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"Opinions and needs of decision-makers in major users of IT contract services" Introduction B & M Europe Limited is a specialist supplier of consultancy and technical support for z/OS and UNIX environments, including third-party systems software, open systems and networking connectivity. As part of its commitment to providing an exceptional quality of service to its customers, B & M commissioned Shere Marketing to carry out a survey of opinions and needs among some of the key decision-makers in major corporates in the UK and Europe. The research has been designed to enable B & M and those participating to understand more fully the factors that influence decisions made about using IT contract specialists. This report presents an overview of key findings. Survey Methodology B & M commissioned Shere Marketing to conduct telephone interviews of a sample of decision-makers in both HR / Resourcing and IT functions involved in the commissioning of IT contract services during Spring 2005. Twenty-four people were interviewed from 19 organisations based in the UK, Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. Those interviewed represent a cross-section of senior decision-makers in both HR and IT in the target group. A charitable donation was made to the Sudan Appeal by B & M on behalf of each of those who took part. Participants Twenty four decision-makers were interviewed, of whom 18 are based in the UK, two in the Republic of Ireland, two in the Netherlands and two in Belgium. Respondents were typically senior IT managers, senior HR / recruitment managers or technical managers:
Key Findings i) Influences on decision-making Personal referral was cited as the most important factor influencing the choice of a potential supplier by virtually all respondents, along with the reputation of suppliers / prospective suppliers. 54% of respondents also found information such as newsletters from suppliers useful.
In terms of keeping up with news, most of those interviewed say they had no time to read in-depth news and information. Of those who read trade or business media regularly, the majority said that they read the news sections, particularly for the technology and/or market segment that was relevant to them. ii) Supplier policies Two thirds of the respondents interviewed have relationships with more than one supplier, using a mix of larger providers and suppliers offering particular specialisms. Over 60% use external technical support.
The most important quality sought by respondents was the ability to deliver specialists of the right calibre at the time they needed them, which 38% believed was of over-riding importance. 29% said that a provider's reputation was important in influencing their decision and 29% also looked for experience and the ability to respond appropriately to tender.
Conclusions Influences on decision-making The survey showed that the ability to respond to tender and personal referral were factors of paramount importance, justifying B & M's focus on developing and maintaining the quality of its relationships and customers - many of which have used our services for over 10 years. Findings also showed that decision-makers in large organisations need to be kept up to date with relevant information presented in digestible form to enable them to make informed decisions or recommendations. These are considerations which have been taken into account in the development of B & M's bi-monthly email newsletter, 'B & M Bulletin', written specifically for users of specialist IT consultancy services. Supplier policies Despite the prevalence of preferred supplier and/or master vendor agreements, it was clear that many respondents benefited from using niche providers to source the specialist skills and experience they need, when they need it. It is this need that has informed B & M's business strategy of building a network of authoritative specialists with in-demand skill sets and established credentials who can work with a minimum level of intervention. Qualities sought in a supplier It was not surprising that the ability to deliver ranked highest in the list of desirable qualities in a supplier of IT consultancy. The foundation blocks of strong customer and specialist relationships and effective business processes combine to enable B & M to deliver against needs at speed. * end of report * |
