Short description
A guide for small to medium enterprises looking to purchase IT products and services. It covers topics involved in the procurement cycle, from identifying and managing the changing IT requirements of the business, through the evaluation and bidding process, to managing suppliers and the delivery of their IT products and services.
Long description
Large organisations can suffer badly when IT procurement goes wrong, but for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), it can be fatal. This handbook is specifically designed to help SMEs understand and manage that risk throughout the entire procurement process. Whether it is identifying the changing IT requirements of the business, evaluating potential suppliers or managing them once appointed, this handbook guides readers past the pitfalls, which so many other SMEs have fallen victim to, and which can often be very costly. The book is designed to be practical and provides a very hands-on approach to procurement with the use of checklists and sample templates
Review
This book has a tough objective. First, IT procurement is a broad subject. Second, the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are diverse, for example when comparing an S with a handful of staff with an M employing up to 250 people. The book copes well on both counts. The author does provide a direct and straightforward perspective. This approach, together with the clear editorial structure, easy-to-read style and helpful key points, provides an informative and pleasurable reading experience. Overall, a good read for those unfamiliar or new to both the procurement agenda and the IT category and the star rating (4 out of 5) is given with this type of reader in mind. Supply Management Magazine - April 2008
Table of contents
- 1 Introduction 2 Procurement Cycle 3 Managing a Procurement 4 Identifying Needs 5 Risk and Procurement 6 Bid Documents 7 Bid Evaluation 8 QA 9 IT Specific Issues 10 Suppliers 11 Negotiation 12 Legal Issues