SAS 009 – Managing IT Vendor Relationships

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6y ago 38:19

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Missed from SAS 006
- Testing Hardware/Software
  - Test everything, try to break it
  - Don’t assume anything
- Testing backups
  - Monthly backup tests
  - Quarterly disaster recovery tests
  - Annual business continuity tests

Today’s Show – Managing IT Vendor Relationships

Everyone will need an IT vendor at some point, so build good relationships for when you need them
- Staffing help
- Emergencies
- Technical assistance for core infrastructure
Evaluation process
- Reputation
- Size
- Cost
  - Price is important, but isn’t everything
- Core competencies
- Availability
- Location
- Qualify engineer who will actually be doing the work – these are often the best relationships
Contract Review
- Larger companies won’t budge much
- This is the basis of the relationship
Fixed price vs T&M vs Not to Exceed

Final Thoughts

- Implement changes over time
- They work for you, you can override their recommendations

You can send feedback and ideas for future episodes to dustin@sysadminshow.com.

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