Establishing Successful Vendor Relationships

1. Establishing Successful Vendor Relationships Bill Romesburg

2. True Stories of Failed Relationships… • Grant expiration? Sure, you can pay us more up front… • When the vendor moves in… • No prenuptial agreement… • I know what we said, here’s what we meant… • When an agreement is no longer an agreement… • Others?

3. How to Win Friends & Influence People

4. Newly wealthy, attractive City seeks long term relationship with “well qualified” vendor. Where did the relationship go wrong? • Sometimes it’s how we meet • In a bar: APCO, IACP • Sometimes it’s our personal ads • Our RFP

5. The Vendor’s Fault? • Smoke and mirrors • Don’t deliver what they promise • Often just concerned with the agency budget • Fail to keep clients informed • Sometimes they take advantage of clients • Bait and switch

6. Or…Our Fault? • Did we tell them what we needed? • Did we develop and make them sign and abide by the pre-nup (contract)? • Did we use the vendor’s contract???? • Did we research the vendor’s past performance? • Did we establish strong management processes for the procurement and implementation? • Or did we purchase our brother-in-law’s products…?

7. How Well Do We Really Know Each Other? • Vendor: selling a product • Public safety agencies are trying to improve operations

8. We’re Here to Help • We want your next relationship to last – and it can! • Recommendations from • Input from vendors • Our experiences on site • One another

9. The Key… • Planning and Process • If you’re uninformed, haven’t clearly articulated your project needs and don’t follow established, documented processes…

10. 10 Rules for Success • Carefully Define the Project • Use Procurement Best Practices • Write It Down! • Accept Responsibility • Do Your Homework • Communicate • Dedicate Resources • Be Positive • Be Prepared • Keep It Clean

11. You and Your Vendor • Some final words of advice