The platforms that ran the organization's core business were hosted, built and supported by a single outside vendor. Every year, that dependency grew a little deeper.
Costs rose while leverage fell. Changes took longer and cost more. And much of the knowledge needed to run the organization's own business sat outside its walls.
Leadership asked a simple question: if we had to start again today, would we choose this model? The honest answer was no. The harder question was how to change it without disrupting the services people relied on every day.
Leaving a long-standing vendor is not a technology project. It is a business decision that has to be planned like one.
The challenge
A single vendor hosted, developed and supported the organization's core platforms. Costs were rising, leverage was falling, and the organization depended on the vendor for knowledge it needed to run its own business.
Our approach
We led an options analysis comparing hosting and support models, then built the business case with a live financial model, a 28-item risk register and a nine-phase transition plan. We separated the transition into a standalone agreement so that exit terms could be negotiated without reopening the master agreement.
- 1Strategy
Frame the decision
We compared realistic hosting and support options side by side, from staying as-is to a cloud environment the organization would own, and weighed each on cost, control, risk and continuity.
- 2Strategy
Build the case and the plan
A live financial model, a 28-item risk register with owners and mitigations, and a nine-phase transition plan turned the recommendation into a decision leadership could approve with confidence.
- 3Delivery
Separate the exit from the relationship
We structured the transition as its own agreement, so exit terms could be negotiated cleanly without reopening the rest of the contract.
- 4Delivery
Move in planned phases
Hosting, development and service desk move in sequence, each with clear entry and exit criteria, so services keep running throughout.
- 5Operations
Own it and run it
A clear operating model, ownership and governance are in place for the new environment, so control and knowledge stay with the organization.
The outcome
The recommended option was approved, with formal governance to oversee it. Hosting, development and service desk are now moving to an environment and team the organization controls.
The value delivered
What made it work
- Ask the start-again question. Would you choose this model today? If not, plan the change.
- Make the decision visible. Options, costs and risks side by side build confidence.
- Plan the exit like a program. Phases, criteria and owners keep services safe.
- Keep knowledge in-house. Control comes from owning architecture and data, not just infrastructure.
What it means for you
If one vendor holds more of your business than you are comfortable with, there is a structured way out. We can help you assess the options, build the case and plan a transition that keeps services running.