Chasing Tech Problems is Stealing Your Team’s Productivity. IT Vendor Management Services are the Solution

Spend your time on mission-critical tasks – outsource vendor management to vendor management experts.

Do your organization’s technology investments sometimes seem more like liabilities than assets? If you or your IT team are on a constant merry-go-round of problem-solving and troubleshooting for specialized technology, equipment or hardware, this scenario likely resonates.

IT service spending is projected to total approximately $1.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide, as reported by Statista. It’s a daunting figure. Whether you are a CIO of a large enterprise or an IT Director at a smaller organization, your IT team is a part of this equation. Among many responsibilities is managing outside technology vendors, related contracts, and budgets. This is why your business needs a partner to help manage and streamline those IT vendor management details, so your team can focus on matters contributing to the success of the organization.

Matrix Integration manages issues like these on a weekly basis for our vendor management service clients. Take this general example from an actual client we’ve assisted – does some portion of this situation sound familiar to you?

You purchase a cutting-edge piece of technology that will help increase productivity and/or generate new business revenue. Using a real-world example: Aa medical practice purchases new Electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment. This new asset provides an opportunity to serve more patients, reduce appointment wait times, and even increase revenue. Following installation, the team discovers it is not functioning properly. And this is when the downward spiral of technology repair troubleshooting begins:

1. You call the EKG company – they tell you the problem is with your PC.

2.You talk to the PC company – they tell you it’s a bandwidth problem.

3. You call your internet provider to address the bandwidth issue – they tell you it’s the EKG company’s responsibility.

4.You are right back to where you started – calling the EKG manufacturer for support solutions. They still cannot help you find the root of the problem, and you’re on your own.

5. Thus, this very expensive and mission-critical medical equipment sits unused for weeks or months because you have patients who need you and a medical practice to run.

By the end of this process, you’ve spent days on hold. When you finally get someone on the line, it seems there is no clear path to resolution. Meanwhile, you’re paying for a revenue stream that still isn’t working. That means you have a large (or small), useless piece of hardware or equipment that’s doing nothing for you.

If you’re an IT Director or part of your organization’s C-Suite, technology concerns and operations are always top-of-mind. Your team’s critical tasks include network security management, hardware and software troubleshooting, network monitoring, managing outside vendors, and much more. Let’s take IT vendor management off your plate. Make 2022 the year you secure an expert team experienced in managing IT vendor details. The professionals at Matrix Integration are ready to fill that role for your business or organization.

What is IT Vendor Management?

Establishing and supporting a fully staffed IT department suited to your company’s size is important. If those dollars aren’t congruent with overall business objectives, that investment may not accomplish as much as it needs to.

Having a dedicated vendor management process in place is an important step to take in maximizing limited human and capital resources. IT vendor management may include product and service procurement, vetting of potential suppliers, and regularly managing/maintaining communications with outside technology suppliers (vendors).

When a vendor management partner like Matrix Integration augments your team, there’s an opportunity to build stronger relationships on your behalf. This can help open the door for negotiating better rates and other benefits.

Devoting resources to this aspect of IT management can become central to cost savings, increased efficiency, and more impactful output by your IT team. Ultimately, it’s about maximizing your team’s time, the vendor capabilities pool, and your company’s bottom line.

Finger pointing can become a problem when things go awry with vendor responsibilities and relationships. How can an IT Vendor Management partner help with this dilemma?

Engaging outside vendor management services can be as narrow or broad as your team needs it to be. Many CIOs and IT Directors understand how much time is often wasted on determining the vendors that may be responsible for resolving an issue when a problem arises.

IT vendor management partners streamline this entire process by “funneling” the process of IT vendor relationship management. When various vendors defer responsibility (i.e., “finger pointing”), a time-intensive process begins in determining who exactly should be addressing the issue at hand. IT vendor management services remove that distraction from your team. Because we have a full grasp of your needs and vendor relationships, we get right to the bottom of things and deliver solutions. You’ll experience faster resolution without taking more time from your valued team. An IT Managed Services company like Matrix Integration can put an end to the finger pointing problem for good.

Will engaging a Vendor Management Partner help with technology/IT downtime?

Your company cannot afford downtime when it comes to IT matters. Everything grinds to a halt when there’s an unexpected IT crisis. Finding the right vendor management partner is akin to having a deeper IT bench – especially valuable when staffing is thin. When vital technology in need of repair needs attention ASAP, various demands may prevent immediate resolution. When you have a vendor management partner on-hand, you’ll see quicker resolution of these issues that otherwise may remain unresolved.

Will an IT Vendor Management Partner collaborate with my team?

The best vendor management partners work closely alongside your team in keeping with your company’s overall goals. The best IT vendor management partners understand their clients’ needs and know how to help them get there. We work in tandem with your team and its culture, not against it. Whether your organization is a larger enterprise or a small-to-medium size organization, IT vendor management is the best way to gain as much ROI possible from its vendor and supply investments.

When your team is ready to take control of streamlining IT vendor management, reach out to us at Matrix Integration. We are ready to learn about your company’s needs and work with you to create a suite of managed IT services designed to support your organization’s growth.