Information Audits
An Inventory of Services can confirm the total spent across the enterprise on research, subscriptions or memberships. The Inventory of Services is the first step to an efficient information research strategy!
An Information Audit can be defined as a process used to consolidate, eliminate, reduce and streamline cost associated with online information acquisition and use. Iconitel Consulting Services applies a systematic examination of information use, resources and flows, with a reference to both people and existing documents, in order to establish the extent to which they are contributing to an organization's objectives.
The Information Audit allows companies to take stock of their research expenditures across the enterprise. An effective information audit leverages a repeatable process to drive ongoing improvement in information management across an enterprise. Key steps in the audit range from determining how information should be valued to specific audit techniques and reporting guidelines.
A few services offered by Iconitel Consulting Services:
Information Auditing: assess your information needs on an individual, department, and company-wide basis.
Interview process to understand the information needs of each individual.
Valuate your existing information capabilities to see if they meet your needs .
Create an Information Strategy.
Identify areas of duplication, inefficiency, inadequacy and over-spending .
Review your company’s information-purchasing procedures and policies .
Setting up trials on services.
Survey for feedback.
Creating a preferred Vendor list – ensuring full utilization of all services.
Implementation of information solution.
Creating policies and procedures for purchasing information moving forward.
Creating information renewal policies and appointing champions within the company.
Develop an optimal information resources plan for your organization.
Contract Negotiations
We understand that effective contract management requires a serious commitment of time and knowledge. The contract negotiation process is a sophisticated process that includes complex language outlining terms and conditions, including but not limited to price, term, payment, content, users, distribution, indemnification and more.
Iconitel Consulting Services, Inc has negotiators with 28 years of industry experience. The list of vendors we have negotiated with is extensive and our industry knowledge and experience is deep. Although this is a tremendous advantage to us and our customers during the negotiation process, we are focused on a win-win solution for both customer and vendor.
We value our reputation and assist our customers to reduce costs by utilizing our industry knowledge to create sound negotiation strategies.
Our approach in creating a fact based negotiation strategy focused on:
Understanding your users.
Understanding your usage requirements.
Ensuring contractual terms supports users research behavior.
We accomplish this by following the following 6 steps during our review:
Step 1: Develop a need assessment document.
Step 2: Usage Analysis
Step 3: Competitive Review
Step 4: Contract Review
Step 5: Create the negotiation strategy
Step 6: Create implementation strategy
Contract Management
Our contract management solutions help bridge the gap between resource-intensive manual processes and a fully automated contract management solution. If you are managing hundreds of relationships and contracts that change on a frequent basis, we can help. Iconitel Consulting Services, Inc has negotiators with several years of industry experience. The list of vendors we have negotiated with is extensive and our industry knowledge and experience is deep. Although this is a tremendous advantage to us and our customers during the negotiation process, we are focused on a win-win solution for both customer and vendor.
We value our reputation and assist our customers to reduce cost by utilizing 12 years of industry knowledge to create sound negotiation strategies.
Services included under contract management:
Assist with negotiations to implement consolidation and elimination strategies
Contract review to identify opportunities, challenges or contract constraints
Contract management automation (renewals, user surveys, etc)
Vendor liaison to drive product awareness (open houses, vendor expos, etc)
Request for quotations or proposals
Outsource your contract management to us! A strong pro-active approach to managing your renewals:
Implementation and Administration services:
Pro-active approach to managing all upcoming renewals
Centralized approach through our contract implementation tool called AREUS
Contract consolidation and alignment reviews
90 day user profiling, including review for service efficiencies
90 day vendor notification on auto renewals and cancellations
Service comparisons
Consolidation and elimination of open or unutilized seats or services
Evaluation of infrastructures and requirements
Negotiating flexible contractual terms to allow mid year contract changes
Processing orders and contracts
Budget support – tracking and reporting cost on a departmental or user level.
Contract Negotiation Services:
Copyright compliance (seat allocation, copy, use, distribution, storage and archival).
Risk management to ensure prompt notification to vendors (90 day notification process internal and external for all upcoming renewals.
Create procedure to ensure tracking of all cost down to a user level and implement quarterly verification process to ensure accuracy at all time.
Continue administration of contracts through AREUS – Iconitel’s Contract Implementation Tool, to ensure accurate and complete vendor records.
Set-up and manage synchronization procedures with AREUS to ensure accurate reflection of active user status in AREUS at all times.