How To Boost The Sourcing Group's Influence In The Software Buying Process

How do you secure a good deal with a large software vendor when you only have four weeks to raise the purchase order (PO)? The answer: By not letting your colleagues put you in that position. Sourcing executives today often struggle to negotiate effective software contracts with little notice or support from the ultimate contract owners. Forrester's survey of IT buyers reveals that most want to get more influence earlier in the software selection process, but don't know how to make that happen. Yet many of their peers have persuaded their colleagues to implement a formal sourcing process in which commercial decision criteria play an appropriate role. Smart sourcing teams will get strategic in 2010 by building relationships with a few key stakeholders, marketing their successes, and having the courage to say "No" to any colleagues giving unrealistic deadlines to close complex deals.