Them vs Us - A Recent Experience with Vendor Relationships

[Dr. Juliet Mbonu, DNP, RN, PMP]

The relationships between the vendor, outside consultant and the client’s staff are the most critical part of project success. Yet cultivating these relationships are never part of the IT strategic plan.

Often, I worked as an independent consultant in an environment where the Vendor did not see the need to collaborate with the outside consultant, and even the staff. Could it be that they are afraid of spilling the company trade secrets?

At one of my client’s sites, the contract called for the vendor to perform most of the tasks, including being the client’s project manager and vendor project manager.  As an independent consultant I was to work with the client staff to assure project success. The Vendor team including the project manager who was supposed to be working for the client would sit by themselves in a conference room. Additionally, the client Analysts and other independent consultants would talk to them only as needed, including at project meetings!

Some of the client staff will come to me, and ask why the vendor staff are so difficult and indifferent. This brought about so many interpersonal frictions. By Go-live, this client had gone through 7 vendor project managers.

I believe that social interactions such as lunching together and sharing pleasantries, is one way to cement lasting working relationships between the vendors and the staff. This goes a long way to making it easier to solve issues and mitigate risks.

 Dr. Juliet Mbonu has over 4 years experience with Soarian in Patient Management, Clinicals, and Point of Care.