IT Sourcing Sorcerer

Join Ernie Zibert, the IT Sourcing Sorcerer, and his AI co-host, Tina, for EZ & AI – Lessons Learnt. In this introduction, they share practical lessons on better prompts, checking answers and keeping human judgement in charge—with candid insights and friendly banter.

Two perspectives. Plenty of questions. No autopilot.

Keep your head in the Cloud, but your feet on the ground.

A four-minute summary of Microsoft's 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report. Enjoy the listen.

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When AI moves from answering questions to taking actions, the governance question changes from ‘Is the answer right?’ to ‘What happens if AI does it twice?’

A virtual CIO (vCIO) provides access to executive-leveltechnology leadership on demand. You gain strategic advice, governance, commercial expertise, supplier management, and technology planning—all without carrying the full cost of a permanent executive. Via a vCIO, organisations can gain enterprise-grade CIO capabilities for around ten percent of the cost of a full-time executive resource. Also known as fractional executive adoption.

Are your IT services delivering real business value… or just keeping the lights on?

In this episode of the IT Sourcing Sorcerer Podcast, I break down the core ideas from my ebook “The SDM Formula”—and why Service Delivery Management is the missing link in many organisations.

💡 We explore:

✅ How to move from reactive IT to value-driven service delivery
✅ Why Governance, Performance & Relationships matter more than ever
✅ How to drive measurable outcomes across multi-vendor environments

In today’s world of cloud, outsourcing, and AI—strong service delivery isn’t optional. It’s a competitive advantage.

🎧 Tune in now and turn IT into a business enabler. And understand why the answer to this particular IT question is 4!

53% of leaders say productivity must increase, but 80% of the global workforce says they’re lacking the time or energy to do their work.

The first Frontier Firms are emerging, and 71% of workers at these firms say their company is thriving, compared to just 37% globally. Enjoy the listen.

“90% of Outsourcing Deals Lose Over Half Their Value—Here’s Why”

According to Ernie Zibert’s research, the problem isn’t outsourcing itself—it’s how we manage it.

📊 A survey of 100+ IT professionals revealed:

• 50% cite low customer satisfaction as the biggest issue
• 90% believe 60% or more of expected value is lost over the lifetime of an outsourcing deal
• Shockingly, 1 in 3 say 100% of value disappears,

The takeaway? Poor governance erodes value. If you’re outsourcing, rethink your approach today. Implement strong sourcing governance frameworks and tools like the Sourcing Compass to turn things around.

What’s the real difference between a $1 Million and a $1 Billion IT sourcing deal?

Surprisingly… almost nothing.

Whether you’re negotiating a small agreement or a mega-deal, the fundamentals remain the same:

✅ Contract clarity
✅Performance accountability (SLAs)
✅Transparent invoicing
✅Demand management
✅Relationship governance

Scale adds complexity—but the playbook doesn’t change.

If you’re a CIO, vCIO, VMO manager, or sourcing leader, focus on these five pillars and you’ll win—regardless of deal size. Enjoy the listen.

Are you still measuring outsourcing success by cost alone? 💰🤑💲

That’s a trap many organizations fall into—and it leads to missed opportunities, unhappy customers, and stalled innovation.

In my latest piece, I break down the Five Dimensions of Sourcing Value—a practical model that helps you:
✔ Reduce value leakage
✔ Align sourcing with strategic priorities
✔ Balance trade-offs between cost, flexibility, and customer satisfaction

Key takeaway: Outsourcing isn’t just about saving money. It’s about knowing where your Sourcing Value Compass points—and why.

Enjoy the listen. 🎧 👂

Unlock the Science Behind Sourcing Governance 🚀

Most organizations spend 70–80% of their IT budgets just “keeping the lights on”—and the same inefficiency plagues sourcing governance. The result? Strategic forums are often cosmetic, while operational meetings dominate. This imbalance costs businesses 15–50% of annual contract value in lost opportunities.

It’s time for a shift.
✅ People – Invest at least 5% of ACV in governance resources and ensure clear accountability.
✅ Processes – Own the right governance processes (Contract, Issues, SLAs, Invoice, Service Requests).
✅ Tools – Structure governance meetings with discipline and transparency using formulas like Fmtg = (Frequency, Type, Duration).

Good governance = clarity on “who talks with whom, about what, and when.”
When done right, sourcing governance moves from a rear-view mirror IT agenda to a proactive business value engine.

💡 Key takeaway: Effective governance isn’t optional—it’s the foundation for safer, cheaper, faster, smarter, and greener IT decisions.