Where can SMF help you reduce technology purchase costs?
SOFTWARE & SERVICES
SMF has crafted a methodology, purchase review process and negotiation practice that enables our clients to receive the best possible price for software/technology purchases AND maintain a positive ongoing relationship with your vendors. We have experts that cover most industries including Insurance, Higher Ed, Manufacturing, Retail, Distribution & Healthcare. But it doesn’t stop with software. In many of these industries the services costs 5x the license costs. Let our V.I. help you ensure budgets are inline with similar implementations from other companies.
MAINTENANCE AUDITS
Software is either the first or second largest category of IT spend. Of that total spend, MAINTENANCE and support are fifty to sixty percent of dollars spent annually. During the life cycle of enterprise applications, which average twelve to fifteen years, customers pay for the software four to five times over again without any tangible ROI. Let our experts work with you by performing a maintenance audit and reducing those ongoing costs by 10-20%.
COMPLIANCE
Software Compliance Audits are becoming more frequent for a host of reasons. The bottom line is vendors are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to revenue. The result is that many organizations are often faced with unplanned expenditures that may reach seven figures to resolve. Customers are generally not prepared for the wily arguments on which vendors base their demands. SMF has the experience, track record and knowledge of how address all issues associated with compliance. We are so confident of a successful outcome that SMF is only paid a percentage of your savings.
We work WITH existing PROCUREMENT teams to enhance their objectives and ensure FMV pricing or better, by providing comparative pricing on similar, recent deals. This arms them with valuable information they wouldn't have otherwise, we call it "Vendor Intelligence"
You Don't Pay Us Until After We Save You
SMF Advisors is a privately held company, specializing in applying Vendor Intelligence (VI) to the acquisition of technology and telecommunications products and services. SMF has crafted a methodology, purchase review process and negotiation practice that enables our clients to receive the best possible price for technology purchases AND maintain a positive ongoing relationship with your vendors.
Percentage of transactions where we significantly reduce cost
Our average amount saved per technology aquisition
Using our proprietary database of similar, recent transactions we save an average of 40% on software transactions
INDUSTRIES SERVED
HIGHER EDUCATION
Higher Ed is always under pressure to deliver on cost-sensitive budgets… and vendors just don’t “get it”. Whether Admissions, Student Information Systems, MDM, Analytics, or just moving things to the Cloud, let SMF help you lower your costs dramatically.
INSURANCE & FINANCE
SMF handles all Core Insurance solutions for both the P&C and L&H sides of the industry. We have deep insight into all systems including Policy Admin, Billing, Claims, Portal, BI, Finance, Compliance and the Services to implement these and other solutions. Allow our experts work with your existing procurement teams to drive significant savings. We understand this industry, the vendors and their margins based on dozens of large purchases we track each year.
STATE & LOCAL GOV
Significant opportunities and challenges face Public Sector entities. Many states and municipalities are leveraging cloud technologies to meet emerging citizen requests and expectations. Given the investment in legacy applications and data centers, Cities, Counties and States are faced with the financial as well as technical implications of such a migration. We are experts with regard to maintenance, renewals, term licensing and compliance audits. Our knowledge of licensing procedures and costs enable SMF to ensure our clients are not overpaying for an technologies.
HEALTHCARE
Healthcare costs are rising. Providers are investing large portions of their IT spend in technologies like EHR/EMR, newer HIS systems to replace older legacy systems, MDM (Master Data Management), and HIPAA compliant solutions such as Encryption (including secure group messaging and other tools), Access Control and Authentication to protect PHI.
SMF Advisors, a leading provider of Vendor Intelligence and pricing data for the Public Sector, announced today saved the Department of Human Services in a midwestern state saved over $230,000 using SMF’s unique Vendor Intelligence service to renegotiate enterprise renewal terms. “SMF is an expert in dealing with such scenarios in the public sector, and Read more about SUCCESS STORY: Government Saves $230,000 on Maintenance Renewal Using Vendor Intelligence[…]
(Atlanta, Georgia – February 28, 2019) SMF Advisors, a leading provider of Vendor Intelligence and pricing data to the Insurance, Healthcare & Supply Chain industries, today announced that a tier 2 US-based insurance carrier saved over $420,000 using SMF’s unique Vendor Intelligence data and methodology in purchasing a new claims administration system. “We are excited Read more about SUCCESS STORY: Tier 2 Carrier Saves Over $420k on new Claims System[…]
SMF Advisors, the leading provider of Vendor Intelligence™ comparative pricing for the insurance and financial services market, announced today that they helped reduce the cost of a new Master Data Management (MDM) system by $730,000 for a west-coast based FinServ company. “Financial Services company’s use data and Master Data Management to ensure that they have Read more about SUCCESS STORY: New Client Saves $730,000 on MDM Purchase Using Vendor Intelligence[…]
Whether in insurance, education, financial services, or any other industry, vendors want the BIG deal. Vendors are not inclined to be patient and earn your business module by module, project by project or year over year so they justify the transaction based on Present Value versus Future Value. The salesperson is paid a higher commission Read more about Insurance, Healthcare & Higher Ed: Is Purchasing an Entire Suite Always Sweet?[…]
Higher Education institutions are challenged to address a multitude of IT issues and subsequently purchase new technology to address these issues. Top on the list: Information security, student life cycle and success technologies, IT workforce, funding model’s business intelligence and analytics, enterprise application integration, along with e-learning and online education. Given the risk associated with Read more about Higher Education: Challenges in Technology & the Purchasing Process[…]
Application software – whether on premise or cloud – is priced and sold based on utility and value. Basing pricing on value enables vendors to charge a significantly higher price point than simple margin added to the cost of building the solution. Therefore, when a vendor discounts an enterprise product steeply and offers you a Read more about Buying Technology Should Be Like Buying Insurance – Use Data[…]
Let’s be truthful. We have all been indoctrinated with the belief that the Cloud is simple and cheap. Spin-up an instance and pay a much cheaper annual subscription fee. While it may be true that almost everyone is doing it in some form or fashion, the fact is, the technology and licensing considerations are more Read more about If the Cloud was so simple, everyone would be doing it…[…]
Ransomware is the newest form of extortion whereby a person, company or institution experiences a cyber holdup. The threat is real and it is generally brutal: pay immediately or suffer the consequences such as losing data or watching confidential information spread across the digital horizon. You did not expect to be held hostage and you Read more about Compliance Audits Are Like Ransomware[…]
Software is either the first or second largest category of IT spend. Of that total spend, fifty to sixty percent of dollars spent annually actually go toward maintenance and support. During the life cycle of enterprise applications, which average twelve to fifteen years, customers pay for the software four to five times over again without Read more about Software Maintenance Fees Are Eating Your Budget – But You Can Do Something[…]