Advisory
Tailoring Our Experience to Your Needs
The problems and issues of technology procurement can be overwhelming. However, working with ICN, the process becomes manageable
Overview
Helping our clients Do Better Deals™ is ICN’s core business. Regardless of the type and level of support you require, our experienced professionals are available to guide you through all phases of procurement—from deal-specific assistance to general procurement support.
Our Commitment
ICN was founded in 1975 with the sole purpose of helping users of technology products and services do better and safer deals with their vendors. Since that time, we have helped hundreds of clients do just that. Today, ICN offers a full array of products and services that can help you gain bottom-line dollars, contractual protection and better business relationships with vendors.
Benefits
- Optimize a specific deal—financially and contractually
- Experience best practices procurement process
- Get an analysis of your current procurement program
- Receive support from proven procurement professionals
- Access ICN’s Deal Repository
- Understand supplier pricing and practices
ICN Advisory Services
We Help You Do Better Deals
- Have experienced experts assist in all phases of acquisitions
- Assist in defining the scope of a project—what products/services are included—which are not
- Assist in defining the criteria for assessing the project’s success
- Assist in directing activity to ensure project success criteria is achieved
- Develop results-based deals with supplier accountability
- Develop meaningful service levels and associated remedies to ensure supplier performance
- Develop and draft your negotiation team’s statement of specific contractual rights and protections
- Assist in identifying potential qualified suppliers
- Develop statements of work or statements of results that reflect the criteria for determining project’s success
- Develop and review your RFPs and RFIs
- Develop and refine contract checklists
- Develop fair and balanced agreements
- Develop required pricing strategies to ensure future protection and flexibility
- Develop life-cycle cost analysis
- Conduct bidders’ conferences to maximize your control
- Assist in developing objective supplier proposal evaluation criteria
- Analyze supplier proposals and contracts
- Prepare your team for supplier ploys; develop preemptive strategies
- Support you in face-to-face negotiations with your suppliers
- Integrate supplier inducements into contract
- Provide overall guidance and contracting/negotiation expertise
- Brief end users and executives on negotiation status and progress
Virtual Resource Capability
- Access to a multi-disciplinary team
- Expertise on an “as needed” basis
- A varied team in size and expertise
- Limited cost; pay only for resources utilized
Procurement Assessment
- Have professional review of existing practices
- Improve existing processes with ICN review and analysis
- Receive customized plan to develop best practices
- Identify methods and tools for costsaving opportunities
Contract Audit
- Audit and inventory all contracts
- Identify opportunities for savings and greater contractual protection
- Recommend best practice enhancements
- Identify contracts needed to supplement your inventory
- Expand audits to include risk analysis and risk mitigation
- Review documents during mergers, acquisitions and divestitures
- Protect against supplier audits
Outsource Your Technology Procurement
- Create an organization tailored to your specific needs
- Use ICN experienced consultants to get immediate results
- Eliminate staffing and recruiting problems
- Have specific expertise available, as required
Vendor Management
- Develop and manage Service Level Agreements
- Develop and manage Key Performance Indicators
- Develop rating system for your vendors
- Ensure vendor accountability and contract compliance
- Develop “continuous improvement” process and ongoing management
- Assist in dispute resolution
Additional Services
- Enhance procurement function’s internal marketing of services
- Augment your procurement staff with our contract
personnel - Provide supplier pricing and practices
- Analyze vendor proposals and contracts
- Assist in the acquisition and divestiture process
Deal Expertise
- Outsourcing of IT functions
- Data Center: Mainframe/Server
- Help Desk
- End user desk side support
- Network management
- System maintenance
- Data center facility management
- Outsourcing of business processes (ASP)
- Disaster recovery services
- Software licensing
- Software implementation
- Software development
- Software maintenance
- System integration
- Leasing
- Hardware acquisition
- Maintenance services
- Offshore outsourcing
- Renegotiation of existing agreements
- Telecom
The Support You Need
ICN has been in the business of helping clients do better deals for more than 45 years. From the client’s perspective that means immediate support on any deal that needs doing. Whether it’s a high risk, high dollar procurement or more mundane deals that are creating a logjam, we have the people and the expertise to ensure positive results. Whatever type or level of support you require, our experienced professionals can help you find the solutions that are right for your organization. We offer a wide range of services from deal-specific assistance to general procurement support. Our experience, powerful tools and proven direction provide deal management that puts you in control so you get what you pay for every time you deal.
Procurement Assessment
Most organizations benefit when they take the time to determine the quality of their current procurement process. To establish your company’s baseline, we can execute a Procurement Assessment. After completing a survey, we’ll prepare a report that includes a recommended strategy for achieving best practices. Then, we can work with you to develop a customized plan to accomplish your goals.
Implementing Change
ICN offers several options to meet your needs. If you require substantial assistance, we can provide one or more consultants to act as your interim procurement team. Or, we can augment your department with consultants who will work with and mentor your people. Yet another option is to engage our consultant(s) to coach your team and review its progress regularly. These solutions provide your people with the experience of facing vendors while ICN’s expertise is available if a problem arises.
A Virtual Resource
Our virtual resource capability allows us to work smarter and more cost effectively for you. Located across the country, our consultants can work on your projects remotely, on an as-needed basis. A Virtual Resource can provide quality assurance or customize a contract. An important capability is the review, audit and analysis of key procurement documents, from RFPs to SOWs. Based on your specific needs, we’ll recommend the Virtual Resource that’s right for you.
Deal Repository
We can develop documents for you, designed for a specific deal. However, rarely does a deal document need to be fully custom developed. Our consultants
have access to document templates and models from the ICN Deal Repository. This reference library includes valuable information and samples such as position papers, checklists, negotiation strategies and other “lessons learned” material. With the benefit of this material, you can reduce development costs, minimize risk and ensure access to state-of-the-art thinking.
User Form Contracts
Experience has shown that world-class organizations use their own customerfocused form agreements rather than reacting to or accepting a vendor contract. There’s no doubt that you can do better deals when you use your own contracts. You can gain that advantage with one or more of our user form contracts. Our library of agreements includes:
- Equipment Purchase
- Equipment Master Lease
- Data Center Outsourcing
- Desktop Outsourcing
- Services
- Consulting Services
- Software Development
- Software Licensing
- Application Services Provider
- Master IT
Contracts Lab
There is much to be gained by including our Contracts Lab workshop in a training program for selected members of your procurement team. You’ll have the benefit of contracts written to minimize risk and maximize cost savings, and your people will have an opportunity to improve their skills and overall contracting performance.
Managed Acquisition Process
ICN’s Managed Acquisition Process™ (MAP™) is a highly acclaimed methodology based on acquisition by prioritized objectives. A 10-step negotiating strategy, the MAP has been implemented by hundreds of clients, resulting in their doing better deals and managing deals better. Numerous organizations have assimilated the MAP methodology
into their corporate culture.
User Form Contracts
Many clients have found that an Executive Briefing is important to the procurement process. Our briefing focuses on the integral role of effective technology procurement in helping to meet overall business objectives. It also ensures that executives, senior managers and end users understand their roles in the procurement process. The greatest successes achieved in implementing the MAP are those that are supported throughout the organization.
Broad Scope of Experience
More than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies are ICN clients. The list of organizations relying on ICN’s expertise includes— AT&T, General Motors, New York City, Nationwide Insurance and Cisco Systems, to name just a few. Hundreds of smaller companies and numerous government entities also derive great value from our services.
International Experience
For more than three decades, ICN has provided training internationally, sharing its wisdom with companies and governments around the world, including England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Scotland, Malaysia and Singapore. Many clients use ICN via teleconferencing for national and international training.
An Integrated Solution
ICN is strategically positioned to offer its clients a full, multifaceted solution— consulting, public seminars and conferences, onsite training and acquisition products such as User Form Contracts and other customized documents. We ensure that you have the information and knowhow to negotiate a fair deal every time you deal. Caucus, an association of technology professionals, is an ICN-sponsored source of immediate information. As a member, you can stay current with procurement methodology and understand how others handle daily challenges. Caucus listserves are a timely and efficient method of exchanging information on varied procurement topics, from general issues to legal, strategic sourcing, telecom, leasing and government concerns
Staff Augmentation
Your Benefits
Everyone involved in technology procurement transactions will benefit from learning to Do Better Deals™ the ICN way. Join technology executives, financial officers, attorneys, purchasing management,
contract negotiators and end users who have implemented ICN’s proven methodologies.
