Sourcing has come a long way since the days of large-scale, single-supplier deals. Back in the ‘90s, it was the norm for companies to hand over the management of IT or other business processes to a single service provider, often for 10 or more years. Fast forward almost three decades, and the world has changed dramatically. During that time, we have seen the length of outsourced contracts pared down, often to less than three years. Suppliers and service providers are now referred to as “partners” with the implication that they have a stake in the success of their customers’ business. And enterprises engage with a vast number of third parties, each of whom is selected for a specific ability to address a particular need.
This has resulted in a complex ecosystem of technologies and partners co-existing within an enterprise’s environment. Businesses are striving to maintain healthy ecosystems and avoid messy partner “divorces”, which are expensive and time-consuming. The challenge now is to adequately govern the many moving parts to drive continued business value and, at the same time, ensure operational agility, compliance and minimal risk. Of course, the key is to attentively manage performance, deliverables, obligations and compliance, and to communicate effectively. But the growing complexity within partner ecosystems makes effective governance increasingly difficult without the assistance of a comprehensive governance platform.
Lois Coatney, Partner and President at ISG, joins Barry in the latest edition of the ISG Smartalks™ podcast to discuss the challenges surrounding the new sourcing paradigm of ecosystems, partners and platforms. Tune in to hear their conversation.
Meet the host
Lois Coatney
What she does at ISG
Lois Coatney has been the ideal guiding advocate for her Fortune 500 clients, whom she has consistently helped get the most value out of their service providers and supply bases. That’s because, for more than two decades, Lois was the service provider. Today, as Partner and President EMEA Sales and Consulting, she is central to driving the firm’s revenue and growth.
Past achievements for clients
Throughout her career, Lois has advised clients on the operating models and organizational designs that will enable them to work most effectively. She brings that experience to her current role, where she considers how the firm can put its best foot forward to sell its services across the European market. Pairing her expertise in contracting and supplier management and her deep understanding of clients’ needs with the unique breadth and depth of ISG capabilities, Lois works to strengthen client relationships and enhance the firm’s offerings.
