Best practices for hardware procurement

Whether you’re beginning a data centre transformation programme or just trying to get your next application server provisioned, hardware procurement can be a stumbling block for many organisations with many hoops to jump through. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some key considerations and best practices for hardware procurement.

1. Understand current hardware and associated maintenance contracts

The best place to start is an accurate understanding of the as-is landscape, considering network, server and storage technology lifecycles and associated maintenance contracts.

2. Identify risks

How old is your technology, and how well supported is it? What business applications and data depend on it, and how critical are those applications and data to business operations? Identify and categorise business risks in terms of likelihood and impact, considering mitigations such as existing maintenance contracts.

3. Strategy

Do you still procure hardware via Capital Expenditure budgets and depreciate it over 5 years, or is it time to embrace cloud-like Operational Expenditure for on-premises hardware? Ask us for details.

Do you choose OEM maintenance contracts with new hardware, or Third Party Maintenance? Contact us to discuss what’s best for you.

4. Ensure your requirements are well thought out

With knowledge of your as-is technology estate, a risk-led approach to investment, and a chosen strategy, it’s time to properly define your requirements. Engaging vendors can help with this, but be sure to not break any procurement rules…

5. Know your procurement routes

Finally, understand the process you will need to follow and how many hoops you will need to jump through before order placement. Working in some sectors can be particularly tricky, but it’s all in the spirit of fair competition.