Building IT Relationships

By Len Riley, Greg Hall, John Belden, Adam Mansfield, Jeff Lazarto

Opinions expressed by ICN authors are their own.

Opinion

When is it time to say goodbye to Accenture, Deloitte, IBM or KPMG?

You have probably invested a great deal of time and effort selecting your SI and more than likely written them a few sizable checks. So how do you end the relationship once it's clearly become one-sided?

11/14/18

Opinion

How to negotiate the right deal with Microsoft

Tips for companies undergoing digital transformation looking to adopt or renew one of Microsoft’s key offerings.

10/15/18

Opinion

SAP and Oracle audits – US constitutional principles do not apply

While businesses are not required to have separate committees to draft, enforce and adjudicate company policy, we expect some form of these principles to apply, even in the private sector.

10/10/18

Opinion

IT outsourcing agreements: 3 details many negotiations forget

Whether you are establishing an outsourcing relationship for the first time, preparing for a sourcing event, or getting ready for a painful renewal discussion with your incumbent service provider, there is no circumstance where an...

09/24/18

Opinion

Don’t let your IT-enabled transformation program go ‘Into Thin Air’

While reading “Into Thin Air”, I started drawing some parallels between climbing Mount Everest and deploying a major ERP system. The software you buy is the path that you choose to climb the mountain, and the System Integrator (SI) is...

09/12/18

Opinion

6 ways to train your internal team to maximize the value of consultants

Companies today typically staff major programs with internal talent who spend a majority of their time engaged in the day-to-day operations of the company. Their participation in projects is typically infrequent and usually part-time....

08/13/18

Opinion

7 negotiation tactics that are futile in cloud renewals

The most common negotiation tactics often don’t work if used during cloud renewals.

07/25/18

Opinion

Common (and avoidable) divestiture headaches

Nearly 9 out of 10 companies plan to divest assets in the next two years, but effectively executing a divestiture from an IT perspective can be a complex and challenging process. These are a few of the common software headaches...

07/19/18

Opinion

5 mistakes to avoid when developing a SOW with Accenture, Deloitte, and IBM

Here are five of more than 30 risk points to address in the construction of an MSOW. You should consider all program risk points prior to signing off, rather than waiting until after the signing of the MSOW to conduct the first risk...

07/10/18

Opinion

Is your SAP SI partner evaluation missing the mark?

The selection of the partner who will usher in your digital transformation is just as important as the software you choose. Common errors in selecting your consultant can mean long delays, business mismatches, higher costs or worse.

07/03/18

Opinion

The high cost of anxiety in negotiations

Follow steps to reduce anxiety and improve confidence at the negotiating table, corporate IT leaders can make the biggest impact.

06/13/18

Opinion

Implementing SAP S4/HANA digital core – Don’t be a prisoner to unnecessary costs

Program managers must regularly check the health of four different kinds of relationships to increase their chances of developing a successful program. Otherwise, they'll face their own version of the 'Prisoner's Dilemma.'

05/03/18

Opinion

SaaS cloud subscriptions: When “on-demand” really isn’t

When considering a software vendor’s cloud offering, it's critical to think as much about how they structure the subscription agreement.

04/09/18

Opinion

SaaS matters: key caveats for SaaS contracting

Enterprises must ensure their cloud subscription agreements and relationships with SaaS vendors are structured in a way that allow them to leverage the considerable advantages of this 21st-century cloud delivery model.

03/19/18

Opinion