Treat them like partners (not vendors) and allow them to evolve and grow with you by only earning follow-on engagements once they’ve successfully delivered “easier” foundation projects. No partner is fully equiped to go from 0-100mph in their first engagement with you. Let them earn credibility the hard way, through successful delivery. That’s how ALL meaningful and enduring partnerships develop in business. Vendor partnerships are no different.

Key aspect to look for are 1) Continues Collaboration: Maintain regular communication to align with evolving IT Vision 2)Agility & Flexibility: Choose vendors who can quickly adapt to new requirements at speed. 3)Adaptability & Innovation: Partner who brings cutting-edge solutions to drive transformation. Example GenAi in today’s scenarios

The key is to move beyond vendor relationships and build true partnerships. A strong partnership means your vendors share your vision and have a vested interest in your success. Regularly engage them in strategic discussions, inviting their insights and expertise to co-create solutions. Encourage them to invest in your goals, whether by adopting innovative technologies or aligning their capabilities with your long-term objectives. Highlight shared accountability and "reward" vendors who go above and beyond to support your evolution. Partnerships thrive on mutual commitment, and by fostering this mindset, you ensure your vendors become trusted allies in driving your IT strategy forward.

We ensure vendors keep up with our evolving IT strategy by maintaining clear communication, setting regular review meetings, aligning contracts with adaptive requirements, and leveraging performance metrics to ensure their solutions remain relevant and future-ready.

What is your IT service model ? A complete dependence (submission) on vendor (or) you have a solid team internally who can guide them with a lot of inputs. This strongly decides how much you can control. It is not practical to ask vendors to follow your inputs in markets like Japan. Best approach will be to embrace what works mutually between vendor and the customer. A vendor is engaged to do the work for all good reasons (knowledge, scalable capacity, cost), the moment you expect them to follow your (theoretical) work model, things fall apart or at least lowers overall efficiency. Alternatively, it is good to define boundaries how much to insource vs outsource

Ens that your vendors keep pace with your organization’s evolving IT strategy involves several key steps: - Vendor Assessment and Selection: Carefully assess and select vendors based on their ability to support your future needs. - Performance Metrics and SLAs: Establish measurable performance metrics and service-level agreements (SLAs) to ensure vendors meet your quality and service standards. - Regular Reviews and Feedback: Hold periodic review meetings to discuss performance, address any issues, and refine strategies. - Adaptability and Flexibility: Choose vendors that demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to adapt to changes in technology or strategy. - Long-term Contracts with Exit Clauses While.

-Quarterly reviews with vendors -Shared goals with vendors -When your goal adjust communicate -We like Objective Key Results to keep everyone on the same page.

Always and everything begins with good communication. 1. Establish clear and frequent communication channels with your vendors. 2. Share strategic changes clearly with all partners. 3. Include clauses in contracts that allow for adjustments as the IT strategy evolves. 4. Involve partners in strategic discussions and jointly plan the future of the collaboration.

* Build Strong Relationships: Foster trust, maintain open communication, and collaborate on problem-solving. * Leverage Technology: Utilize vendor management software and shared collaboration tools to streamline processes and improve efficiency. * Incentivize Alignment: Offer performance-based incentives and involve vendors in early adopter programs to motivate them. * Continuously Evaluate and Improve: Conduct regular performance reviews, gather feedback, and identify areas for improvement. * Establish a Vendor Advisory Council: Create a forum for discussions, strategic alignment, and collaborative decision-making.