For years, it was critical that companies keep their vendors as close as their corner drugstore. You never knew when a layout would need to be changed or an impromptu meeting needed to be called. Being close by was essential. Then this thing called the Internet came along. It put a whole new spin on that face-to-face stuff. Together, with webcams and voice-over IP, being next door was a mere mouse-and-click away. Technology has truly made the global economy . . . well, global.
Still, the demand for finding vendors in the same zip code remains a common refrain for many companies, even today. Some feel that “down the street” affords 24/7 access. Other companies contend that proximity translates into top of mind incessantly. The ugly truth is that vendors think about their companies no more or no less due to location. In fact, we have found that our clients – even if they wanted to meet with us incessantly – have pressing time limitations. Their capacity to open up their calendars for us is a function of schedule, not of geography.
The ultimate question is that, in this era when competition is so fierce and demand for best practices has never been more pronounced, why should any company limit the universe of possible vendors due to location? Not only is it arguably foolhardy on several levels, it does the company’s stakeholders and management a disservice.
To that end, there are three relatively simple ways for companies to bridge the distance gap with their vendors:
1) Develop a realistic schedule at the project outset that features major milestones – points at which face-to-face presentations would clearly be beneficial. All of the other schedule junctures can be handled remotely.
2) Make sure both vendor and company is equipped with symbiotic technology. Are the webcams in sync? Has the company or vendor invested in a reliable teleconference service? Are both companies sharing the same remote desktop sharing system (GoToMeeting.com, WebEx, Microsoft Shared View, etc.)
3) Find vendors with a history of having worked with long distance clients. Ask for references of clients who are cross-country. Once you reach the references, be prepared to ask probing questions about the nature of the relationship and inquire if there were any scheduling hiccups along the way or milestones missed. If there weren’t, you can be relatively sure that distance is a non-issue with that particular vendor.
There is a long list of criteria companies should use to screen and select vendors. However these days, location should be very low on the list, if there at all.
For years, it was critical that companies keep their vendors as close as their corner drugstore. You never knew when a layout would need to be changed or an impromptu meeting needed to be called. Being close by was essential. Then this thing called the Internet came along. It put a whole new spin on that face-to-face stuff. Together, with webcams and voice-over IP, being next door was a mere mouse-and-click away. Technology has truly made the global economy . . . well, global.
Still, the demand for finding vendors in the same zip code remains a common refrain for many companies, even today. Some feel that “down the street” affords 24/7 access. Other companies contend that proximity translates into top of mind incessantly. The ugly truth is that vendors think about their companies no more or no less due to location. In fact, we have found that our clients – even if they wanted to meet with us incessantly – have pressing time limitations. Their capacity to open up their calendars for us is a function of schedule, not of geography.
The ultimate question is that, in this era when competition is so fierce and demand for best practices has never been more pronounced, why should any company limit the universe of possible vendors due to location? Not only is it arguably foolhardy on several levels, it does the company’s stakeholders and management a disservice.
To that end, there are three relatively simple ways for companies to bridge the distance gap with their vendors:
1) Develop a realistic schedule at the project outset that features major milestones – points at which face-to-face presentations would clearly be beneficial. All of the other schedule junctures can be handled remotely.
2) Make sure both vendor and company is equipped with symbiotic technology. Are the webcams in sync? Has the company or vendor invested in a reliable teleconference service? Are both companies sharing the same remote desktop sharing system (GoToMeeting.com, WebEx, Microsoft Shared View, etc.)
3) Find vendors with a history of having worked with long distance clients. Ask for references of clients who are cross-country. Once you reach the references, be prepared to ask probing questions about the nature of the relationship and inquire if there were any scheduling hiccups along the way or milestones missed. If there weren’t, you can be relatively sure that distance is a non-issue with that particular vendor.
There is a long list of criteria companies should use to screen and select vendors. However these days, location should be very low on the list, if there at all.
