Solution Strategy and Vendor Navigation: How to Define What You Need Before the Market Tells You

By the time you start talking to vendors, how many of the decisions that will determine whether your investment succeeds have already been made — and how many of them were made explicitly?

Nov 4, 2026 15:00

—

16:00

GMT

Online (MS Teams)

For senior supply chain leaders only

How this meeting works

Practitioner-led working session
No pitches
Small-group, facilitated discussion
Works best when you can engage actively
Chatham House Rule
Limited places to preserve quality

Suggested Discussion Points

What assumptions most commonly harden into facts before the vendor selection process begins, and how to surface them first
How to develop requirements grounded in your operating model rather than shaped by vendor demonstrations
How to structure the build, buy, partner or wait decision so it is made explicitly rather than assumed
Where external advisers genuinely add value and what you should never outsource in a capability investment decision
What a selection process designed to surface decision-relevant information looks like — and how it differs from a standard RFP

Why this session exists

Most capability investments lock in the conditions for failure before any technology is chosen. By the time a vendor shortlist exists, untested assumptions have hardened, requirements have drifted toward what vendors already offer, and the selection process is optimised for vendor presentation rather than buyer decision-making.

This session examines what a structured pre-vendor stage looks like, how to develop requirements that are genuinely grounded in your operating model rather than shaped by market exposure, and how to run a selection process that surfaces decision-relevant information rather than credentials. It runs eight days before the Foundations for Change in-person meeting — for those attending both, the session is a useful way to sharpen the questions you bring into the room on 12 November.

What you'll leave with

A clearer view of which assumptions most commonly go untested before vendor selection begins — and how to surface them before they become expensive
Peer perspective on how to develop requirements that hold up under vendor pressure
A practical way to structure the build, buy, partner or wait decision explicitly rather than by default
A sharper sense of what a selection process looks like when it is designed to surface the right information rather than validate a preferred option

Who this meeting is for

This meeting is designed for people working through real operational and innovation decisions, rather than those seeking presentations or general inspiration.

Who for

Supply chain leaders approaching a vendor selection process and uncertain whether their requirements are grounded in their own context or shaped by early market exposure
Leaders who want to structure the make-or-buy decision explicitly before vendor conversations begin
Transformation leaders preparing for the Foundations for Change in-person meeting on 12 November and wanting to sharpen the questions they bring into the room

Who not for

Teams primarily looking for technology demonstrations or vendor comparisons
Anyone seeking a passive, webinar-style session rather than a peer discussion

How the online session works

Each session is designed as an online equivalent of a small, in-room roundtable discussion — not a passive, webinar-style presentation.

The format adapts to the topic and the experience in the room:

Where participants already have strong knowledge, we typically start by inviting individuals to expand on specific points they have shared in advance. This helps surface real-world context quickly and anchors the discussion in practical experience.
Where the topic is less familiar or more specialised, we may begin with a short explainer to establish a shared baseline before opening up the discussion.

To support productive dialogue, we often invite a subject-matter expert to join the session. This may be someone from a vendor, consultancy, or independent background — sometimes from within the community, sometimes external.

Their role is not to pitch or present a solution. Instead, they listen carefully to the discussion and reflect back:

how similar challenges have been approached in comparable organisations
what has worked (and what hasn’t) in practice
concrete examples that help translate discussion into action

This balance is deliberate. Without it, sessions can drift into abstract debate or problem-sharing. With it, discussions stay grounded and participants leave with tangible ideas they can apply in their own context.

The emphasis throughout is on shared learning, practical insight, and forward progress, rather than polished presentations or predetermined answers.

What happens next

Participation is confirmed through a short, staged process designed to ensure a good fit and a productive discussion for everyone in the room.

Step 1: Register interest

You start by entering your details and answering a short set of questions about your current context and the decisions on your radar.

Step 2: We sense-check fit and composition

We may follow up to clarify a few details. This is about making sure the discussion works for everyone in the room.

Step 3: You receive a personal invitation

Once confirmed, you will receive a personal invitation with the session agenda, who else will be joining, and clear joining instructions.

Online Discussion