Course overview

More and more companies are outsourcing IT services to one or more service providers. Although the organizational design of the outsourcing is well prepared, problems often arise after having signed the contract: Either the provider does not adhere to specifications, or goals that have already been agreed upon are not implemented as desired. In most cases, it turns out that “soft” factors play a decisive role in successfully managing service providers. In our experience, cooperation with service providers should be managed in targeted manner at both the technical and the interpersonal level. In addition to organizational aspects, this includes in particular the development of a cooperative relationship that makes it possible to avoid conflicts with the service provider in advance, or to resolve them quickly and constructively if necessary. The provider manager plays a central role here: He pulls all the strings when it comes to effectively and successfully managing the factual and relationship levels of the collaboration.

Your Benefits of the seminar Practice of IT Vendor Management

… you will get

• relationship management, expectation management, and conflict management skills to effectively and successfully manage service providers in all phases of IT provider management,
• practical tips that can be applied immediately,

… you will learn

• methods and tools for a goal- and solution-oriented discussion with a service provider,
• moderation techniques to lead meetings in challenging operational situations,
• conflict resolution approaches for practical win-win solutions.

Who should attend

• Vendor Managers, Service Managers, IT Operations Managers, IT Managers, further employees involved in IT Vendor Management

Course details

• Basics/prerequisites on the organizational and technical level:
• Agreements in the contract, committees, roles & responsibilities, processes, tools.
• Key task areas during the operational phase: risk management, performance management, change & claim management
• Developing an effective collaborative relationship in four phases:
• 1. forming (expectation management): mission, expectations and goals in the collaboration based on the existing contract.
• 2. storming (relationship and conflict management): working out win-win solutions in the event of conflict.
• 3. norming (expectation management): review of mutual expectations and development of concrete change measures.
• 4. performing: lessons learned on the functional and relationship level.

The seminar offers learning by doing through many practical exercises. Discussing on-job situations of the participants is possible and desired!