Helping IT Sourcing
Pros Do Better Deals

Vendor Management Boot Camp

Get Informed – Leave Empowered

Benefits

Identify which vendors to manage
Enhance relationships with vendors
Ensure vendor performance
Exercise your rights
Monitor vendor obligations
Learn to use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Implement an effective vendor management system

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events › Vendor Management Boot Camp

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Available At-Your-Site

Online or In-person

Customized to Your Specific Needs

Overview

Are you concerned about contractual disagreements and products/services that don’t measure up to standards?

With a curriculum purposefully designed to provide those new to the profession, and veterans looking to get back to basics, with practical tips and tactics for increasing vendor/supplier performance.

In the one-day session you will learn how to control your vendors and get what you pay for. You’ll learn techniques to establish and maintain a meaningful working relationship with your key vendors. Additionally, you will be able to create and utilize leverage that stabilizes and enhances vendor performance.

This 6.5-hour interactive workshop will leave participants feeling informed, empowered, and excited about their future in technology procurement-vendor management. This session is hands-on, collaborative, and facilitated by industry leaders.

Topics Include

Essential Governance Structure and Tools
Vendor Classification
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Relationship Management Techniques

*Attendees will be provided with an On-demand MAP (Managed Acquisition Process) online class. Approx. 2 hours

Workshop Outline

The Problem

Customer Environment

Less Experience
Sense of Urgency
Lack of Incentives
Internal Politics
Relationships
Processes Not Enforced
Lost Business Opportunities
Bad Contracts/No Contracts
Lack of Time and Resources

Vendor Environment

Full Time
Highly Trained
Very Motivated
Information Advantage
Team Advantage
Strong Relationships
Superior Product and Service Knowledge

Relationship Dynamics

Customer Objectives
Vendor Objectives

The Solution

Total Vendor Management

Governance
Relationship Management
Managed Acquisitions

Total Vendor Management

Governance

Form Team
- Why?
- Who?
- Structure
- Responsibilities
Conduct Evaluation
- Identify standards
  - Policies—Five areas for improvement, including:
    - Onsite vendors
    - Ethical behavior
  - Procedures—Four key topics, including:
    - Change control
    - Incident escalation
    - Documents—Six categories of templates, including:
      - Deficiency letters
      - Relationship agreement
- Conduct assessments
- Determine compliance
  - Customer
  - Vendor

Improve Position
- Identify best practices
- Conduct gap analysis
- Strive for best practices
  - Create new standards
  - Revise existing standards
- Obtain management approval
Implement Standards
- Conduct internal training— an effective six-step process
- Notify vendors—Six key components
Monitor Compliance
- Vendors’
- Customer’s
- Document results
  - Compliance
  - Noncompliance
- Enforce rights and implement remedies

Relationship Management

Form Team
- Why?
- Who?
- Structure
- Responsibilities
Classify Vendors
- What?
  - Determine vendors’ impact
- Why?
  - Which vendors require management?
  - Allocate customer resources effectively
- How?
  - One-dimensional
  - Two-dimensional
  - Multidimensional
Improve Relationships
- Assess current status—Five things we must do, including:
  - Outline contractual commitments
  - Conduct satisfaction survey
  - Identify areas for improvements
- Determine future needs
  - This vendor
  - This category of vendor
- Identify relationship desired
  - Operational
  - Business
  - Strategic

- Evaluate leverage
- Create plan
- Implement plan
Develop KPIs
- What are they?
- How are they used?—Six major ways, including:
  - Eliminate/reduce excuses
  - Grade and compare vendors
- Create KPI index model—Five short steps
Assign VRMs
- VRM roles and responsibilities—Eight significant items, including:
  - Develops relationships at highest levels
  - Informs vendor of its performance
  - Conducts periodic stewardship meetings
- VRM attributes—Nine critical attributes, including:
  - Analytical
  - Diplomatic
  - Familiar with vendors’ industry
- VRM key relationships
  - Internal
  - External
- Success criteria—Six key factors, including:
  - Proven management skills
  - Experience-based assignments

- Stewardship meetings—Seven components to consider, including:
  - Purpose
  - Frequency
  - Suggested agenda
Monitor Relationships
- Establish monitoring infrastructure
- Assign responsibilities
  - KPIs
  - Governance
  - Reclassification
  - Contract management
- Audit improvement plan results
- Ensure vendor accountability
- Relationship breakdowns—Seven important issues, including:
  - Characteristics of breakdowns
  - Prevention
  - Resolution

Summary

Best Practices—Fourteen essential factors, including:

Executive Sponsorship
Cross-Functional Teams
Organizational Alignment and Support