Many IT directors feel that suppliers only want to sell
products to meet sales targets, without thought to whether what
they have sold is a good fit for the business.
So it is interesting that some firms are seeking to develop
closer links with their key suppliers along the lines of the
partnerships described in the article
How to build a strategic relationship. These strategic
partnerships aim to move beyond a purely transactional relationship
to one where both supplier and user have something to gain - and
something to lose if it fails.
A strategic partnership can free the IT chief from having to
deal with hundreds of different suppliers. For example, Halfords'
Brian Scott has seen the benefits of his decision to deal with only
a handful of key companies on whom he can focus his management
time. This has given the suppliers a better understanding of
Halfords' IT requirements, enabling them to improve the service and
products they provide.
For this approach to work, the supplier must benefit too. BT
Global Services' international footprint was boosted in 2002 when
it signed up Unilever in a strategic partnership. The international
consumer goods firm gave BT people and business in areas of the
world where it did not have a strong presence.
A strategic partnership should always be a win-win situation,
but it can only succeed if the relationship is built on trust.
Unfortunately, the intangible nature of trust makes it something
that more measurement-oriented IT chiefs do not feel immediately
drawn to.
They should make the effort. Service level agreements are all
very well, but they will never be more than a contractual baseline.
Only mutual interest and respect can generate real profits for both
partners.
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