Carlo Iacono is Head of Library Research Services at the University of Bath
During the torrid time that was 2020 it was both refreshing, challenging and insightful to take up the chance to negotiate a deal with Preservica for the University of Bath.
When preparing for a negotiation (and in fact this negotiation) I start by thinking about the best/worst case scenarios and then pinpoint my specific goal that represents the best case. Given the work that had already gone into looking into Preservica, it was relatively simple for me to understand what the best case was – ‘a deal that fitted our financial constraints, allowed us to set up Preservica in a way that worked for our requirements and could develop over time’. My mindset going into an initial online discussion was specifically to expect our requirements at a cost that worked. But, I specifically did not start with a list of requirements in the discussion, as I wanted to sound out the likelihood of a deal whilst both reflecting on Preservica’s approach and their ability to work with us to get to a deal. Of course, not being able to start this process face to face added a layer of difficulty but underlined a need to be clear, concise and honest. Their initial responses and ability to openly listen to our position gave me the belief to push forward.
Then it was a matter summarising the facts of our requirements, which thankfully having a marvellous knowledge base in my teams made straightforward. I took their detailed and thoughtful notes, and then both in a Teams meeting and via email communicated these as succinctly as possible. In effect this was an opportunity to present an audit of our requirements and connect this to my understanding of the potential offerings available to us. This stage was vital to prevent misunderstanding as the negotiations continued. This stage also gave me the opportunity to dig into and understand which of their differing options could work for us. These discussions also provided the opportunity for us ‘to get on the same page’ and provide the base for a deal that would work.
Whilst these negotiations continued, the other equally important element of this was to ensure both my teams and leadership were aware of where we were and how we were moving forward. Of course, within this rather broad statement their needs were somewhat different. The leadership team needed to be kept up to speed on the timing, mechanics and of course the cost of a deal. This period as many of you will be aware was a highly pressured time for finances, with calls to justify any expense (even if previously agreed). My teams needed to be kept up to speed on the discussions and I needed to ensure details was always passed on and checked over to ensure we were remaining true to our needs.
At this point knowing I had broad approval from my team and leadership, the base of a deal was ironed out with Preservica : the package we required; the broad payment proposal over the coming years; and the timetable for getting to a signed contract. What I’ve described above happened over the course of several weeks and whilst working through the contract and other requirements took longer, they were only possible due to the groundwork early in the piece.
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