Technology Sourcing Strategy
Eskelin Technology Corporation is a technology management consulting firm that assists clients in achieving their business strategy through their technology vendor portfolio.
Eskelin Technology can help you achieve your business strategy by tackling the following business challenges: 1) Defining a Technology Vendor Portfolio Strategy, 2) Selecting Technology Vendors, 3) Negotiating Technology Vendor Relationships, and 4) Managing a Technology Vendor Portfolio.
DEFINING A TECHNOLOGY VENDOR PORTFOLIO STRATEGY
- Strategy: Defining a technology vendor portfolio strategy is often a neglected step. Many companies take a bottom-up approach to determining what technology and technology vendors are needed. A better approach is top-down, taking the overall business strategy and determining the right mix of technologies and technology vendors needed to achieve that strategy. Allen can assist you in taking a more strategic approach to defining your technology vendor portfolio.
- Planning: Often the outcome of a negotiation is determined before it even starts. How you approach a negotiation can determine who has the leverage. Allen can help you assemble a team, define your priorities, and strategize and plan your approach.
SELECTING TECHNOLOGY VENDORS
- Research: There are a number of ways to research technology vendors. Allen will help you evaluate research methods to determine which add value and in what order they should take place.
- Evaluation: Once the research has been gathered, the team will need to thoroughly evaluate all of the research. By the end of this process your team should have a clear understanding of the differences between the vendors and their solutions.
NEGOTIATING VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS
- Negotiation: This is where the value of all the previous activities will be realized. Allen will help you form a negotiation team, define what you want in the deal, and strategize how the team will approach the negotiations to realize that deal. As negotiations can’t be scripted, Allen will participate in the negotiations from beginning to end and advise your team every step of the process.
MANAGING A VENDOR PORTFOLIO
- Transition: This is where many negotiators ultimately fail. Often a negotiation team from each company will negotiate the deal. Once the deal is inked, they walk away and leave the delivery teams to figure out how to make the relationship work. Allen will help you plan and initiate activities that will transition responsibilities to the delivery teams and ensure those relationships get off to a good start.
- Vendor Management: Allen will work with your team to strategize how you can ensure the vendor relationship stays healthy over the duration of the contract. Finally, Allen will help you strategize how you will ensure you maintain your leverage for future contract renegotiations.
Eskelin Technology Corporation is in the business of helping clients deliver business results from their technology vendor portfolio. Since 1991, Allen has managed business critical projects for several Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Microsoft, and Gateway. He also maintains the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification with the Project Management Institute.
Contact Allen to discuss how you can gain more leverage from your technology vendor portfolio.
