Analytics for the Engagement Life Cycle of IBM's Highly Valued IT Service Contracts
IBM competes to win multi-million IT service contracts. These large contracts typically involve composite services composed of several thousands of software, hardware, and services. Examples are data center consolidation, migration of IT services to the cloud, and help desk services management. In response to clients’ request for proposals (RFPs), IBM and other competing IT service providers submit proposals. Clients short list a number of providers and engage with them through intense negotiations to select a final winner for the bid. Service providers maintain and manage a pipeline of such deals. Each deal goes through a life cycle which begins with the identification and validation of the opportunity, qualifying it, receiving a RFP, pursuing it with a team of business and technical sellers until the contract is signed or the deal is not won.