Business change is constant. When companies begin to implement change, it’s often the Sourcing & Vendor Management professionals who wind up playing a critical, yet unappreciated role. After all, the vast majority of strategy execution involves sourcing the appropriate products and required services. Where sourcing teams were previously able to stand on solid ground using long-held formal approaches, today “fault lines” are becoming more visible and unstable as firms try to source in volatile environments – sourcing in a difficult economy one day while trying to take advantage of a great growth opportunity the next. But trying to help their companies achieve ever-changing business goals can stress the resources and expertise of sourcing teams unless they build a more adaptable sourcing and vendor management program. Sourcing & Vendor Management professionals must anticipate future needs, help business users clarify vague requirements, and then find the best resources to ensure success.

Some examples of volatile business situations where Sourcing & Vendor Management professionals need to play a lead role include:

• A company innovating in its field needs help with a new product but is struggling to find a vendor that has all of the required expertise — the Forum will give attendees insights into becoming a key partner to the business and ensuring corporate goals aren’t hurt because of poorly aligned vendor relationships.
• A firm expands into a new country and lacks detailed, practical knowledge about the local business environment or providers available — attendees will gain best practices on hiring providers in new locations and when to migrate an existing relationship into a new geography.
• An uncertain economy leads to high outsourcing interest, yet a deal’s long-term implications are not well understood by senior executives — Forum attendees will learn how to balance short- and long-term goals into a contract and how to avoid pitfalls that commonly befall companies who rush into high-risk deals.

Key Questions This Forum Will Answer

Attendees of Forrester’s Services & Sourcing Forum EMEA 2008 will learn how to successfully acquire and manage the right resources to help their firms achieve their business goals in a volatile market. They will get answers to critical questions about how fault-line sourcing is different, including:

• What does a “fault-line-ready” sourcing and vendor management organization do that others don’t?
• How can I reduce risk when sourcing in a volatile environment?
• What changes do I need to make in vendor management to ensure that my suppliers can adapt as my business evolves?
• How do I elevate the importance of my sourcing and vendor management organization so business executives include our insights earlier in their strategic decisions?

Who Should Attend?

• Enterprise executives who drive sourcing decisions and investments
• Sourcing strategy executives who help their companies balance risk, cost, and business value
• CIOs and senior IT managers who make technology sourcing decisions
• Procurement executives who execute sourcing strategies for business results
• Sourcing & Vendor Management professionals who are responsible for ensuring the ultimate success of sourcing relationships

Why Attend?

• The quality of the Forrester keynotes — Presentations are backed by thousands of interviews with technology leaders, business executives, and vendors.
• Exclusive audiences — Forrester Forum attendees include executives from the highest organizational levels.
• Integration of organizational, technological, and business issues — Forrester Forums provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges ahead and how your company can overcome them.