Ted Maulucci, Tridel
Proving that a new IT implementation will have tangible payback is an ongoing challenge for any IT shop in today’s economic climate, but taking advantage of vendor relationships can help in demonstrating that value. It was the topic of discussion today at the fourth annual IT in Canada-hosted Tides of Change event in Toronto, as leaders in the channel went head-to-head with the buy-side of the equation.
One client, Rennie Fisher, senior vice president at Abraxas International, a management consulting firm, recruited a vendor to help him make the business case for a new initiative. “The reality was we had to do a proof-of-concept to prove that it was possible, that the risks were contained,” he explained. “So the vendor brought to the table, the capability to say yes, we’ve done this before, we’ve got the experience doing these types of implementations.”
Fisher and the vendor did a demo version of the total solution set on a specific group within the organization so the vendor was able to demonstrate how the implementation would ultimately be delivered. “And through that exercise, the vendor ultimately got the rest of the business,” he said. “So it made sense for them to make that initial (time) investment.”
It’s the same tactic Ted Maulucci, CIO of Tridel Inc., a developer of condominiums, used recently when he wanted to demonstrate a business case and convince Tridel to invest in new SAP technology. “It’s always (about) hard numbers and proven savings,” Maulucci said. “Even though we’re a private company, they’re entrepreneurial, so they don’t business case me to death – I can make moves without being tortured. But what we did was unique.”
