A Stitch in Time: recovering distressed IT projects
What can you do to recover a broken IT relationship and recover an operational service?
Managing failing IT and outsourcing projects
In a companion piece to their recent article on the reasons for IT project failure, Lee Gluyas and William Hooper review the steps that can be taken to protect a position where a project is failing but recovery is being attempted. IT projects can be lengthy and complex, especially where they are part of a…
Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and Outsourcing
Outsourcing contracts have long contained intellectual property clauses. How do old abuses and recent changes in technology and business influence these and what the parties should be interested in? Intellectual property (IP) has long been a difficult subject. Many have found to their cost that their rights differ from what they expect. The timing of…
Of Exit and Brexit
Outsourcing agreements come to an end, just as do some political treaties. What can those steering the perils of partition learn from each other? There are few experiences as visceral as the turmoil of politics. As a British citizen, I have taken my part and cast my vote on 23rd June, 2016. The comparison of…
Getting Multiple Suppliers to Work Together
Multi-supplier service is all the rage, together with its linking agent Service Integration and Management (SIAM). Wonderful in theory. How does one practically get multiple parties to collaborate towards a common end? It was recognised early in the development of multi-supplier models that there needed to be a unifying agent. A great deal of time…
Asking the Right Questions
The formation of a good sourcing agreement relies on clear thinking and agreement between the parties on what is to be done, why and how. The market and technology are changing so rapidly that the next agreement is likely to bear little resemblance to the last. How to make sure we ask the right questions…
Trust, Betrayal and Business Relationships
Outsource agreements typically have long durations and high switching costs. Some fail; some drive innovation and soar; most get by. What is the role of trust in such a service and what can you do to obtain the best value? Volkswagen is being pilloried world-wide for deliberately deceiving customers and the public in diesel engine…
Whose fault is it Anyway? Why IT Projects Fail (Part 2: The Supplier’s Fault)
In this article, we look at common failings on the part of suppliers and steps which they can take to avoid them.
The Mathematician and the Music Maker
There are many models by which a service may be priced and a deal constructed. Whatever the approach used, there are considerations that both of the parties should weigh before they agree. What is likely to be going on and how can you obtain the best outcome? During the process of engagement between customer and…
A Healthy Influence
Success in delivering change is dependent upon the ability of project managers and others to wield influence, build support and overcome resistance. Services, projects and companies are social entities supported by human endeavour. Personal agendas and relationships shape their functions. Project managers can engage to advantage, or ignore social influence at their peril. A new…