Vendor Management and Partner Management: What's the Difference, and Why Does It Matter?

In the brave new world of higher education, collaboration with partners is becoming critical to the mission success of the university. Similar to how lean manufacturing changed vendors to partners, institutions must adapt in an environment where institutional clients often function as brokers of services. We will explore, through case studies, the differences between vendors and partners and their respective roles by considering the institutional risks and rewards.

OUTCOMES: Pinpoint strategic and mission-critical needs versus commodity purchases * Identify projects to select a vendor compared to projects for which a partner is a better choice * Explore the pitfalls of not-for-profit and for-profit partnerships and how to avoid them * Distinguish levels of institutional risk and constraints that may adversely impact vendor partnerships