Network Operating System Software Market Procurement Intelligence Report

The market for End User Software and Hardware and its sub-segments such as Network Operating System Software are at an interesting intersection. Stringency in the regulatory norms pertaining to data protection and cybersecurity has increased compliance and security burden on suppliers. These additional costs have a potential to drive marginal increase in prices across the key geographies.

New locations and vendors are emerging as cost effective suppliers of Network Operating System Software, offering an opportunity to widen the supplier base and gain further negotiation leverage with incumbent suppliers.

In a bid to differentiate themselves in an overcrowded technology space, suppliers are now focusing on creating industry-specific specialized products. Buyers see this trend as an opportunity to procure more targeted solutions and are developing internal capabilities to identify and leverage innovations in the supplier base.

Trends like these and many others discussed in this report are necessitating a relook at the way Network Operating System Software is procured and the procurement cost saving opportunities that exist.

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 Network Operating System Software procurement insights and hand picks best practices that can work for category managers delving in this market.

For example, It is important for category managers to track and measure the performance of suppliers against a defined set of KPIs that are agreed upon by both parties. Buyers should engage with providers that offer mobile applications and online dashboards to monitor essential performance parameters of the products and services procured.

Category managers must explore opportunities to integrate planning and management activities using analytics to gain better control over category spend. This will also allow them to consolidate supply base easily as well as segment service providers depending on requirements and spend on each service provider.

Investing in benchmarking studies not only helps category managers to improve their knowledge about market pricing or billing rates but also in negotiating with suppliers. In fact, this holds true for all technology procurement sub-categories.

Network Operating System Software procurement managers also need to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks that can arise in the supply chain or contracts for Network Operating System Software procurement. Some examples include: