Technology Selection and Vendor Management Questions

Focuses on the process and criteria for selecting third party technologies and managing external vendor relationships. Topics include defining requirements, running evaluations and proofs of concept, scoring and benchmarking options, total cost of ownership analysis, risk assessment including vendor lock in and security posture, contract negotiation and service level agreements, integration and migration planning, governance for upgrading or replacing vendor products, and ongoing vendor relationship management and roadmap alignment. Candidates should discuss how to involve engineering, procurement, legal, and security stakeholders and how to pilot and measure vendor effectiveness.