Done deal concept

Continuing a shared commitment to innovation, Compass Group, the world’s largest food and facility services company, and AstraZeneca, the global, science-led, patient-focused pharmaceutical company, are taking supplier management to the next level. The two companies have established a new, forward-thinking partnership for integrated facilities management that is focused on workplace experience. It expands the current scope of work, including hard and soft services, as well as foodservice, in all of AstraZeneca’s North American facilities. This transformative partnership is based on the principles of the "Vested" contracting model that builds on work the University of Tennessee has done with the U.S. Air Force and paves the way for a new approach to supplier-buyer management.

"What makes this partnership unique is that it moves away from traditional transactional activities and focuses on shared desired outcomes – effectively moving from a ‘me’ to ‘we’ approach," said Jim Baillargeon, North American Integrated Facilities Management Lead, AstraZeneca. "All of the work we’re doing is focused on equal benefits for both organizations while also enhancing AstraZeneca’s facilities and having a more positive impact on our people, patients and planet."

Over the past year, the Compass Group and AstraZeneca teams participated in many workshops and stakeholder alignment sessions to set the foundation for this new partnership rooted in the Vested principles from the award-winning research at the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration. Vested is a business model, methodology and mindset for creating highly collaborative, win-win business relationships in which both parties are equally committed to each other’s success. When applied, a Vested approach fosters an environment that sparks innovation, resulting in improved service, reduced costs and value that didn’t exist before – for both parties.

For more than 15 years, Compass Group has been a trusted and high-performing supplier to AstraZeneca, and this expanded partnership will contribute to the next generation workplace experience. This includes prioritizing diversity and inclusion, sustainability, technology, health and well-being, and community outreach – all aligning with AstraZeneca and Compass Group values. The Compass Group team recently renewed the WELL Health-Safety Rating for the Gaithersburg campus, a certification that was facilitated on AstraZeneca's behalf in 2021.

"We are committed to creating a unique and healthy workplace that enables productivity and innovation," says Oliver Sach, senior vice president, Compass Group. "This partnership is on the leading edge of workplace experience, showing that Integrated Facilities Management brings direct value to AstraZeneca and their employees. Compass Group’s hospitality and solutions-focused culture will ensure the vision of this Vested partnership becomes a reality."

"Being innovative and collaborative is inherent in how both AstraZeneca and Compass Group operate, but each company’s commitment to the Vested model is another example of how they are creating a next generation partnership that goes well beyond a traditional vendor-client relationship," says Kate Vitasek, University of Tennessee faculty member and architect of the Vested business model. "Because the Vested model is built to transform business relationships, the partnership value increases exponentially and paves the way for long-term, shared success."