Why ignoring the matter of intellectual property may come back to bite you. Intellectual property can sound like an esoteric subject and one that mos people manage happily to ignore most of the time. But it has some big implications. In days of old, capital appeared to rule. Big companies owned big things and lots…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Just when multi-supplier (also known as SIAM) contracting is starting to get under control, DevOps emerges. This article looks at the interaction of the two for the design of retained and sourced IT operations. The implications for service contracts are profound and largely un-tested. The pages of management journals have been liberally sprinkled with fads…
The concept of “capability” has long been used in strategic analysis to establish defensible leadership. What are the capabilities that leading service providers and customers are establishing? How do you assess the difference between hype and substance? The bar of acceptable performance has always risen over time. Right now, the rate of change seems to…
In this article, we look at common failings on the part of suppliers and steps which they can take to avoid them.
Common failings on the part of customers in IT project delivery and steps which they can take to avoid them.
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…