Develop Your Skills in Commercial Management for IT Leaders
Most managers we work with are responsible for significant IT budgets and managing contracts. All the more reason to understand how to get the most out of vendors. On the final day of your IT management training course, we look at some key IT management topics such as IT sourcing strategy (in-sourcing and outsourcing), the art of negotiation and making good commercial decisions. Given that our poll of IT managers suggest that fewer than 20% have had any formal negotiation training, the business benefit from this day alone, are highly compelling.
We also look in outline at IT contracts. The intent is to highlight the important components that you need to set up to get the most from your contracts. Looking at IT contracts from the IT manager’s point of view, as it were. Then you can let your legal and procurement teams deliver what will be a more successful outcome.
Commercial Management Course
This module covers the following topics:
Commercial acumen
This module provides a short but highly valuable overview of some key commercial techniques that will make significant difference to the successful delivery and operation of IT services.
- Making good decisions
- Avoiding supplier pitfalls
- Choosing good technology partners
- Creating a culture of partnership
- Harnessing vendor innovation
Essentials of IT contracts
An overview of the different types of IT contract to provide guidance for legal representatives to deliver good IT outcomes.
- Contract guidelines for successful IT
- Getting what you want from your legal team
- Designing contract flexibility
- Managing IT contract portfolios
IT negotiation strategy
IT managers are often negotiating high-value contracts and yet, shockingly, our research has found that less than 20% of IT managers have had any training in this area. The skills developed on day 5 have been shown to offer massive benefits to IT organizations.
- Creating a negotiation strategy
- Rational supporting arguments
- Agreeing final positions and BATNA
- Negotiating as a team
- Delivering better negotiated outcomes
- Negotiation role plays and case studies
Click to find out more about dates for our IT Management courses.
If you are interested in this topic, why not request a complementary download of the chapter on “Commercial acumen” from “Excellent IT Management” by David McKean, published 2014 – the one on which the course is based.
Commercial acumen – our recommended books
If you are interested in some further information, here are some of our favourite references. Let us know if you have any papers or books on these subjects you could recommend.
‘Gavin Kennedy. Everything’s Negotiable. Cornerstone Digital, 2010
A highly readable book on negotiation. Each chapter has an interesting set of negotiation questions to test your knowledge. It has been in and out of print, but if you can find a second hand copy, it is well worth a read.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In, Fisher and Ury with Bruce Patton
A classic book on negotiation techniques.
The Vested Outsourcing Manual. Palgrave Macmillan, Kate Vitasek
A guide for creating successful business and outsourcing agreements.
Drafting and Negotiating IT Contracts, Paul Klinger and Rachael Burnett. Bloomsbury Professional, 2013.
A readable book (given it is about IT contracts!) with extensive practical guidelines.