2. Introduction
• Grandville, Michigan
• B.Ed and M.Ed from Western Michigan University
• Teacher, Business and Technology, Grand Haven
Schools
• Director of Instructional Technology, Grand Haven
Schools
• Information Technology Manager, City of Grand
Rapids
3. City of GR IT- 50,000 ft. View
• Made an Intentional Move to be Strategic,
Sustainable and Industry Aligned.
• “How do you retain resources and how do you ensure
you have the right resources as technology changes?”
• Partnered with Dewpoint as an ITaaS solution
provider.
• Modernized our “Stack”
• Found 34% savings through efficiency and
modernization.
4.
5. Relationship
re-la-tion-ship
noun
• the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected, or the state of
being connected
• the way in which two or more people or organizations regard and behave toward each
other.
Vendor Relationship Management
Vendor Customer/Client
Deliverable Expectation
10. • Can’t be demanded. Must be earned.
• Committed to on Both Sides.
• Define an SLA
#1- TRUST
11. • You are only as good as your last _________.
• Avoid Drama.
• Identify Friends.
• Identify Strategic Internal Relationships.
#2- Help Your Vendor Navigate the Organization
12.
13.
14. • Passive Aggressive Behaviors Can Erode a Relationship
• Address Conflict
• Seek Resolution
• Strategize Together
• Bring Each Other into the Strategic Thinking
• Give Good Strategy Over Easy Sales
#3- Open Communication
15. • There Can Be Mutual Benefit From Negotiation
• Avoid Short Term Thinking
• Look to Share Risk
#4- Seek Win Win Negotiations
16. • Balance
• Avoid Short Term Mindsets
• Bring a Sharp Pencil at RFP Time
#5- Be Loyal But Encourage Competition
17. In Summary
1. Build Trust
2. Help Them Navigate Your Organization
3. Open Communication and Strategize Together
4. Seek Win-Win Negotiations
5. Be Loyal but Encourage Competition
19. THANK YOU!
Douglas M. Start
Information Technology Manager
City of Grand Rapids
Email: dstart@grcity.us
www.linkedin.com/in/douglasmstart
Editor's Notes
IMPACT. Strategic relationships will have a greater impact on your business because it will involve developing a relationship that involves strategizing together, understanding each other’s business and goals, and creating a deeper win win scenario.
The City of Grand Rapids ITaaS model took our most valuable internal service, day to day IT, and entrusted it to a vendor, Dewpoint. This is a high risk, but also a high reward relationship. We have to be prepared to help guide our vendor as well as hold them to expectation. No one is saying that successful strategic relationships means you cant hold your vendors to the fire, but it also means not necessarily keeping them held in the fire or throwing them in the fire. It’s a game of my job your job. Your job, vendor, is to meet the expectation set forth in the SLA, and it is my job, client, to set a clear expectation and to hold them close to the fire but not let them get burned. When I say burned I mean drama. We will talk more about this in a minute.
Like I said. This dance has more soul. You need to feel your way around here. I was thinking I would leave you with a step by step guide, but how do you step by step something that needs to be developed and cultivated. So I have identified, in my mind, 5 tips to help develop these strategic relationships.