Wherever you are at in your purchasing journey,
CXponent can help.
We offer advisory services throughout the three crucial phases of a purchase.
However, if you would like support in one or two specific phases,
we have offerings for that as well as the ability to create customized projects.
Check out the graphic below
depicting the different stages of the buying journey.
Not sure where to start?
Looking for tech category specific service packages?
Once you’ve identified where you are at,
our offerings are organized by stage of the journey.
Finally, let’s talk about how we can support you
Set up a meeting.
Free Assessment Workshop
1.5 Hour Consultation & Report
In this 1.5 hour workshop, CXponent will work with your team to understand where you are at now and where you want to go. After your session, we will prepare a report for you that identifies your strengths, gaps, skills you will need on your team, risks, and the path forward.
Planning
RESEARCH REQUEST
Business Case Budgeting and Planning
Cost Reduction Assessment/ Tech Stack Audit
- Marketplace & Solution overview
- Market and product capabilities
- 3-4 Prospective vendor profiles with strengths and weakenesses
- Financial Considerations
- Expected Cost Models
- Budgetary market rates
- Project Funding TCO suggestions
- Planning support for the path forward
- Level of Effort to deploy
- Potential Risks
- Operating Model considerations
- Deeper dive in existing capabilties
- Document high level requirements
- Benefits and Risks context
- Project estimate with market rate quotes to support operating expese budget, Capita Expense, level of effort and TCO comparison
- Best fit project solutions, vendor and products
- Planning support for the path forward
- Implementation timeline with large milestones
- Level of Effort to deploy
- Potential Risks
- Operating Model considerations
- Workshop to understand existing capabilities, contraints, business drivers, and opportunities for improvement
- Document complete TCO to the specific category
- Gather and review current spend of tech stack audit & review
- Opportunities for optimization and savings identified
- Optional: Retain CXponent to execute on the cost savings
| Timeframe: 2-3 weeks | $0-5K Fixed price T&M or Retained Advisory |
| Timeframe: 2-6 weeks | $10-50K Fixed price T&M or Retained Advisory |
| Timeframe: 3+ months | $10-50K+ Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
Selection
Brokerage Desk
STRATEGIC SOURCING – PARTIAL RFP SUPPORT
STRATEGIC SOURCING – FULL RFP SUPPORT
- Project requirements, nice to haves, and strategic drivers
- 3-4 vendor quotes
- Executive summary on vendor capabilities, features and differentiation
- Timeline from signature to implementation
- Negotiated rates
- Contract Terms advisory
- Client Side Alignment
- Team goals discussions
- Customized support depending on where you are in the buying journey
- Resources provided to provideknowledge and expertise
- Level of Effort expectations and complexity
- Benefits and Risks context
- Timeline from Planning to Implementation
- Consensus points between Business and IT
- Resource types and function needed for implementation and future administration
- Financial Considerations
- Marketplace and Architecture
- Operational expense budget for licensings and services
- Considerations for building TCO analysis
- Capital expense budget for(including configuration and one-time development work)
- Level of Effort expectations and complexity
- Benefits and Risks Context
- Timeline from Planning to Implementation
- Consensus points between Business and IT
- Resource types and functions needed for implementation and future administration
- Vendor demo support and analysis
- Negotiation direction
- Final stages of the Buying Process coaching
| Timeframe: 1-3 weeks | Vendor Partner Funded |
| Timeframe: 2-3+ days | $10-50K Fixed Price Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
| Timeframe: 3+ months | $10-50K+ Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
Deploy & Operate
PROJECT READINESS
PROJECT MOBILIZATION
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- Sales Service Order/Product Scope review
- App & System Integration Requirement Review
- Business Case Review
- Implementation Readiness Assessment
- Operating Model Prep
- Change Management Plan
- Expected Benefits & Risk Review
- Sales Service Order/Product Scope review
- App & System Integration Requirement Review
- Business Case Review
- Implementation Readiness Assessment
- Operating Model Prep
- Change Management Plan
- Expected Benefits & Risk Review
- Program Plan
- Shared Services and BU Responsibilities
- IT Architecture Review
- Business Unit Profiles
- Sales Service Order/Product Scope review
- Business Case Validation & Tracking
- Program Management; Program Plan, Implementation Management, Executive Steering, Risk Management, Business Unit ,Profiles,etc
- Training (optional)
- Change Communications Plan
- Business Relationship Management/Business Analyst ,Resources
- Operating Model Prep
- IT Architecture Validation
- Vendor Management Prep: QBR Prep, Coaching & Org Map
| Timeframe: 2 weeks-30 days | $5-15K Fixed price Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
| Timeframe: 45-60 Days | $10-50K Fixed price Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
| Timeframe: 3+ months | $10-50K+ per month Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
Planning
PROJECT REQUEST
- Marketplace & Solution overview
- Market and product capabilities
- 3-4 Prospective vendor profiles with strengths and weakenesses
- Financial Considerations
- Expected Cost Models
- Budgetary market rates
- Project Funding TCO suggestions
- Planning support for the path forward
- Level of Effort to deploy
- Potential Risks
- Operating Model considerations
| Timeframe: 2-6 weeks | $10-50K Fixed price T&M or Retained Advisory |
BUSINESS CASE BUDGETING AND PLANNING
- Deeper dive in existing capabilties
- Document high level requirements
- Benefits and Risks context
- Project estimate with market rate quotes to support operating expese budget, Capita Expense, level of effort and TCO comparison
- Best fit project solutions, vendor and products
- Planning support for the path forward
- Implementation timeline with large milestones
- Level of Effort to deploy
- Potential Risks
- Operating Model considerations
| Timeframe: 2-6 weeks | $10-50K Fixed price T&M or Retained Advisory |
COST REDUCTION ASSESSMENT /TECH STACK AUDIT
- Workshop to understand existing capabilities, contraints, business drivers, and opportunities for improvement
- Document complete TCO to the specific category
- Gather and review current spend of tech stack audit & review
- Opportunities for optimization and savings identified
- Optional: Retain CXponent to execute on the cost savings
| Timeframe: 3+ months | $10-50K+ Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
Selection
BROKERAGE DESK
- Project requirements, nice to haves, and strategic drivers
- 3-4 vendor quotes
- Executive summary on vendor capabilities, features and differentiation
- Timeline from signature to implementation
- Negotiated rates
- Contract Terms advisory
| Timeframe: 1-3 weeks | Vendor Partner Funded |
STRATEGIC SOURCING – PARTIAL RFT SUPPORT
- Client Side Alignment
- Team goals discussions
- Customized support depending on where you are in the buying journey
- Resources provided to provideknowledge and expertise
- Level of Effort expectations and complexity
- Benefits and Risks context
- Timeline from Planning to Implementation
- Consensus points between Business and IT
- Resource types and function needed for implementation and future administration
- Financial Considerations
- Marketplace and Architecture
| Timeframe: 1-3 weeks | Vendor Partner Funded |
STRATEGIC SOURCING – FULL RFT SUPPORT
- Operational expense budget for licensings and services
- Considerations for building TCO analysis
- Capital expense budget for(including configuration and one-time development work)
- Level of Effort expectations and complexity
- Benefits and Risks Context
- Timeline from Planning to Implementation
- Consensus points between Business and IT
- Resource types and functions needed for implementation and future administration
- Vendor demo support and analysis
- Negotiation direction
- Final stages of the Buying Process coaching
| Timeframe: 3+ months | $10-50K Fixed Price Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
Deploy & Operate
PROJECT READINESS
- Sales Service Order/Product Scope review
- App & System Integration Requirement Review
- Business Case Review
- Implementation Readiness Assessment
- Operating Model Prep
- Change Management Plan
- Expected Benefits & Risk Review
| Timeframe: 2 weeks-30 days | $5-15K Fixed price Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
PROJECT MOBILIZATION
- Sales Service Order/Product Scope review
- App & System Integration Requirement Review
- Business Case Review
- Implementation Readiness Assessment
- Operating Model Prep
- Change Management Plan
- Expected Benefits & Risk Review
- Program Plan
- Shared Services and BU Responsibilities
- IT Architecture Review
- Business Unit Profiles
| Timeframe: 45-60 days | $10-50K Fixed price Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- Sales Service Order/Product Scope review
- Business Case Validation & Tracking
- Program Management; Program Plan, Implementation Management, Executive Steering, Risk Management, Business Unit ,Profiles,etc
- Training (optional)
- Change Communications Plan
- Business Relationship Management/Business Analyst ,Resources
- Operating Model Prep
- IT Architecture Validation
- Vendor Management Prep: QBR Prep, Coaching & Org Map
| Timeframe: 3+ months | $10-50K+ per month Discounts with Vendor Partner Funding |
Planning
Research Request
Gather relevant research that goes a layer deeper and more specific than Gartner. Take advantage of CXponent’s experience and industry knowledge to save yourself and your team time spent researching, sorting and analyzing through similar marketing collateral and contradicting industry research.
Typical products for this offering:
CX: CCaaS – Customer Journey Orchestration, Outbound Dialer, Conversational Analytics, Self-Service Capabilities
Hybrid Work from Anywhere/DEX: UCaaS, Desktop as a Service/VDI,
Cloud & Managed Security: Zero-Trust Network Access; DDoS Mitigation; Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
Business Case
Budgeting and Planning
CXponent can quickly gather the key information your team needs for budgeting and planning your upcoming technology investment. We will prepare a project budget estimate that takes into account the total cost of ownership as well as an outline of the expected business benefits.
Cost Reduction Assessment/Tech Stack Audit
Our team will audit and review the current spend of your tech stack, usually with some focus in a category or function. We will then identify opportunities for optimization and savings. This package pairs well with our Advisory services.
Typical products for this offering:
Customer Experience Tech Stack, Security, Network & Voice (WAN and Mobile)
Selection
Brokerage Desk
Do you know what you need, but don’t have the time to find relevant vendors and solutions? CXponent can help your team overcome the biggest disadvantages that occasional tech buyers have: the lack of expertise when dealing with full-time sellers.
Take advantage of CXponent’s experience and industry knowledge to save yourself and your team time and money when trying to close a deal.
Typical products for this offering:
CX: ACD/IVR, Auto-QA, Digital Channels (Web, e-mail, Mobile, SMS, Social), Branded Caller ID,
Hybrid Work from Anywhere/DEX: UCaaS, Desktop as a Service/VDI,
Cloud & Managed Security: Zero-Trust Network Access; DDoS Mitigation;
WAN & Data Center Infrastructure: WAN and Cloud Circuits, Colocation, Expense Management
Strategic Sourcing –
RFP Lite all the way to Full RFP
With our strategic sourcing services package, you get end-to-end support or you can customize a package that focuses on specific areas of the buying journey. Our experts seamlessly integrate with your team, giving you the knowledge and expertise you need to buy with confidence. Let’s talk and create a plan that works for your team and goals.
Typical products for this offering:
Can apply to any category, but evaluations get more complex when they consist of multiple variations of products:
Typical Platform Evaluans; CCaaS – Customer Journey Orchestration, UCaaS, SASE & Network Transformation, Managed Security Services (MDR & SOC)
Deploy & Operate
Project Readiness
Before you get started on your deployment, make sure you are prepared and understand where there might be obstacles.
When you partner with CXponent, we will do an implementation readiness assessment that will identify risks and blind spots to help you create a plan to deploy successfully.
Project Mobilization
Understand the unique business-driven technology needs by creating visibility, structure, and effective communication during implementation. Leverage CXponent’s experience, market knowledge, and relationships to identify potential risks and opportunities regarding stakeholder expectations, organizational alignment, and timeline to meet executives.
Ensure the timelines for the reach project are being met to ensure accurate tracking of the financial metrics needed for continued successful funding of the project and assurance of benefits realization.
Program Management
With our program management plan, we will partner with you to oversee the management of the deployment plan. We’ll customize our PMO role based on your needs across Change Communications, IT-Business alignment, Executive Steering & governance, financial reporting, and more.
We will act as members of your team to drive effective implementation, change management, and adoption with your team while managing the interactions with the vendor.
Tech Category Specific Service Packages
CX & Contact Center
API Integration Assessment
Requirements Review & Recommendations – One of the most commonly overlooked components of an evaluation is being specific enough on your primary App Integration requirements.
CXponent can document and refine your requirements and expectations for Application Integrations to put more accountability on the vendors when committing to integration capabilities.
Contact Center and CX Assessments
We partner with specialized products and Management Consulting firms to deliver assessments at different layers of depth in the following areas;
- Call Deflection Analysis, Automation, WFM, QA Program quality, Conversational Analytics Assessment, and Operational Reporting
Cloud & Network Security
SASE WAN Roadmap
An advisory assessment that will gather your current state maturity, outline your future architecture, and frame out phases of your SASE architecture journey as a roadmap for adoption. There’s often an opportunity to fund these projects through network optimization.
Security Risk Management Assessment
Through a Cybersecurity lens, we will review and provide recommendations on your Strategy, Technology Stack, Processes (including controls), Compliance, and Operations.
DDoS Market Analysis
A rising attack surface for ransomware, DDoS Mitigation services are still underutilized with differing cost models; we can provide quick insights into what that means for you.
Retained Advisory
CXponent can act as a retained advisor to your team for your fractional CIO needs as well as M&A IT advisory needs.
Preferred Consultant Network
Work with CXponent to find a qualified, proven consultant. We have an extensive list of people we know and trust who can help you with myriad projects and processes.