Best Practices: Sourcing Telecommunications Services In Asia Pacific

Sourcing and vendor management (SVM) professionals in Asia Pacific who are responsible for telecom and mobility (T&M) services at their organizations face three main challenges: lower than expected cost savings from key suppliers; poor or inconsistent service quality in different regions; and a lack of flexibility in contracting and pricing. These challenges are not limited to the region; they're broadly consistent with the responses to our global Forrsights Networks And Telecommunications Survey, Q1 2013. Organizations everywhere need to address these challenges throughout the T&M service contract life cycle — from the request for proposal (RFP) process to contract negotiations and all the way through to service and provider performance reviews. But sourcing T&M services in Asia Pacific doesn't just require a centrally governed contract for evaluating and comparing suppliers' overall capabilities and those of the technical solutions offered — organizations also need to balance service levels with service costs and the provider's demonstrated commitment to flexibility and innovation.