An August, 2008 Info-Tech Impact Research report found that proactive, ongoing vendor management is a successful strategy for cutting costs. Renegotiating vendor contracts, consolidating providers, and replacing vendor offerings are cited as popular ways to reduce costs. Eight out of ten IT departments realize cost savings through these kinds of activities, and a full 78% realize the reductions they had originally predicted.

Despite this seemingly rosy picture, uncovering cost savings through vendor management requires a commitment. Info-Tech found that organizations that succeed have taken time to do so. One-third of IT departments take more than six months to realize savings from vendor management initiatives, and a further third report that this is an ongoing activity. Moreover, Info-Tech's interviews revealed that organizations who keep vendor costs optimized over time typically have a system of management set up.