The CIPSA Special Category Forum - Buying and Managing IT & T

The IT environment is changing rapidly, presenting organisations with new challenges. The demands are especially pronounced in major projects, where long timelines inevitably mean changing software requirements through the project lifecycle.

 

Another significant development is cloud computing, which enables organisations to shift large parts of their IT budgets from capital expenditure to operational expenditure. Virtualisation of data centres allows for reduction in total costs plus the flexibility and scalability to respond to changes in business needs.

 

The consumerisation of IT is also having a major impact on procurement strategies. Employees' use of their own devices in the workplace is happening faster than many employers realise. This shift, driven by demand for mobility, requires a rethink of strategies and resources.

 

For procurement, many of these changes mean a new focus, shifting from acquisition costs to data management and maintenance costs.

 

The programme for this, our final Special Category Forum for 2011, will address the most current issues facing procurement professionals responsible for managing these complex and fast-changing categories. Given the “cutting edge” nature of much of this content, rather than including end-users who are struggling to meet the demands, the programme consists of an unusually high number of category experts, all of whom are actively involved at the leading edge of managing IT&T procurement.

 

 

On all of the 2011 Special Category Forums, CIPSA Conferences is working its benchmarking partner, Purchasing Index, to conduct a benchmarking exercise relevant to each category covered. The benchmarking will address both process and prices. On registration, delegates will be invited to participate in the benchmarking exercise, the results of which will be delivered at the forum. Delegates may choose to participate or not.

 

Naturally, all data will be treated as confidential, with the results delivered to the broader audience masked to conceal participants’ identity. Individual organisations will be supplied with their own visible benchmarks by Purchasing Index after the event. Where relevant, Purchasing Index will also provide supplementary benchmarking information from their own research, thus adding further value for delegates.