Building IT Relationships
A tsunami of IT project disasters is on the horizon
No garden-variety u2018over budget and behind scheduleu2019 project failures here. Weu2019re talking spectacular failures that disrupt supply chains, delay the reporting of financials, and blow up the careers of seemingly competent executives.
4 trends disrupting managed infrastructure services
As providers adapt their go-to-market strategies, customers must plan ahead.
4 critical success factors for selecting an SAP system implementation provider
In the SAP SI selection process, the traditional approach facilitated by procurement is flawed and fails to account for the complexities of an enterprise SAP SI selection. Here’s how to get it right.
6 risks to avoid in your AWS, GCP, and Azure negotiations
Choosing a hyperscaler includes a series of seemingly unrelated decisions that must be assessed and made with a target end-state in mind. You will likely only get to make this decision once, so youu2019d better get it right.
Getting to no: 3 things your cloud vendor won't give you (and what to ask for instead)
Knowing what vendors will say "no" to can be a powerful tool in your negotiation arsenal.
4 tactics for getting SIs to bid on your project
Systems integrators will be in high demand this year as digital transformation projects heat up. Here's how to make your project stand out in a seller's market.
Why steering committees fail to engage (and 5 ways to hold them accountable)
There are some common reasons why a transformation steering committee may fail to engage—from a lack of motivation to a bias toward inaction, Here's how transformation leaders can overcome those blockers.
10 steps to avoid digital transformation failure
Executive sponsors play a key role in the success (or failure) of digital transformations. Taking these essential actions will tip the scales in your favor.
5 critical steps to relaunch a transformation initiative
Across all markets, transformation programs that have been on hold for close to a year are being launched or relaunched. Here's how to make sure your transformation stays on the right track and lower your systems integrator spend by 15-20%.
Why ERP projects fail: Finding the gaps in your program plans
Skipping steps in the implementation process can cost your company dearly. Here's what to look foru2014and look out for.
4 mistakes companies make with SaaS cost estimating
The devil, as they say, is in the details. Don't get tripped up on these common mistakes when calculating SaaS implementation costs.
6 challenges of agile at scale for ERP
Overcoming these challenges are key to using agile for an ERP implementation. It's well worth the effort.
5 costly mistakes in infrastructure outsourcing
Consider yourself warned. These mistakes can derail your efforts, erode your business case, and start you off on the wrong foot with your chosen provider. Here's how to avoid them.
6 steps to successful SaaS renewal negotiations
It's no secret that preparation is key to successful contract negotiations, but SaaS renewals come with their own set of challenges. What are you doing to prepare for negotiation success?
10 ways to get value from your system integrator's quality review
Though the SI's proposals focus on the benefits the client is intended to receive from these quality reviews, the SIs are actually realizing a large portion of the benefits. Hereu2019s how to ensure you benefit as well.
5 steps to assess offshore support risk (and 5 steps to address critical needs)
To ensure continuity of critical operations, all businesses should take these practical steps to engage, assess, and partner with offshore service providers.
A CIO's checklist for executing the COVID pivot
Simultaneously adjusting to new realities and developing forward-looking plans is near-impossible. This checklist will help you focus your efforts.
Effective IT cost optimization starts with internal alignment
Take the time to understand the priorities and objectives of business stakeholders and avoid the natural tendency to apply immediate pressure to vendor partners.
5 tips for executing a successful ERP go-live
Few experiences in the business world compare to managing an ERP go-live. Here's how to set yourself up for success.
5 tips for navigating supplier relationships in an economic downturn
Don't let cost-cutting derail your digital transformation; take these steps to strengthen supplier relationships.
The two things customers want from cloud vendors
Cloud vendors could go a long way toward building trust with their customers and differentiating themselves in the market with two key changes in their approach.
4 lessons from the Hertz vs. Accenture IT disaster
A tremendous amount of information and specific insight can be gleaned by analyzing projects gone wrong. Here are four lessons IT leaders can apply to any outsourcing agreement.
Building elasticity in outsourced managed services
Plan for the future by building both cost and service management elasticity into your outsourced managed service agreements up front.
High performing multi-vendor transformation teams – How to make it work
There can be a significant pay-off for clients who enable a multi-vendor model to support their transformational programs. However, companies need to be prepared to put forward the effort required to enable the capturing of program benefits.
Precedents matter in cloud negotiations
You might know what a great deal looks like, but that’s only half the battle. Achieving that great deal requires persuasiveness.
Inside Microsoft and Google Cloud’s battle for the enterprise
The competitive landscape is heating up. As Google Cloud aggressively approaches enterprises to get a foot in the door, Microsoft is going to great lengths to keep them out.
Feeling handcuffed by your current IT vendor? Here’s how to increase your renegotiation leverage
With the average size of renegotiated contracts ranging from $20-40 million and renegotiation frequency increasing, customer negotiating teams can no longer hand the perceived switching cost advantage over to the vendors.
Digital transformation – don’t leave talent development crumbs on the table
When it comes to digital transformation, if you don’t recognize next generation talent development opportunities at the very beginning, the overall benefits derived from the program will be much less.
What cloud vendors really want from their customers
Knowing what matters most to your current cloud vendors, those you are considering and those you ultimately add to your portfolio of cloud products and solutions in the future, will help you assess what leverage you have when it comes time to negotiate your initial deal or your upcoming renewal.
Proven levers to reduce hardware and software maintenance
7 short-term actions you can take now to produce meaningful in-year reductions to your budget.
System integrator risk mitigation processes often have the opposite effect
Relying on your SI to tell you how to mitigate risks is a flawed strategy that often does not have a happy ending.
Fear of premature escalation (FPE): Diagnose and treat this silent ERP program killer
Recognizing the early warning signs and taking appropriate action can reduce the overall impact of this affliction, which can be deadly for an ERP project.
Don’t become a digital transformation horror story: Implement solid risk management
The only way to eliminate risk entirely is to do nothing at all, which of course brings its own risks to the business.Sole sourcing negotiations: SI tactics and CIO countermeasures
How CIO’s can ensure they maintain control of their sole source negotiations.How to amplify the value of your system integrator
A few ways to increase the value of your SI. If only these engagements came with a user manual…
5 dirty little secrets of your system integrator
Ever wonder why companies still go over budget? Here are a few of the ways consultants pass that risk onto their customers.
Exploring the ‘unknown unknowns’ in IT-enabled digital transformation estimates
Recognizing and acknowledging your own blind-spots can be tough to swallow, but wouldn’t you rather understand your blind-spots before you start your journey rather than when you reach the precipice of a failure?
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?
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.
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.
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 outsourcing agreement should be executed without each one of these items first being addressed.
Don’t let your IT-enabled transformation program go ‘Into Thin Air’
While reading u201cInto Thin Airu201d, 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 your commercial guide. You put your trust in the SI to prepare you for the journey and make a significant investment of both your time and resources to complete the trip, just like those that trusted their lives to the mountain guides in 1996.
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. Contrast this with the consulting business model.
7 negotiation tactics that are futile in cloud renewals
The most common negotiation tactics often don’t work if used during cloud renewals.
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 companies run into when divesting parts of their business and why properly addressing these issues in your software or cloud agreement well before a divestiture is of utmost importance.
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 assessment.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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