How can a solid vendor relationship guarantee successful library contract negotiations?

A revolution in legal tech is currently unfolding before our eyes; agile is actually happening right now. Do you have the right solution to meet your clients' demands within a changing environment?  Do library and information professionals know what clients will need next week, next month, next year?!

What we do know is that we all have to work together.  It’s safe to say that the ultimate goal of every organisation is to maximise the efficacy of online resources and systems while keeping overheads to a minimum. So how do you do just that?

Vendors want you to succeed!

One of the best ways to make the most of the resources you have is to build relationships with your vendors. This might sound obvious or unpleasant, depending on your previous experiences, but it’s a surefire way to get the most out of your resources. The best relationships, whether in business or in life, are built on open and honest communication.

Your vendors want to help you succeed, and this is far easier for them to achieve when they know your organisation’s goals, challenges and requirements. While these should be established at the onset of onboarding a new product or resource, it’s always good to keep your vendors in the loop on any developments, projects or changes in your organisation that might overlap with the role your vendor is filling.

Additionally, a trusted vendor likely has valuable insight into your industry that you may not find elsewhere. By keeping your supplier informed of your needs and goals, you can allow them to act as a trusted advisor - working with you, not just for you.

Your vendors want to help you succeed, and this is far easier for them to achieve when they know your organization’s goals, challenges and requirements.

Part of building a relationship is familiarity. It can be of enormous help to assign specific individuals as the primary contact points for and with your supplier. This allows both you and your vendor to keep track of the big picture, the specific requirements needed to achieve that end and an understanding of the processes involved in fulfilling those requirements.

Start with a plan

When engaging a new vendor, a well-defined and documented project plan can keep both you and the vendor on the same page, and ensure that expectations are aligned. If you are unsure of the best practices for ramping up a new product or service, ask your vendor for their advice - after all, they have experience in that department.

If you have your own plan already outlined, be sure to provide this to your vendor and discuss it before getting started. This will ensure that your expectations fall in line with the services, resources and obligations of your vendor.

Help your vendor help you

When encountering a problem, it can be tempting to hand it over to your vendor and expect them to take over from there. However, you will find that solutions to problems often are achieved in a more efficient and satisfactory manner when you understand what role you play in problem-solving, the vendor’s processes and what information you can initially provide for solving that problem.

For example, does the vendor request that you report issues, solicit changes and communicate feedback through outlined channels? If there is a specific method of contact that is preferred - whether it is a phone number, a specified email address or via in-app tools, this is likely designed to ensure that your needs are met in a timely manner with the proper protocols in place to aid in assisting you.

Your vendor will likely be happy to explain their process should you be interested in knowing more.

• Be specific when providing information about your experience, problem or requirement. For software solutions, often it will be essential to provide the system or browser details for the individual device experiencing the issue.
• When a screenshot would prove useful, there are a variety of quick and easy methods to create these on a PC or Mac.You can even use free tools like Screencast-O-Matic to record your experience.
• If you are sending an email or leaving a voicemail, it can be helpful to include the best time and method to reach you should the vendor require more information to assist you. 
• Sometimes the quickest way to solve a problem is to jump on a Zoom call!
  
  

Avoid the blame game

While problems inevitably arise with any service, allow your provider to investigate and respond. Technology can be complicated, as systems from multiple vendors will rely upon each other. Sometimes it’s not always immediately clear to you, or possibly even the vendor, where things have gone wrong.

Give your vendor the opportunity to assess the issue and resolve it if found to be on their end. If the problem falls outside their domain, you may find they are able to suggest resolutions or point you in the right direction based on their knowledge and experience.

Provide feedback and set expectations

In Bob Ronan’s opinion piece on optimising vendor relationships, he points out that:

“It may seem easier to replace people or products that are not working than to confront the issues, but it is often more difficult to make changes than expected. If you have built a great relationship with a vendor these discussions do not need to be confrontational, and you may be surprised how creative a good vendor can be in solving your issues.”

A vendor who values your business should work hard to meet your needs and provide you with excellent service. However, it’s important to be reasonable with your expectations and understand that you are not their only client. If every wish list item is reported as a critical need, it makes it hard for your vendor to decipher what is actually urgent.

A law librarian - vendor management toolkit

It is a topic of perennial interest. The most recent webinar on negotiations and dealing with vendors was in October 2021 when the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) hosted a session called Savvy Negotiation Skills: A Toolkit for Law Librarians. It provided practical tools, tips and checklists to assist law librarians in the various phases of contract negotiation.

And if you love your vendor, tell other people!

Vendor-client partnerships should be mutually beneficial. Vendors love to know that they are fulfilling your needs, especially when you believe they have exceeded your expectations. What better way to show your appreciation than to help them grow their business by agreeing to be a reference, providing a case study, or even expanding your business with them.

While we can’t speak for all vendors, here at Vable our focus is on providing the best tools backed by reliable, above-and-beyond service and support. Our goal is to empower our clients to maximise their value and ROI within their organisations through our technology and expertise. We are here to help, so get in touch!