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Vendor Management, Cost Savings, & Performance Boost Through Strategic Vendor Switch

Overview

Vendor management is a key part of IT leadership, requiring careful evaluation of cost, performance, and long-term value. In this project, I identified inefficiencies with an existing vendor, evaluated available solutions, selected SpamTitan as a new vendor, and implemented their service to significantly reduce spam for a fraction of the cost while improving overall email security.

Problem

The organization was facing an increasing volume of spam and phishing emails that slipped past existing filters. Additionally, the existing email filter in place didn't work as advertised and cost considerably more. This resulted in:

  • Decreased productivity as users spent time sorting spam.
  • Increased risk of credential theft and malware infection.
  • Frequent help desk tickets related to suspicious messages.
  • User frustration with unreliable filtering.
  • High recurring costs

Solution

I led a structured vendor assessment process that included:

  • Conducting a TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis of current vs. prospective vendors.
  • Gathering business requirements from stakeholders to align with organizational goals.
  • Issued a side-by-side comparison of cost, SLAs, and features across multiple providers.
  • Negotiating terms with the new vendor to ensure scalability, stronger SLAs, and better support.

Results

  • Reduced annual IT vendor costs by 70% without sacrificing service quality.
  • Improved SLA compliance, with faster response and resolution times.
  • Established a clear vendor scorecard for ongoing performance monitoring.
  • Freed up budget resources to reinvest in other initiatives.

Reflection

This project highlighted the importance of strategic vendor management as both a financial and operational lever. By combining cost analysis with stakeholder alignment, I delivered measurable savings while making improvements in security, productivity, and user experience—all while aligning with organizational cost and risk management goals. This project reinforced the value of IT as a driver of business efficiency.