Traditionally, large organizations have their procurement department manage the sourcing and contracting process on behalf of the IT stakeholders, who have already identified the technology requirements and the potential IT vendors. After contract execution, IT then takes ownership of implementation and day-to-day operations. Actual “IT vendor management” is then typically performed sporadically only as issues arise and then only as time permits. When critical IT vendor relationships are unmanaged the door is left open for a number of potential vendor issues and risks, including:
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Missed opportunities to leverage spend
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Unclear terms and conditions and unfair penalties
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Duplicate IT services being provided by the same vendor or multiple vendors
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Uncontrolled IT price increases or off-contract rates
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Non-compliance findings during audits
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Paying for decommissioned services
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Performance and support falling below contracted terms and SLAs
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Non-continuity of operations as critical applications fail
If a large organization experiences these types of vendor issues and risks then just imagine the number of issues and risks for small to medium size organizations. Whether you are Large, Medium or Small this is where the Ascension Vendor Management Service will bridge the gap. We provide the following services as a Monthly Fixed Fee to be determined by the level of management your organization requires:
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Define the IT Vendor Management strategy and objectives needed for your organization
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Define IT Vendor Management roles & responsibilities Ascension will fulfill
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Outline and Deliver an IT Vendor Management lifecycle
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Segment your IT Vendors to allow for right-sized management and identify overlapping areas
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Provide Vendor Management Tracking
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Set & Report on IT Vendor Performance Management (Metrics, KPIs, SLAs, Scorecards)
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Identify and eliminate specific IT Vendor RisksM
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Manage Organization Project with Vendors - outline schedule and dependencies