IBM Mid range Computing Category Procurement Intelligence Report

IT Management and Change market around the world is undergoing rapid transitions that have a massive potential to influence the way companies strategize for IBM Mid range Computing procurement and the cost they have to incur. New locations and vendors are emerging as cost effective suppliers of IBM Mid range Computing, offering an opportunity to widen the supplier base and gain further negotiation leverage with incumbent suppliers.

Buyers are showing an inclination to onboard suppliers whose offerings span beyond IBM Mid range Computing. The practice brings in several advantages such as rationalization of supplier base, economies of scale and reduced category management cost.

Global market is facing a shortage of professionals with requisite skills and training. Minimum wages and stringent regulations are compelling suppliers to increase their employee expenses which are expected to have an inflationary impact on buyer's procurement cost.

Sometimes, procurement functions are unable to timely alter their practices while responding to market conditions. Industry experts acknowledge that periodically reviewing procurement best practices and adopting learnings from across procurement categories can help procurement teams respond to market needs in a more agile way. This report combines our experience of other categories with IBM Mid range Computing procurement insights and hand picks best practices that can work for category managers delving in this market.

For example, Transferring to a new supplier can be often costly and can further get exacerbated by instances of vendor lock-ins. Buyers must scrutinize the offerings of service providers for any possibilities of vendor lock-ins and demand client testimonials from service providers to assess such possibilities. Watch out for products/services that are priced excessively low, as they can often result in costly lock-ins.

Developing a strong understanding of the potential vulnerabilities of service providers can help buyers limit their potential losses and also gives the bargaining power to demand services from more robust measures in the SLA.

Needs of buyers can vary depending on the industry where buyers operate. For instance, buyers from the financial services industry give high importance to regulatory compliance and data security, whereas buyers from the e-commerce industry prioritize high throughput, low response time, and high scalability. Hence, service providers with a strong knowledge of the security, compliance, and governance needs of buyers' industries and a proven track record of performance with respect to these aspects should be prioritized.

IBM Mid range Computing procurement managers also need to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks that can arise in the supply chain or contracts for IBM Mid range Computing procurement. Some examples include: