Best practice
Vendor Audit Maturity Model
The table below summarises the different results achieved by an organisation faced with a vendor audit depending on their maturity. Success with vendor audits is not only about having sound ITAM processes and procedures in place but also the correct attitude towards the situation, swift action, and strong negotiation.
I welcome your feedback or comments on this model or your experiences with vendor audits, either in the comments section below or by emailing me directly at alerts (at) itassetmanagement.net.
Stage |
Characteristics | Vendor Behaviour | Likely Outcome |
| Denial | Customer does not recognise the issue until it is too late or worse still ignores the issue hoping it will resolve itself. | Heavy handed compliance tactics, back penalties, possible press exposure. | Crippling penalties. For example |
| Suprise Audit | No inventory of assets or purchase history compiled. |
Vendor likely to take advantage of lack of information for revenue generation. |
Taken to the cleaners. Repeat in 18 months time. |
| Expected Audit | Anticipating an audit for some time. Have limited or incomplete audit and purchase history. | Vendor uses shortfalls / missing information to negotiate upgrades or multi-year tie-in deals. | Vendor-led negotiation |
| Prepared | End user tells vendor what they have, what they need and what they want. For example | Vendors typically walk away and find more lucrative audit opportunities. | Customer-led negotiation. |
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
More from ITAM News & Analysis
-
A New Chapter for ITAM in China
Why ITAM has struggled to take root, and why I believe that’s about to change. Executive Summary Current ITAM Ecosystem in China. China, despite being the world’s second-largest enterprise software market, shows limited ITAM awareness and ... -
How ISO/IEC 19770-1 Can Help Meet FFIEC Requirements
In the world of ITAM, the regulatory spotlight continues to intensify, especially for financial institutions facing increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies due to the growing importance of IT in operational resilience, service delivery, and risk management. ... -
Microsoft Q3 Soars as AI and Azure Growth Fuels Market Gains
On the 30th April, Microsoft released its Q3 quarterly earnings report, exceeding expectations and igniting investor optimism. Investors had been keeping a watchful eye on Azure’s Cloud performance after Microsoft’s Q2 Cloud results fell short of ...
Podcast
No time to read? Want to stay up to date on the move? Subscribe to the ITAM Review podcast.
ITAM training
On-demand and live training for ITAM, SAM and Software Licensing professionals.
Similar Posts
-
How ISO/IEC 19770-1 Can Help Meet FFIEC Requirements
In the world of ITAM, the regulatory spotlight continues to intensify, especially for financial institutions facing increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies due to the growing importance of IT in operational resilience, service delivery, and risk management. ... -
An Introduction to Scope 4 Emissions
Executive Summary For ITAM teams, sustainability is a core responsibility and opportunity. Managing hardware, software, and cloud resources now comes with the ability to track, reduce, and report carbon emissions. Understanding emission scopes—from direct operational emissions ... -
AI and ITAM: State of Play 2024 Research Report
In 2024, the ITAM Forum and General Interfaces conducted a global survey (On behalf of the ITAM Forum’s AI+ITAM Working Group) targeting ITAM practitioners, executives, and stakeholders to explore the growing influence of AI on the ... -
Will 'Sustainable IT' be Caught in the Crossfire?
In the days immediately following his inauguration, President Trump and his team declared war on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at the federal level. The impact has been felt far and wide. Many government contractors ...
