Sourcing has come a long way since the days of large-scale, single-supplier deals. Back in the ‘90s, it was the norm for companies to hand over the management of IT or other business processes to a single service provider, often for 10 or more years. Fast forward almost three decades, and the world has changed dramatically. During that time, we have seen the length of outsourced contracts pared down, often to less than three years. Suppliers and service providers are now referred to as “partners” with the implication that they have a stake in the success of their customers’ business. And enterprises engage with a vast number of third parties, each of whom is selected for a specific ability to address a particular need.
This has resulted in a complex ecosystem of technologies and partners co-existing within an enterprise’s environment. Businesses are striving to maintain healthy ecosystems and avoid messy partner “divorces”, which are expensive and time-consuming. The challenge now is to adequately govern the many moving parts to drive continued business value and, at the same time, ensure operational agility, compliance and minimal risk. Of course, the key is to attentively manage performance, deliverables, obligations and compliance, and to communicate effectively. But the growing complexity within partner ecosystems makes effective governance increasingly difficult without the assistance of a comprehensive governance platform.
Lois Coatney, Partner and President at ISG, joins Barry in the latest edition of the ISG Smartalks™ podcast to discuss the challenges surrounding the new sourcing paradigm of ecosystems, partners and platforms. Tune in to hear their conversation.
Meet the host
Lois Coatney
Lois Coatney is Partner, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), leading the firm’s work across those industries, with additional responsibility for global sales operations. Prior to assuming this role, she was Partner and President, EMEA Sales and Consulting, relocating from the U.S. to the U.K. to drive growth and further expand the firm’s opportunities in the region.
Lois joined ISG in 2012 and built the Service Integration and Management (SIAM) service line. She subsequently led the ISG GovernX® business for four years and successfully launched and expanded the third-party risk management platform. She also led ISG Americas sales and sales management and co-architected the ISG Women in Digital program.
Throughout her career, Lois has advised clients on the operating models and organizational designs that will enable them to work most effectively. Prior to joining ISG, Lois managed large global service delivery and governance transformational change in multiple positions at Hewlett Packard. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Minnesota State University.
