life as a vendor
DESCRIPTION
Guest Lecturer for CUA LIS students, September 2014TRANSCRIPT
Life as Vendor in the Library and Information
WorldOr, how the “dark side” isn’t actually so “dark”
after all
Richard HuffineSenior Director for the U.S. Federal Government MarketProQuest
The Library World TodayO You know the types:
O AcademicO SchoolO PublicO Special
O Each type has its own set of challenges, brought on by technology and the way we interact with information in our daily lives
O I consider each type a “walled garden” where the differences often define their view of each other.
O Your skills and training can transfer though…and that goes for joining a vendor as well.
The Information World Today
O Libraries exist in a larger ecosystem…as much as libraries are changing, the information world is changing even faster.
O Other aspects of the information world:O Business to Business (B2B)O Business to Consumer (B2C)O Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
O Self publishing, social media, makerspaces… all of these are components of the information space that did not exist 15 years ago.
O Where libraries fit…and the role you will play in your careers is still unclear.
O The same is true for vendors that sell exclusively into libraries.
O As much as you want to revile library vendors, they are critical partners in your future success!
The Vendor LandscapeO There used to be some distinct categories of vendors:
O BooksellersO Journal PublishersO “Jobbers” – subscription and approval agentsO Database VendorsO Technology VendorsO Software VendorsO OCLC – cataloging and ILL
O Today, all of these things are combined and all of these things – content, technology, and services are often intermixed or combined.
O Vendors have consolidated both horizontally and vertically. O Libraries now have different choices about what they own,
and manage or what they want to lease, access or broker for their users,
The Starting PointO Everyone starts with what they have in place today
O What their users expect from themO What they already have configured, purchased, and
implementedO You need to understand what you have, what your
users value, and what you can sustainO The next step is to assess their value and determine
whether there is support for changingO Also decide if it went away, would anyone notice?O Many libraries use usage data and feedback to
calculate or estimate a return on investment (ROI)O That should factor in cost, time to manage, and time
saved by usersO Once you have an understanding of what you have and
what value it offers, then you have to prioritize
PrioritizationO Library Budgets are very fluid...but many of the components
in a library creep up in cost every year. Salaries, benefits, subscription prices, etc. all go up almost every year.
O There are also new ways to spend your money every year…new services, new materials, new programming, etc.
O You have to decide how valuable it is to maintain what you have versus investing in new things to engage your users and support the mission of your organization.
O Invariably, things will have to go and new things will come along. Even if you don’t do anything, services will end, journals will cease publication, and staff will leave.
O Every good leader has a short list of what can go and what would be great to add…just in case the budget changes.
Market ResearchO It is the job of the purchaser to always do their
homework before negotiating a purchase.O A lot of information may be anecdotal… There are
very few price lists available today, but you can:O Read the literature the companies provideO Have a trial of productsO Read reviewsO Consult with other libraries using the productO Ask questionsO Ask for quotes
O Once you think you know what you want, then you can start the process of purchasing it.
Skills You NeedO Assessment
O Evaluate your collections and services and assess their value to your patrons.
O Assess the impact of dropping a service or switching to an alternative provider.
O AnalysisO Take usage and cost data and determine if the service is
worth the cost. O Conduct a “bake off” with alternative providers.
O CommunicationO Articulate requirements to procurement and vendorsO Inform users if changes are coming and why
O NegotiationO State your case for reviewing the terms and finding the
right deal for both you, your users, and the vendor
ProcurementO In many organizations, there are a lot of steps
involved with buying anything. You have to:O Make sure you have the moneyO Justify the requirementO Ensure the product is accessibleO Seek competitive offersO Consider small and disadvantaged businessesO Document the considerations of alternativesO Document the reasons if sole source O Ensure it will work with your IT infrastructure
O For large purchases, you are rarely the person that actually buys what you need. There is a contracting officer or procurement manager that will buy it.
NegotiationsO Until the purchase is done, you can always negotiate on
price, terms, and renewals.O Even the most stringent seller has some amount of
“wiggle room” to address concerns and close the deal. O For some products, you can even go through an auction–
type process.O Even a “best price” can have terms or conditions that
can be negotiated before the deal is closed.O Your best opportunity will come if you are willing to walk
away. Always know what you’ll do if you cannot come to an agreement.
O Always know that the salespeople are looking to build a relationship that will last…they never want to have a purchase become adversarial.
Good Vendor RelationshipsO Start with mutual respectO Learn from one another
O You share with them why you need their productO They share with you how others use the product and what is
coming in the future for that productO Share
O If you have questions about functionality, compatibility, etc., ask for information.
O If usage is trending down, share your analysis.O If usage is going up or if you have comments from your users,
tell them what is working and what is not.O Communicate
O Take their calls, ask them to visit, and invite them to train your users.
O If you see changes coming, let them know early that their product is on the list…they may be able to help you save it.
Librarians Under the Hood
O Many library-focused products have librarians on staff, making the product work and developing new features.
O Librarians are also hired to provide:O Product managementO Editorial controlO Content selectionO Training and consulting O Implementation and maintenanceO Customer service and supportO Strategic planning and market analysis
Customer FeedbackO Vendors of all types are always listening to their
customers to make sure the product is valued and performs expected.
O In the information space, it is often hard to know how information will be used
O There are also all kinds of different was to approach information products and services.
O Good products become ubiquitous and people don’t need any specialized training to use them.
O But the best products have layers of capabilities beyond the easy mode that let users get very specific and be very precise.
O All usage of information products today, though, can be aggregated, analyzed, and can drive innovation over time.
Customer FeedbackO Good companies combine analytics with
anecdotal input from:O Focus groupsO Advisory CouncilsO Help Desk callsO Published reviewsO Tweets and blog postsO Customer visits
O All of this feedback contributes to developing product road maps that project how a product will evolve and change in the near- and long-term to meet customer requirements.
Skills You Need as a Vendor
O Project ManagementO Coordination of multiple aspects across time,
budget, and priorities in order to reach a projected result on time, on budget and ahead of schedule
O AnalysisO Collection and review of critical data inputs to
identify trends, recommend actions, and demonstrate results
O PresentationO Organization on information and formulating a
compelling argument in support of business objectives
O Attention to Detail
Skills You Need as a Vendor
O Knowledge of the MarketO Beyond just the job you performed, know how
the market as a whole works, both buyers and sellers
O Professional NetworkO Who are the Movers & Shakers; What they care
about and how they make decisionsO Experience in the Field
O Demonstrate proficiency and willingness to leadO Leadership in the Field
O Leadership at work but also in the profession as a whole. Contribute to the dialogue
RecommendationsRecommended Reading:O Buying and Selling Information: A Guide for Information Professionals
and Salespeople to Build Mutual Success by Michael L. Gruenberg (March 2014) ISBN 978-1573874786http://books.infotoday.com/books/Buying-and-Selling-Information.shtml
O Business Case for Information Services: EPA's Regional Libraries and Centersby Richard Huffine (January 2004)http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P1001SBK.TXT
Get Involved:O American Library Association (ALA)O Special Libraries Association (SLA)O Society of American Archivists (SAA)O District of Columbia Library Association (DCLA)O Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM)O Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
