Strategy · Vendor Selection & Management · Process Standardization · Change Management · Cost Optimization

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    — PERRY JAMES · COLLEAGUE, CIRCANA
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  • “Her innovative approach to cost management and sourcing has optimized performance and reduced expenses significantly.”
    — GABE ABREU · MANAGER, CIRCANA

The Integration at a Glance

A piloted, standardized outsourcing model lowered cost and created room to grow without adding internal headcount.

~250K
Recurring Annual Savings
57
Client Accounts Transitioned
3
Workstreams Outsourced
0
Added Internal Headcount

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