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VendorIQ
A focused starting point for a consequential decision.
VendorIQ is a focused entry point within Forward Deployed Operator. Work directly with Doug Sandstedt on a defined vendor or systems decision: what to keep, renegotiate, consolidate, source, or replace. Start with your operating requirements, not a preferred software stack.
A clear requirement, decision owner, and set of practical alternatives.
Commercial and implementation trade-offs supported by the information available.
A recommended next step with named ownership and explicit dependencies.
Define the Decision
Agree the priority, scope, source information, and decision criteria. Review the existing environment and include the option to improve what is already in place.
Solutions
Map the workflow, current vendors, contract dates, and dependencies that matter.
Start with a 15-minute phone call with Doug to confirm fit and the decision to scope.
Compare available pricing and terms using explicit sources, assumptions, and limitations.
Assign the Next Step
Turn the decision into an actionable handoff. If execution needs ongoing senior ownership, scope a Forward Deployed Operator engagement. Engineering, implementation, or managed operations are defined separately around the work required.
Solutions
Identify what can proceed, who approves it, and what must be resolved first.
Define adoption, performance, and review measures before implementing a change.
Keep the client’s authorized owner responsible for commercial commitments and consequential decisions.
Decision & Execution Capabilities
Vendor Evaluation & Shortlisting
Compare credible alternatives against the operating requirement, budget, and implementation constraints. Include the incumbent and platform-native options when they fit.
Requirements grounded in the work your team needs to perform.
Shortlists assessed on fit, cost, dependencies, and delivery risk.
Documented trade-offs before a new commitment.
Commercial & Contract Review
Review available costs, scope, renewal dates, and service commitments. Separate documented facts from estimates and identify questions for the vendor or your legal adviser.
Compare supplied terms and pricing on a consistent basis.
Identify potential savings or scope changes without promising a universal percentage.
Clarify obligations, approvals, and specialist review needs.
Implementation Planning
A good selection still needs a workable implementation. Define integration, ownership, onboarding, and adoption requirements before adding delivery work.
Map the implementation owner, dependencies, and review points.
Scope engineering or specialist delivery around agreed acceptance criteria.
Plan documentation, training, and the transition to ongoing ownership.
Vendor Performance Review
Use the performance and usage information available to review whether a vendor is doing the job. Agree the cadence, measures, and escalation path if ongoing review is in scope.
Review agreed service, cost, and adoption measures.
Flag documented gaps and the decision they require.
Prepare renewal options with clear evidence and limitations.
Systems Consolidation
Identify overlapping capabilities and disconnected workflows. Evaluate the cost and risk of changing systems alongside the potential benefit of keeping or consolidating them.
Inventory the vendors, licenses, users, and workflows in the agreed scope.
Compare practical consolidation and migration options.
Make transition costs, dependencies, and decision ownership explicit.
Forward Deployed Operator
When the mandate extends beyond vendor selection, Doug provides senior operating ownership across teams, systems, and delivery partners. Define the outcome, responsibilities, and review cadence together.
Connect the business case to the people and systems needed to execute.
Coordinate decisions and remove cross-functional delivery obstacles.
Scope ongoing FDO support separately; continuation is not automatic.
Best fit: a defined operating priority
Real-estate operating companies: Vendor and systems decisions spanning properties, entities, reporting, and operating teams.
Professional services: Decisions about client-delivery systems, administrative workflows, and constrained team capacity.
PE-backed businesses: A defined portfolio-company mandate for vendor rationalization, integration, or operating execution.
Growth technology: A funded technical or operating initiative with a clear sponsor, scope, and production requirement.
