Myth #3: Online Research To Choose Vendors/Solutions Is Sufficient – Part #5 (Lesson 13)
Choosing a supplier is easy, but choosing the right one remains hard
However straightforward things may appear on the surface, choosing the right system is still not an easy process. It never has been, and it never will be.
As an executive, you may have certain expectations and assumptions about the methods, discipline, and mindset that go into choosing a supplier.
It is imperative that you understand how your team is setting your transformation projects up for success from the buying stage. This involves defining the criteria by which the buying team will:
- Assemble the longlist of candidate suppliers.
- Then thin that down to a shortlist.
- Then make the final selection.
Choosing the right supplier depends upon looking in the right places, at the right stage, to the right depth of analysis.
Some questions to ask yourself about how you choose your supplier
Are you certain that there are no biases in your process – or buying team – that may compromise the due diligence performed, and ultimately lead to selecting a sub-optimal solution?
Do you know that the supplier relationship for your project is being established such that they work with you to achieve your own Guaranteed Project OutcomesTM?
Will the supplier do the project ‘to you’ or ‘with you’? Will they work together with you as one single team with a unified vision?
Are their goals and desired outcomes aligned to your goals and desired outcomes – or might they be in conflict? Remember: just because a supplier agrees to do a project, it does not mean that they are ‘on your side’!
How much weight do you attach to qualifications and accreditations? How about case studies and reference sites? What about lists of successful implementations at other companies?
How does your buyer selection process stack up?
How much relevant expertise do you have in your organisation to help ensure your digital transformation project is set up for success at the buying stage?
And how much do you – and your supplier selection team – depend on search engine results?