The connection is changing between buyers and providers of IT:

• The CIO is no longer a technology buyer. Rather s/he is a business buyer of IT.
• The relationship between the two organizations has become as important as the product or service being purchased.

There is a growing recognition that applications enable business processes, and these are in turn supported by infrastructure. To achieve the most from IT investments, there needs to be a common understanding of objectives, within the client and with the provider.

We come to the table with IT options to deliver your business needs. We begin with a foundation that uses your current environment as a base, and will then propose alternatives depending on your approach to risk, security, the environment, etc.

We bring a knowledge of, and insight into, technology, of delivery mechanisms and models, and of IT's transformative power. Together we develop an intimacy that engenders innovation, agility and flexibility.

We call this Collaborative Contracting. The discussions that we begin now, that lead through solution development, into negotiations and then delivery are a continuum. During development, benefits include

• Shorter, cooperative negotiations
• Lower cost-of-buying and aligned objectives, goals/solutions that are clearly understood, realistic and attainable
• A balance of commercial and legal positions resulting in equitable contracts

When delivery begins, Collaborative Contracting results in

• Mutual respect
• Enhanced quality
• Governance models based on proper focus and balance supporting BOTH parties' objectives
• A proactive focus on issue identification, prompt resolution and open communication.

Most important, it enables a discussion about both Service Levels and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It the KPIs that the IT department can use to directly link its IT investments to its business processes and therefore to value creation.

Contact us to learn more.