IT contract review and negotiation

Mystified by complex technology contracts and techie gobbledygook? Our experts examine your position both technically and commercially. We ensure that the new IT systems or services you are purchasing are at a reasonable cost, are fit for purpose and have contracts that treat you fairly.

The challenge

“We had a contract for telecommunications with a Norwegian service provider working across Africa. The DrPete team reviewed the contract, gave us a market view of alternative options then renegotiated the contract giving us proper exit causes, fairer terms and saved us over $1 million in the process."

CEO of financial services provider working in the US, Europe, Middle East Africa

Like all businesses today, you will rely in some way upon computer based systems. If these systems go wrong, or if they fail to realise your investment in them, the impact to your business can be devastating.

Unlike buying most things it is not possible to determine whether a system satisfies your requirement until it has been set up and runs properly, whereas with most other things it either works or it does not. It is therefore important to protect yourself adequately against any risk that your computer system fails to deliver against your expectations at the end of the implementation period. Contracts with your IT supplier need to cover the whole period – from placing an order, through the supply, configuration and successful implementation and operation of the system. Failure to set up an adequate contract with your supplier can result in your business incurring considerable cost to make your new system work for you.

Regardless of the size of the supplier, it is important only to accept a contract with your supplier after a thorough review by DrPete Technology Experts.

What this service provides

We have a wealth of experience in reviewing and negotiating IT contracts from a commercial perspective and with our specialist partners from a legal viewpoint as well. We would normally expect to:

• Review and comment accordingly against the supplier’s proposal, technical proposition, draft project plan and contracts
• Document and discuss our comments with you and advise you as to the implications and possible courses of action available; sometimes we will merge our comments with the lawyer’s so that all points of significance can be negotiated at the same time; sometimes we will negotiate the agreements and get these right from a commercial perspective before handing the redrafted document to the solicitors to reflect legally what is agreed commercially
• Engage in detailed negotiations with the supplier, as and when you require.

Why and when you might need this service

You may want to review and renegotiate the contract you have with your IT supplier; even where we have not had involvement with the procurement process you can rely on our experience to make constructive comments that will allow you to protect your position when negotiating the final agreement.

You also might want help in negotiating a new contract with an IT supplier to ensure it adequately protects you from the actions (or lack of actions) of the supplier and so you can avoid considerable costs downstream in making the new system work for you.

How this service benefits your business

We can help you to:

• Reduce IT operational costs and improve return on IT investment
• Reduce costs associated with recruitment, training and retention
• Reduce the level of risk to the business from underlying IT problems
• Reduce the stress on internal resources eg office space and personnel
• Improve the adaptability of your IT to business change
• Improve the alignment of IT with the aims of the business
• Improve transparency over costs and performance
• Quickly resolve IT problems thus improving performance, productivity and efficiency of business operations
• Have comfort in the knowledge that your IT is handled by a team of highly-skilled and experienced professionals
• Acquire a mixture of IT skills and processes on par with those found in larger organisations.