Hiring an IT procurement consultant to run your IT selection processes can be incredibly advantageous for several reasons. This blog article looks at eight reasons to hire an IT procurement consultant for your next IT purchase. How do we know these are great benefits? Viewpoint Analysis acts as a Technology Matchmaker, and one key element of what we do is to help business leaders find and select enterprise technology. Therefore, in this respect, we are an IT procurement consultant and help businesses of all sizes to find the right technology to meet their needs.
1 - Expert Knowledge and Experience
Many people tasked with finding and selecting a new piece of enterprise technology have limited to no experience in doing so. They may be experts in their specific department or field, but have little knowledge of the IT marketplace and limited experience working with the major IT vendors. Hiring an IT procurement consultant can provide them with the peace of mind that comes with professional guidance.
Hiring an IT procurement consultant brings all of this knowledge and experience in-house, and it can be an absolute game-changer, ensuring that the team knows who to include in the selection process, how to run it efficiently, and all the tips and tricks of the trade. For example, at Viewpoint Analysis, we have not only run many selection processes, but have worked in sales for some of the most prominent and most well-known IT vendors in the world - so we know both sides of the coin - a big advantage!
2 - Helping Ensure Your Key Partners Engage
A key reason for bringing in an IT consultant is to ensure you get the best out of the vendors in that market. If you know how they work, what makes them tick, and how they respond to processes, you can ensure that all the key vendors are open to working with you.
There are some elementary errors to avoid (e.g. issuing a deep and detailed RFP and not calling before sending it to them - but there are many more!) that a seasoned IT procurement consultant will instinctively know. Without this essential knowledge, it is easy to lose half of the potential market and see them qualify out of the process.
3 - Time Savings
It is easy to spend months and months buying new enterprise software or services—a trap that many companies fall into. Having a skilled and experienced IT procurement consultant will almost certainly save a significant proportion of this time, as they know what to do and how to run a process for success and speed.
A good case is the Rapid RFP (and Rapid RFI) process we run at Viewpoint Analysis. We have decades of experience and created a process that drastically reduces the time it takes to make a vendor selection decision. The quicker this happens, the sooner the team can deploy the technology in anger.
4 - IT Procurement Cost Savings
The amount of time saved is linked to the amount of cost saved. IT procurement consultants charge different rates. For Viewpoint Analysis, all our services are packaged, starting at just £7,500 (or £12,500 for a Rapid RFP) - a tiny proportion of what it would cost an internal employee to do.
Other cost savings will go further still. For example, an IT Procurement Consultant should save you money by:
Brokering a better financial deal from the technology investment as they have worked in this area and maybe with this vendor before.
They are trained in critical negotiation skills.
The time saved in the process will equate to multiple times the cost of the consulting rates.
5 - Improved Vendor Relationships
Running a swift and professional selection process can be worth its weight in gold regarding vendor relationships. As mentioned, it's crucial to ensure that vendors stay the course and are motivated to work with the buying team. However, it's essential to ensure that the chosen vendor has a steady relationship with us and is motivated to work with us post-sale. So many inexperienced IT procurement teams miss this - they treat the vendors with less respect than they should - leading to a lack of trust and a crumbling relationship. So many inexperienced IT procurement teams miss this—they treat the vendors with less respect than they should and face the consequences down the line.
6 - Avoiding Traps and Pitfalls
An experienced IT procurement consultant will have a sixth sense—they should know what's coming up, what to expect, and what to avoid—all aspects that might trip up the uninitiated. This really is a potential super-power.
7 - A Trusted Third-Party
The IT procurement consultant is a third party by nature. Although they are clearly acting on behalf of the company buying the technology, they are not employed by them. This is a real advantage to both the buying team and the vendor community. The consultant should be trusted by both parties and, if doing their job well, will be a trusted sounding board for both.
When negotiations falter or when the implementation is perhaps not going as well as it should, having this third party to communicate and mediate can be tremendously valuable for both sides.
8 - Coordinating The team
A good IT procurement consultant should be an outstanding coordinator of the buying group. They are responsible for ensuring that the process is followed and that a winning bidder is found. As such, they will bring together the team at the right time and place and ensure that the process is followed promptly.
Conclusion
Hiring an IT procurement consultant can be incredibly advantageous for your business. From leveraging expert knowledge and experience to ensuring key partners engage effectively, the benefits are substantial. A consultant can save you significant time and costs, improve vendor relationships, and help you avoid common traps and pitfalls. They act as a trusted third party, facilitating smooth communication and coordination among your team and vendors. With their expertise, you can streamline your IT procurement process, ensuring a successful and efficient selection of the best technology solutions for your organization. By partnering with an IT procurement consultant like Viewpoint Analysis, you can confidently navigate the complex IT marketplace and achieve your business goals.
Additional Considerations
While the eight reasons listed provide a comprehensive overview of the benefits of hiring an IT procurement consultant, you might also consider these additional aspects:
9 - Scalability and Flexibility An IT procurement consultant can provide scalable solutions that grow with your business. They offer flexible services tailored to your needs, whether you're a small business or a large enterprise.
10 - Post-Procurement Support The role of an IT procurement consultant doesn't end with the purchase. They often provide post-procurement support, ensuring that the implementation goes smoothly and that any issues are promptly addressed.
11 - Specialized Industry Knowledge Different industries have unique IT requirements. A consultant with specialized industry knowledge can provide insights and solutions that are specifically tailored to your sector, ensuring optimal performance and compliance.
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If you would like to know more about how Viewpoint Analysis helps customers with IT procurement, take a look at our Finding Technology area and the different parts of our procurement approach:
⭐ Technology Innovation Series - where we bring a range of vendors, service providers and industry voices to deliver insight and ideas.
⭐ Technology Matchmaker - the first step in a technology selection process as we bring different technology providers to address your needs in our version of an initial market assessment.
⭐ Rapid RFP - the quickest vendor selection process ever - quickly select your chosen vendor from your shortlist of options.
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