IT & Technology Procurement
Technology purchases combine fast-moving prices, varied licensing models and specifications that date quickly. Hardware prices follow currency and component markets; licensing models, usage metrics and renewal terms can materially affect the total cost of software; services are often bundled, which makes the cost of each element harder to compare.
We provide procurement support for hardware, software and IT services, covering requirements, supplier selection, commercial terms and lifecycle costs.
Our approach
Specify with the users.
Together with IT and the business users, we define requirements in terms of performance, compatibility, security and support, rather than by brand and model alone, so that equivalent offers can compete.
Understand the market route.
Technology is sold through manufacturers, distributors, authorised resellers and integrators, each with different pricing and support obligations. We identify the right route for each purchase and verify authorisation where warranty and support depend on it.
Model the whole-life cost.
Hardware is compared on price, warranty, support, energy and replacement cycle; software on licensing model, user and usage metrics, maintenance and renewal terms; services on scope, service levels and exit costs.
Contract for the lifecycle.
Warranty, support levels, licence terms, price protection on renewals and the obligations of each party in integration projects are agreed before the order, not negotiated when the first renewal arrives.
Deliver and control.
Deliveries, licence activation, asset records and renewal dates are tracked, so that the organisation knows what it owns and what it will be asked to pay next.
Key themes
Software licensing models change frequently and differ between vendors: per user, per device, per core, subscription or perpetual with maintenance. Buying the wrong model, or the right model at the wrong quantity, can cost more than any discount negotiated on the list price.
Much of the price of imported technology is driven by exchange rates and component markets rather than by the reseller. Understanding which part of the price is currency, which is the product and which is margin makes quotes comparable and price changes explainable.
Where compatibility and support requirements allow, performance-based specifications enable equivalent solutions to be evaluated competitively. Where a specific product is genuinely required, the reason is documented.
What we deliver
- Requirement definition with IT and business users
- Market route and reseller authorisation check
- Tender or request for quotation for hardware, software and services
- Whole-life cost comparison
- Licensing model review
- Contract terms for warranty, support, licences and renewals
- Asset and renewal tracking structure
Related case studies
Related services
Buying technology?
Tell us what you need and what you have been offered. We will tell you what it should cost over its life.