IT Service Mediation: How a Trusted Third Party Can Help Rescue Failing IT Relationships

It's easy to assume that when a software solution or IT service isn't working well, the answer is to replace it. But in many cases, the problem isn’t the technology - it’s the relationship. As a Technology Matchmaker, we help businesses to find and select enterprise technology, and while we are an advocate of running super-quick RFI and RFP processes, we are also really supportive of ensuring that relationships are repaired before the need to run any vendor selection project.

IT service mediation is a smarter, faster, and far more cost-effective route to resolution. It's the focal point of our IT Service Improvement package. If you haven't tried a mediated approach, here's what you need to know.

When IT Service Relationships Go Wrong

Whether it’s poor communication, missed service levels, or slow response times, many businesses experience friction with their IT vendors. Sometimes, it’s a gradual erosion of trust. Other times, it’s a more sudden break - a major incident, a failed update, or repeated customer support issues. When the relationship breaks down, escalation paths become exhausted, accountability blurs, and frustrations build on both sides. The knee-jerk reaction is to rip and replace.

The Case for Fixing, Not Replacing

Switching vendors may feel like a clean break, but the true cost of replacement runs deep. You've already invested time, effort, and budget building a shared understanding - from bespoke workflows and integrations to stakeholder relationships and service rhythms. Replacing a vendor often means starting from scratch: selecting new software, running procurement processes, onboarding new teams, retraining users, migrating data, and enduring a learning curve that delays value. The costs can be six or even seven figures once everything is considered - and that's assuming the new partner performs better. If the core technology still fits, it often makes far more business sense to repair the relationship than rebuild the ecosystem.

What Is IT Service Mediation?

IT Service Mediation is a structured, impartial process where a trusted third party works with both the customer and the vendor to identify the root causes of dissatisfaction, rebuild trust, and develop a joint path forward - often called a 'get well plan'. At Viewpoint Analysis, we specialise in helping organisations and their software or service providers overcome friction - it's part of the reason we describe ourselves as 'Technology Matchmakers'!

Our Service Improvement offering is designed to:

• Diagnose the problem: We listen to both sides, review service performance, and pinpoint the key issues - whether technical, procedural, or cultural.

• Facilitate the conversation: Acting as a neutral facilitator, we help both sides speak openly, without blame or defensiveness.

• Build a practical improvement plan: We develop an agreed, time-bound get-well plan that includes accountability, timelines, and measures of success.

• Support change: We stay involved (if needed) to ensure the plan is working and course-correct if things don’t improve quickly enough.

  
  

Why Use a Third-Party Mediator?

Internal escalation processes and vendor account teams can only take you so far. When trust breaks down, it often takes an external voice - someone with no political agenda - to cut through the noise.

When we run IT Service Mediation, we bring something rather unusual - we've been on the vendor side, and we've been on the buyer side. It's this middle ground that enables us to have frank and honest conversations with both parties without an axe to grind.

A third-party:

• Brings fresh eyes to complex service challenges.

• Creates a safe space for honest feedback.

• Helps vendors hear what they need to improve - and vice versa.

• Focuses everyone on outcomes, not blame.

• Can speak honestly about what they have uncovered - with no bias for either party.

Most importantly, we work fast, often helping both sides achieve clarity and direction in just a few short sessions.

A Smarter Alternative to Vendor Replacement

Many clients come to us considering a major change: moving to a new software vendor, re-tendering a managed service, or switching providers entirely. But our experience shows that these drastic steps are often avoidable. In fact, rescuing a strained IT relationship is usually faster, cheaper, and more sustainable than starting over. Especially when the underlying technology is sound, and the problem lies in delivery, communication, or engagement. It's why we help IT vendors to rescue critical customer relationships as regularly as we help customers to resolve supplier issues.

When to Consider IT Service Mediation

You might benefit from a third-party service improvement plan if:

• You're frustrated with your IT vendor but not ready to switch.

• Escalations and complaints aren’t resolving the issues.

• There's a risk of churn or renewal failure.

• You're under pressure to improve service levels quickly.

• There's disagreement internally about whether the vendor can improve.

• The other party's reputation is almost irretrievable - but still has some hope.

  
  

The Viewpoint Analysis Approach

We don’t take sides - we solve problems. Our role is to help both the customer and vendor win by building better working relationships, improving delivery, and restoring confidence.

Whether it’s a software provider, managed service provider, or cloud vendor, our service improvement framework is built to work in real-world enterprise environments - fast, focused, and outcome-driven.

Let's Talk

If you're at a crossroads with your IT vendor OR if you are a vendor and know that the writing is on the wall, don’t default to starting over. Start with a conversation. Viewpoint Analysis can help you take a clear, objective look at the relationship and explore whether service mediation could save time, money, and disruption.

Explore our Service Improvement approach or get in touch to discuss your situation in confidence.