Here's how you can foster effective collaboration with external partners and vendors as a digital strategist.

Vendors and external parties is really crucial to the execution level of your digital strategy. Hence you need to have a good collaboration with them. Some ideas below can help improve collaboration with them 1. Create an SLA. You and your external partners need to have a clear communication SLA depending on priority level. 2. Use a robust collaboration platform. Tools like Zoho Workplace can help you collaborate with external parties seamlessly. Whether you want communicate through email, chats, phone call, or online meetings all get covered perfectly and natively integrated. 3. Have a regular check in to update the progress and discuss any bottleneck.

Fostering effective collaboration with external partners and vendors would require clear communication, mutual trust, and shared goals. You will have to regularly align on the objectives, establish transparent processes and maintain open lines of feedback. Cultivate relationships by understanding each other's strengths and providing constructive support. Try to leverage collaborative tools and platforms for seamless coordination. Hope this helps :)

Foster stellar collaboration with external partners! Set Clear Goals & Expectations: Align everyone on project objectives, deliverables, and timelines. Open communication is key. Define Roles & Responsibilities: Outline what each party brings to the table. Avoid ambiguity to streamline workflows. Embrace Transparency & Regular Check-ins: Share information openly, fostering trust. Schedule regular meetings to address roadblocks and keep everyone informed. Leverage Technology: Utilize collaboration tools for seamless communication, document sharing, and project management. Build Relationships: Invest time in getting to know your partners. Strong connections lead to better problem-solving and a more positive experience.

Encontrar socios y proveedores que compartan los mismos valores en la vida y en el trabajo es crucial para el éxito a largo plazo de cualquier empresa. La alineación en valores facilita una comunicación más fluida y una colaboración más efectiva, lo que puede traducirse en una mayor productividad y eficiencia. Además, trabajar con personas que comparten nuestras creencias y principios fomenta un ambiente de confianza y respeto mutuo, reduciendo conflictos y mejorando la moral del equipo. Este alineamiento también asegura que todas las partes involucradas trabajen hacia objetivos comunes, lo cual es esencial para lograr una visión compartida y sostenible.

One time in my career, I used to believe that we must have all the capabilities ourselves. Starting 2008, especially as Digital evolved, collaborating with Partners became crucial. I had evolved a 3-tier strategy to align with the Vision and Purpose: Strategic capability partners - Those who bring in complementary and supplementary capabilities [that we did not have] to build a comprehensive portfolio that deliver Digital business outcomes. Strategic technology partners - Those who had technology and architecture that plugs in seamlessly with our proposed Digital Business Architecture. Tactical technology vendors - Those who brought in robust applications, technologies and infrastructure to deliver the Enterprise architecture.

Clear communication is crucial for successful collaboration. Establish regular communication channels and protocols to keep everyone informed and engaged. Use tools like video conferencing, project management software, and collaborative platforms to facilitate seamless interaction. Set up regular meetings to discuss progress, address challenges, and celebrate successes. Ensure that all communications are transparent and that feedback flows freely between all parties. By maintaining open, clear, and consistent communication, you can build strong, productive relationships with your external partners and vendors.

Clear communication is the lifeblood of successful partnerships. Establish open channels with external collaborators by providing regular updates, sharing information transparently, and responding promptly to queries. Utilize collaboration tools to facilitate seamless interactions and ensure all parties are informed about project developments. At AceDigital, we emphasize a proactive approach to communication, which helps preempt misunderstandings and build trust. Effective communication ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards common goals, fostering stronger and more productive partnerships.

Más allá de los valores, acuerdos o presupuestos, para mi la comunicación es la base de la relación con proveedores, socios, trabajadores. Priorizar comunicarse en proyectos de estrategia digital ayuda a ponerse de acuerdo con los márgenes de beneficio, repartición de la riqueza o beneficio entre equipo, incentivos o otras decisiones que son dolorosas cuando los valores de la vida son muy diferentes.

Defining roles clearly is essential for effective collaboration. Outline each party's responsibilities and deliverables to prevent overlap and gaps in the workflow, ensuring smoother project execution. By defining roles, you empower each partner to take ownership of their contributions, fostering accountability and respect for the expertise each entity brings. At AceDigital, we ensure roles are clearly defined, which helps maintain a structured and efficient collaboration process, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes for all parties involved.

One thing I've found helpful is to have your Strategic partners in the playing field when engaging customers. Customers gain confidence and evidence of your Systems Integration and Service Integration capabilities. We were lucky to have a brilliant set of 8 Strategic partners who were so glued in with us during our customer conversations that at the end, when my team won this strategic >$500 million deal, they mentioned that it was as if we were one organisation. This customer even vouched for our Strategic partnerships driven approach to Digital Business Transformation at a Gartner Summit. When we did a lessons learnt exercise, we realised the success factor was that we had built trust in each other.

Technology is a brilliant tool for effective collaboration especially when coordinating and collaborating with partners and vendors across many locations. For example, secure access must be in place when working on projects which require higher controls such as Export Compliant projects and so on. Secure encrypted data transfers and code transfers must be built in. The complexity and level of collaboration needed is higher in Applications modernisation to the cloud projects since the legacy must be maintained and there are many stakeholders, many applications, technology and infrastructure teams to be engaged. Cutover and post-cutover validation are when technology based process flow management are effective; especially data migration.

Fostering innovation from amongst partners can deliver superior value and greater costs optimisation. As examples: Digital commerce, Marketplaces & CRM play - A partner challenged our approach and came up with the most optimised suite of tools to embark on for a MVP. We were able to crunch the time. Advanced Data, Analytics & AI - GenAI is easy. We enjoyed working with a few partners who were able to seamlessly get the data off heavy equipment and the Work & Asset management data with robust API & Communication technologies. One of the partners assisted with a very effective Export compliant cloud. Other partners supported with robust suite of Data catalogues, Data lakes architecture. In summary, rather than SOW go with a SOO approach.

In my experience, it is possible in these 4 steps 1. Establish Regular Check-Ins: Schedule consistent meetings to discuss progress, address concerns, and adjust strategies as needed. This keeps everyone engaged and informed. 2. Create Shared Spaces: Use collaborative platforms where documents and resources can be shared and accessed easily by all parties involved, ensuring transparency. 3. Recognize and Respect Differences: Understand that different organizations may have varying processes and cultures. Acknowledge these differences and find common ground to work effectively. 4. Set Up Success Metrics: Define clear metrics for success that are agreed upon by all parties. This helps in measuring the effectiveness of collaboration.

To foster effective collaboration with external partners and vendors, establish clear communication channels and set expectations from the start. Schedule regular meetings to discuss progress, address concerns, and align on objectives. Use collaborative tools like shared project management software to keep everyone informed and coordinated. Build strong relationships by being transparent, responsive, and respectful, and ensure that all parties have a clear understanding of roles, responsibilities, and timelines. Regularly seek and provide feedback to continuously improve the partnership.