Jan-Feb-Mar 2021
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OPINION<br />
FINDING THE IT FACTOR IN A VENDOR<br />
VIKKI DURDEN, HEAD OF OPERATIONS AT UK IT SERVICE, DISCUSSES THE TRAITS BUSINESSES SHOULD SEARCH FOR IN A<br />
POTENTIAL I.T. VENDOR - AND THE ONES THEY SHOULD SEEK TO AVOID<br />
During a challenging economic<br />
period for UK business, it seems<br />
the attraction of external, low-cost<br />
IT providers, and new pay-as-you-use<br />
models may be too much for companies<br />
to resist. So much so that investment has<br />
skyrocketed in this sector, with nearly £4<br />
billion in investments made annually by<br />
UK firms. However, to reap the rewards of<br />
cost-effective and efficient IT, businesses<br />
must understand how to get the most out<br />
of their partnership with a vendor.<br />
PUTTING YOU FIRST<br />
Typically, IT vendors are brought in to<br />
supplement an existing IT infrastructure. To<br />
identify the right supplier to complement<br />
the work you're doing, you need to put<br />
your own needs first.<br />
While cost-of-service will no doubt play<br />
a role in any decision during these<br />
financially taxing times, it shouldn't be the<br />
be-all and end-all. For example, paying<br />
slightly more up-front to partner with a<br />
vendor which offers unmatched<br />
responsiveness and flexible hours, often<br />
saves businesses money long-term in<br />
minimised downtime and disruption.<br />
Depending on the company's priorities,<br />
you may require a vendor who has a<br />
proven track record in delivering a<br />
specific specialism, or one which is agile<br />
enough to help your business close in on<br />
an opportunity.<br />
To ensure that a potential vendor is a<br />
right fit for you, you should first establish a<br />
detailed list of goals and key performance<br />
indicators for your chosen vendor. This<br />
may include improving cybersecurity or<br />
navigating a complex cloud migration<br />
project. Agreeing to SLAs and KPIs in<br />
advance allows you to cross-reference the<br />
needs of your business with the<br />
capabilities of the vendors. It also lays the<br />
foundations for clarity in the relationship.<br />
These metrics also serve as a framework<br />
to help businesses track the value of their<br />
investments, keep both parties focused on<br />
a set of core objectives, and acts as a<br />
tangible target when reviewing<br />
performance at the end of each quarter<br />
or year.<br />
UNCOMPLICATING<br />
COMMUNICATION<br />
Clear dialogue from the outset is crucial<br />
in building a long-lasting business<br />
relationship with a vendor, in setting<br />
mutual expectations and addressing any<br />
issues. Poor communication is the<br />
underlying cause of most relationship<br />
breakdowns between business and vendor.<br />
It's important then to look for vendors with<br />
a diverse range of tools to facilitate clear<br />
communication. Do they have sociable<br />
working hours? Are they available via<br />
both telephone and email?<br />
However, if their response time is substandard<br />
it won't matter how many<br />
channels are open, as you won't be able<br />
to act with the agility needed to succeed.<br />
Responsiveness is a must-have<br />
characteristic for most businesses, so you<br />
should be looking at vendors with a<br />
proven track record of high-end customer<br />
service. If a vendor has these traits, it can<br />
be well worth any additional investment as<br />
it shows a commitment to quality you may<br />
not find elsewhere.<br />
20 NETWORKcomputing JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2021</strong> @NCMagAndAwards<br />
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK