The politics and practicalities of IT procurement

Is cloud becoming a strategic disrupter?

Published October 2017

The politics and practicalities of IT procurement have always presented organisations with a complex set of challenges, and against this background, the emergence of cloud architectures, alternative application deployment models and new service offerings is a two-edged sword. Having more options available can be quite liberating, but for some, the additional choices and decisions can become almost paralysing.

With this in mind, it helps to take a step back from the countless technologies and services now being thrust onto IT teams, and note the underlying trend. Whether enabled via an on-premise cloud architecture, a cloud provider, or a combination of the two, what we’re seeing is a shift towards service-centric delivery of IT services, which puts the focus more on what’s delivered rather than how. Implemented in the right context, with the right blend of technology and services, this can reduce costs, accelerate time to value and boost overall flexibility and responsiveness.

But the shift to a service-centric delivery model is easier said than done. Coming up with the right solution and making sure it works is hard enough, but then you need to look at how IT and business-stakeholders work together and what effect this will have on IT procurement and decision-making.

This report, based on a survey of 250 UK-based IT and business managers and professionals (see Appendix A for more details), examines how attitudes and approaches are evolving in the IT service delivery space, and what needs to be considered to move forward in an effective and harmonious manner.

A good place to start this discussion is with a quick look at how well IT and business people are aligned in terms of today’s requirements and objectives.

By accessing this content, you agree that you have read and accepted our Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.