Additional Courses and Training

Statements of Work Done Right

Successfully Draft, Negotiate and Manage

Benefits

This highly interactive SOW workshop uses classroom discussion and group exercises to develop and improve skills in the following areas:

• Best-practice elements of great SOWs
• Getting input from stakeholders for SOW requirements
• Preventing vendors from using SOWs to modify master agreements
• Revising vendor-written fuzzy wording that might shift risk to the customer
• Licensing principles that maximize protections and money savings for customers
• Drafting SOW acceptance tests so customers get what they pay for
• Countering practices used by vendors to defeat customer protections in SOWs

Attendees will also come away with sample templates and checklists providing a solid foundation for negotiating, drafting and managing SOWs.

Overview

In Statements of Work (SOWs) we spend a lot of money while many products and services are bought. Oftentimes SOWs fail, causing delays, financial loss and other damages. Some SOWs written by a customer can be so unclear that acceptance testing is almost impossible. SOWs that are written by a vendor are often riddled with fuzzy words that shift all the risk to the customer. Additionally, vendors will use SOWs to modify key terms of a Master Agreement that inevitably put the customer at an increased disadvantage. Even customers with the best templates and negotiated SOWs still get burned by skilled vendors adept at managing the engagement and in turn, bypassing any written protections.

• Are your SOWs written by the Vendors? 
• Do Vendors use SCOPE creep and Change Orders
• to charge more and bust your budgets?
• Do you need to get control of your SOWs?

Register here for SOW Online in February

 IT Contracting Boot Camp

Get Informed. Leave Empowered.

With a curriculum purposefully designed to provide those new to the profession, and veterans looking to get back to basics, with practical tips and tactics for negotiating a better deal with suppliers, this 9-hour interactive workshop will leave participants feeling informed, empowered, and excited about their future in technology procurement. Sessions are hands-on, collaborative, and facilitated by some of the industry’s most engaging professionals.

IT Contracting Boot Camp Modules

• The Art of Becoming a Dealmaker
• Contracting Philosophy Tool
• Popular Vendor Ploys and How to Counter Them
• Fundamentals of Drafting, Reviewing, and Negotiating
• Four Ways Suppliers Limit Their Risk Contractually
• Cloud Contracting:  Risks & Strategies
• 10 Habits of a Successful Procurement Analyst

Second Day option—exclusively for Boot Camp Participants

Enroll in the CTPS (Certified Technology Procurement Specialist) certification program and leave with this professional designation. During the IT Contracting Boot Camp instructors will deliver critical concepts and need to know information. This training will provide an outstanding background that will allow you to succeed when you decide to move forward with your industry certification.To learn more about the CAUCUS Professional Certification visit CAUCUSnet.com/certification/

REGISTER NOW -->

SLA Lab - Results-Based Contracting

1:00-4:30 pm ET Each Day
March 2, 2020 - March 4, 2020

Online, Anywhere in the World
Nonmembers $1400, Members $1200

Register Now 

Benefits

• Get Specific Results
• Change Promises into Contractual Rights
• Ensure Vendor Compliance
• Get Meaningful Remedies
• Reduce Your Risk of Project Failure
• Save Money, Time, Aggravation and future headaches
• When doing deals for Cloud Apps make sure you are “up” on your Service Level Agreements.

Overview

Early in the acquisition process, effective negotiating teams must agree upon the concept of which contractual approach they will use to drive the deal. ICN’s advanced training course SLA Lab: Results-Based Contracting helps you understand the difference between contracting for resources and contracting for results and shows you how to implement a “results deal”.

This “results versus resources” decision establishes which side of the bargaining table will bear the responsibility for the results you’re expecting from the deal. In a “results deal,” the vendor is responsible, while in a “resource deal,” it’s the customer.
In SLA Lab, you’ll gain an understanding of critical elements that can help you shift risk and responsibilities to the vendor and monitor ongoing compliance.

These include:

• A 10-step Service Level creation process
• Contract and RFP Development tools for developing Service Levels
• Corporate alignment—getting input & buy-in from stakeholders
• Data gathering and measurement—a “how to” process and pitfalls to avoid
• Document library—examples and tools for Service Levels
• Handling of vendor ploys in Service Level areas
• Internal teams—organizing customer stakeholders to make better Service Levels
• Management policies and practices—getting critical management buy-in
• Monitoring and compliance—ensuring agreed-to SLAs are followed
• Performance reviews and escalation—how to solve Service Level disputes
• Reconciliation strategies—how to balance Service Level debits & credits over time
• Remedies and rewards—Motivating vendors to extraordinary performance
• Results-based services—obtaining outcomes, not activities
• Sample templates and forms—examples of Service Level contracting tools
• Scorecards and Dashboards—examples of management reporting tools

Takeaways

• Service Level Template
• Sample Service Level Measurement Formats
• Scorecard Templates
• Dashboard Illustrations
• Position Paper
• Sample Service Level Agreement
• Financial and Non-financial Incentives
• Responsibility Matrix
• Negotiations Ploys and how to handle them
• Performance Pools
• Reconciliation Strategies

Critical Elements Including

• Inducements
• Warranties
• Remedies
• Acceptance Testing
• Effective SLAs
• Deliverables
• Contract Management
• Milestones
• Developing Metrics
• Meaningful SOWs
• Payment Triggers
• Monitoring Compliance
• and more

Register Now for the SLA Lab Class

Software: Issues, Contracts, & Negotiations

Register Now

Benefits

• Identify which vendors to manage
• Enhance relationships with vendors
• Ensure vendor performance
• Exercise your rights
• Monitor vendor obligations
• Learn to use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Implement an effective vendor management system
• Upcoming Events
• Events Search and Views Navigation

Overview

Tired of worrying about your vendors’ performance? Concerned about contractual disagreements and products/services that don’t measure up to standards? This workshop will show you how to control your vendors and get what you pay for. You’ll learn techniques to establish and maintain a meaningful working relationship with your key vendors. And, you’ll discover how to create and utilize leverage that improves vendor performance.

Topics Include

• Essential Governance Structure and Tools
• Vendor Classification
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Relationship Management Techniques
• Managed Acquisition Process

Whether you currently have or are interested in establishing a Vendor Management Office (VMO) you’ll gain valuable insights by attending this seminar.

Register Now for Total Vendor Management

Cloud Contracting 

Demystifying the Fog

April 20-21, 2020 - Denver, CO

Location

Register Now

Benefits

• What is Cloud Computing?
• Learn the benefits and risks of Cloud Services
• Get the factors essential to the paradigm shift presented by Cloud Computing
• Prepare yourself to acquire Cloud Services
• Analyze/evaluate Cloud Services options
• Mitigate Cloud Service risks

Overview

This ICN course targets the contract negotiating side of the new and rapidly evolving world of Cloud computing. The course identifies potential Cloud-contracting problems and sets forth a process to help the IT sourcing professional and his/her internal clients (users, IT, project managers, business managers, executive sponsors, and so forth) prepare and conduct effective negotiations to enable the customer to get better deals and better contracts among the Clouds.

Who Should Attend?

This seminar is a must-attend learning event for anyone implementing, planning or considering adopting a cloud computing solution, including:

• IT Professionals
• Business Managers
• Procurement and Sourcing Professionals
• Other professionals: Lawyers, Auditors, Risk Managers and Accountants

Register Now --> for Cloud Contracting

Negotiating Requirements 

For Successful IT Deals 

April 22, 2019 - Denver, CO, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Hyatt Regency Aurora Denver CC, 13200 East 14th Place Aurora, CO 80011 United States + Google Map

Register Now or call 407-740-0700

Benefits

• Understand the process Vendors use to manipulate Customer technical Requirements
• Develop a Customer-specific process to negotiate technical SOWs
• Learn how to write attachments for technical Requirements to purchase Equipment, Software, Cloud services, etc.
• Create warranties specific for technical SOWs
• Master drafting multilevel Remedies for technical Requirements
• Use Remedies to get performance instead of lawsuits
• Sample wording for technical Requirement attachments – Customer version
• Checklist for drafting technical SOWs
• Tools for negotiating technical Requirements and SOWs with Vendors

The class members will engage in group Exercises to enhance learning of key takeaways.

Overview

This Practical, hands-on Negotiation class will help you get the right warranties and remedies into your SOWs that can help customers get full, timely performance of technical requirements for the agreed-to price and avoid expensive and time-consuming litigation or other delays.

You don’t need this class if:

• Your technical SOWs are written with laser clarity and no ambiguities
• Your vendors don’t write the Requirements to their own advantage
• Your vendors meet Requirements flawlessly
• Your technical SOW timelines are always met
• Your SOW budgets are NEVER busted, fixed price NEVER exceeded
• Your Non-complying Vendors are quickly corrected with gentle reminders
• Each SOW includes warranties specific to your Customer needs
• Your SOWs have meaningful Remedies for any Vendor failure

Frequently customer technical requirements are drafted by the vendor to its advantage and to the painful detriment of the Customer. After all, the Vendor usually is the technical expert in its products and services. Even when the SOW includes a well-defined set of technical requirements, there may be no or few Remedies to protect the Customer from Vendor failures. The Customer may be stuck with Vendor excuses and a near meaningless promise to try harder next time.

Register Now 

Cloud Contracting 

Demystifying the Fog

Benefits

• What is Cloud Computing?
• Learn the benefits and risks of Cloud Services
• Get the factors essential to the paradigm shift presented by Cloud Computing
• Prepare yourself to acquire Cloud Services
• Analyze/evaluate Cloud Services options
• Mitigate Cloud Service risks

Overview

This ICN course targets the contract negotiating side of the new and rapidly evolving world of Cloud computing. The course identifies potential Cloud-contracting problems and sets forth a process to help the IT sourcing professional and his/her internal clients (users, IT, project managers, business managers, executive sponsors, and so forth) prepare and conduct effective negotiations to enable the customer to get better deals and better contracts among the Clouds.

Who Should Attend?

This seminar is a must-attend learning event for anyone implementing, planning or considering adopting a cloud computing solution, including:

• IT Professionals
• Business Managers
• Procurement and Sourcing Professionals
• Other professionals: Lawyers, Auditors, Risk Managers and Accountants

Vendor Management Boot Camp

Benefits

• Identify which vendors to manage
• Enhance relationships with vendors
• Ensure vendor performance
• Exercise your rights
• Monitor vendor obligations
• Learn to use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Implement an effective vendor management system

Overview

Are you concerned about contractual disagreements and products/services that don’t measure up to standards?

With a curriculum purposefully designed to provide those new to the profession, and veterans looking to get back to basics, with practical tips and tactics for increasing vendor/supplier performance.

In the one-day session you will learn how to control your vendors and get what you pay for. You’ll learn techniques to establish and maintain a meaningful working relationship with your key vendors. Additionally, you will be able to create and utilize leverage that stabilizes and enhances vendor performance.

This 6.5-hour interactive workshop will leave participants feeling informed, empowered, and excited about their future in technology procurement-vendor management. This session is hands-on, collaborative, and facilitated by industry leaders.

Topics Include

• Essential Governance Structure and Tools
• Vendor Classification
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Relationship Management Techniques

*Attendees will be provided with an On-demand MAP (Managed Acquisition Process) online class. Approx. 2 hours

 Cloud Contracting for Government

A "Best Practice" Approach

• Do your deals faster
• Save money on your taxpayers’ dollars
• Complete Compliance on Government Regulations
• Learn the benefits and risks of Cloud Services
• Prepare yourself to acquire Cloud Services
• Analyze/evaluate Cloud Services options
• Mitigate Cloud Service risks

Overview

If not already, you may soon be experiencing firsthand the storminess of Cloud service acquisition and implementation.
Government procurement of Cloud services can be very different from the corporate world. City ordinances, state constitutional requirements, mandates by the Department of Justice and the FBI, budget appropriation limitations, etc. Our interactive seminar will consist of discussions and group exercises that will, among other things, help you to:

• Learn Cloud contracting in a government context
• Re-examine Data protection needs from the state/local government viewpoint
• Focus on Cloud contracting issues unique to the government sector
• Review how statutes, regulations, etc. can improve government negotiation leverage
• Study wording developed to protect governmental customers of Cloud services

Join us and get the information, skills, and templates that will help you reach loftier heights negotiating and contracting among the Clouds in 2019.

Bargaining with Giants - LEVERAGE That Works!

Online, anywhere or at your place - call us, 407-740-0700

$650, Members $575

Takeaways

• Identify leverage points used by larger vendors
• Recognize the selling processes and ploys used by major vendors
• Understand which misperceptions that lead you to lose bargaining leverage
• Discern your potential leverage during pre-signing, post-signing management and “renewal” phases
• Use specific tactics to increase your bargaining leverage against industry giants

Overview

Have you ever felt intimidated or disadvantaged when bargaining with a large IT vendor? If so, now is the time to consider taking ICN’s “Bargaining with Giants – LEVERAGE That Works” seminar and become empowered. Whether the topic is software, hardware or cloud services, you can win when you’re at the bargaining table with even the biggest IT vendors.

Through case studies and interactive exercises, you will learn and practice successful bargaining tactics, including how to

• know stakeholder wants and needs better than the vendor does
• build trust with your stakeholders
• purchase according to customer requirements, not generic vendor demos
• ensure multiple products, services or vendor sources are evaluated for each procurement
• always get input from your executives and decision makers
• use your templates for the greatest bargaining success

Do Better Deals Workshop

Online, Anywhere