The document discusses the impact of vendor performance on enterprise telecom environments, highlighting key management trends. It emphasizes that positive vendor interactions boost efficiency, while negative performance can hinder productivity and revenue. AOTMP provides research and solutions to improve vendor management practices, aiming to transform telecom from an expense to a strategic asset.

1. SCOTT LAWRENCE
Vice President and
Senior Research Analyst
AOTMP Research Practice
WRITTEN BY:
Enterprise
Vendor-
Management
Trends
EXCERPT
KELLY TEAL
Editor-in-Chief
AOTMP Research Practice

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REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Assessing the Top 3 Vendor-Management Trends 5
Ways to Improve Vendor Management 6
Conclusion 7
About the Authors 8
About AOTMP 9

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Telecom, IT and mobility vendor performance significantly impacts the productivity
and efficiency of an enterprise telecom environment and, as a result, the business.
How enterprises manage these vendors, ensuring expectations and performance
levels are met, is critical. This report from AOTMP’s Enterprise Telecom
Environments Research Practice explores key trends influencing vendor
management practices within the enterprise. The vendor types addressed include:
Services
Carriers/Operators
Equipment/Device Manufacturers
Software
Systems Integrator/VAR
Positive interactions with the above types of vendors serve as catalysts for greater
efficiency and business results. Negative vendor performance hinders a telecom
management practice’s ability to achieve optimal results. On the next page, find
both positive and negative
examples of how vendor
performance impacts the
environment.
INTRODUCTION
Positive
interactions
with vendors
serve as catalysts for
greater efficiency and
business results.

4. 4 © 2018 AOTMP®
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Positive
• When carriers/operators provide consistent, reliable network service, they
help organizations maintain business operations and keep staff
productive
• When EMM vendors consistently and effectively identify optimization
opportunities, it eliminates the potential for organizations to pay for
unused services
• When ITSM vendors provide reliable, stable software, organizations
process and resolve incident tickets more effectively
Negative
• When TEM vendors fail to meet invoice processing and payment
requirements, enterprises incur late payment charges
• When carrier/operator network service is unreliable, organizations
become unproductive and inefficient while losing out on revenue
generating opportunities
• When systems integrators fail to design and maintain an effective
network for the enterprise, network performance degrades and
enterprise efficiency declines
With that in mind, AOTMP Research has analyzed the top vendor management
trends; this includes insight into how enterprises and vendors can improve the
vendor management dynamic. The remainder of this report explores those issues
and offers guidance. Refer to page 2 to learn how to access the full publication, and
all other AOTMP research.

5. 5 © 2018 AOTMP®
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
SCOTT LAWRENCE
Vice President & Senior Research Analyst
AOTMP Research Practice
Scott Lawrence leads the business analytics team as
part of AOTMP’s Efficiency First®
Engine and helps
organizations understand trends and performance in
their fixed and mobile telecom environments relative
to industry peers. He also serves as subject matter
expert, and consultant for both enterprises and
vendors in the industry.
KELLY TEAL
Editor-in-Chief
AOTMP Research Practice
Kelly Teal is a longtime editor and journalist who has
covered telecom since 2003, minus a brief divergence
into health care. She also has served as a reporter for
The Associated Press and an NPR affiliate.

6. 6 © 2018 AOTMP®
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANALYST PERSPECTIVE
ABOUT AOTMP
TELECOM MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES AND INDUSTRY STANDARDS
ABOUT AOTMP RESEARCH
AOTMP research is supported through data collected from a variety of sources including, but not limited to general
research surveys, conference and event polling and AOTMP client engagements. AOTMP’s data point contributors
include more than 100,000 IT, telecom and business professionals, supporting domestic and international
enterprises and industry vendors. Data points contributing to research are carefully analyzed using advanced
statistical methods. Research findings are confirmed through test/retest validity methodology and, therefore, paint
an accurate picture of the industry. The clarity and detail of AOTMP research is unmatched in the practice of telecom
environment management, and AOTMP expertise translates analysis into actionable findings representative of the
industry and all related industry segments.
ABOUT AOTMP
AOTMP is a global information, research and advisory firm for telecom management best practices and industry
standards for organizations and the vendors who support them. Using information and data points from thousands
of telecom environments worldwide, AOTMP solutions help enterprises drive performance, efficiency and
productivity while significantly reducing costs; and help telecom vendors provide a new level of value to their
customers. AOTMP’s patented Efficiency First®
Framework brings balance to the telecom management ecosystem,
resulting in vendors positively impacting the telecom environment and the telecom environment being better
leveraged to drive business results.
Adoption of the Efficiency First®
Framework through AOTMP solutions allows organizations to evolve their telecom
environment to a new level of performance far beyond existing auditing, telecom expense management or mobility
management programs. Sustainable short-term impact and long-term results are created that transform the
environment, once viewed as an operating expense, to a strategic asset leveraged to drive business results. Solutions
include training and certification programs, telecom management information portal, research and advisory,
performance scoring and analytics, events and conferences, and other service solutions.
Business and performance results are measured and monitored far beyond cost savings and compared with best-in-
class environments. The Efficiency First®
Performance Index, which is the new standard for measuring telecom
environment performance, establishes ratings for team, business and vendor performance as well as efficiency
ratings and key performance indicators (KPIs). Gaps are continually analyzed as the environment, the professionals
within the environment and their vendors drive towards certification status. Certifications indicate quality, efficiency,
performance and value to stakeholders, customers and the individuals who support the environment.
AOTMP’s clients represent $24+ billion in annual telecom spend and include 100+ of the Fortune 500, small and
medium businesses, public sector organizations and industry suppliers. For more information, visit aotmp.com.
Learn More About AOTMP’s
Telecom Management Research &
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