A Cozy Stable for Outsourcing Vendor Management Professionals
Well, the day has finally come. The so-called “Mystery Vendor Manager” and primary author here at 360° Vendor Management, has formally joined forces with Horses for Sources, which this week announced its entry into the analyst industry with a unique vision and niche – Horse for Sources is the only BPO outsourcing analyst organization focused on buyers. This is great news for our readers, as you’ll get the benefit of his... [Read More...]
All Quiet for the Holidays
If it seems quiet around 360° Vendor Management, that’s because we’re off recharging our batteries for a busy 2010. We’ll return in a couple of weeks. Best wishes to our thousands of vendor management, vendor account management, and other outsourcing professions who regularly read our site and share ideas. Read More →
Outsourcing Governance and “Who Owns Supplier Performance Management?”
What the $^^@#$ is supplier performance management? Procurement? Operations? That’s exactly the discussion Tim Cummins relates in his latest discussion on relationships and vendors. Evidently, at the close of International Association for Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM), the final executive roundtable debated this issue. As Tim says, they “questioned whether it is a role that Procurement groups are equipped to perform.”... [Read More...]
Outsourcing and Vendor Governance Predictions for 2010
Well, the end of 2009 is quickly approaching. Except for the yearend rush of outsourcing vendors trying to claim a final sign-on bonus or their potential clients trying to book severance into 2009’s blood-lined financials, there’s not much left to do, but prognosticate on what 2010 will hold for vendor management and outsourcing governance teams and their offshore and onshore vendors. So, please pardon me as I share my predictions for 2010. ... [Read More...]
How Relevant Is Forrester’s 2010 Sourcing and Vendor Management Roadmap?
Will the Forrester Research 2010 Roadmap for sourcing and vendor management professionals get you to where you need to go? I’m always interested in the professional analysts’ take on sourcing and vendor management. Paid pundits who spend as much time with paying buyer customers as they do with their pandering vendors’ analyst relations teams should have an interesting look on the industry, right? For the moment, we’ll ignore... [Read More...]
Commitment Matters: Outsourcing Contracts Are Worthy of More Thought
Tim Cummins’ blog, Commitment Matters is full of fascinating ideas. What else could one expect from the founder of the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management and someone who has been in the trenches. Tim’s article on the complexity of contracting exactly relates to what I’ve seen in outsourcing: a basic legal framework with innumerable details memorialized in hundreds of pages of schedules. The schedules... [Read More...]
Offshore Outsourcing Vendor Governance Organizations
Does Your Offshore Outsourcing Governance Organization Design Support Your Organizational Objectives? So, I’ve definitely been stirring the pot over the last few weeks. I’ve exposed the errors in the much celebrated Black Book of Outsourcing, shown that the business of outsourcing certification is big business, and explained why vendor management organizations are a bad idea. This much skepticism could be a bit karmically unhealthy,... [Read More...]
The Horse’s Forecast for Outsourcing in 2010
While there is no way Phil Fersht, the leading BPO analyst-turned-vendor, is correct about England winning the 2010 World Cup, there is a good chance many of his other thoughts could come true in 2010. Read his predictions for the outsourcing industry here. There are over a dozen comments on analysis, so the conversation is indeed interesting. Right from the horse’s mouth, as one would say. Read More →
Vendor Management Organizations Are a Bad Design
Does Your Vendor Management Organization's Design Serve the Enterprise? For some, vendor management organizations are a silver bullet that solve all problems. For others, vendor management organizations are the source of internal strife. Bottom line, for many organizations, they are a terrible solution. They hoard decision-making ability, distance ownership of execution and delivery from stakeholders, and focus on narrow contractual goals... [Read More...]
The Business of Outsourcing Certifications
Outsourcing Education is a Big Business It is highly likely that you’ve sought professional development to improve your vendor management and outsourcing management skills. There are very, very few resources available to vendor management and outsourcing professionals. As a result, you’ve probably encountered a few companies out there that specialize in training for vendor management professions. Have you noticed the pricing? Developing... [Read More...]
