Industry overview
What is shaping information technology
IT services and technology companies sell to CIOs, IT heads and business leaders through long, multi-stakeholder buying cycles where trust and proof matter.
- Buying committees are getting larger
- Thought leadership and proof points shorten sales cycles
- Win/loss evidence improves bids
Client background
A global IT services company, working in United States, United Kingdom & Germany. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A global IT services company
- Sector
- Information technology
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Quantitative research, Qualitative research
Client challenge
The company was competing for cloud migration projects against global consultancies and specialist firms. Its proposals were often shortlisted but rarely won, and the sales team could not tell whether price, credentials or delivery confidence was the deciding factor. Leadership wanted evidence from buyers rather than opinions from inside the company.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: how IT leaders choose cloud migration partners.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 9 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 30 interviews, 450 survey responses.
Audiences we typically reach in information technology
CIOs and IT headsBusiness decision-makersProcurement teamsExisting clientsPartners and resellers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: United States, United Kingdom & Germany. Markets: United States, United Kingdom and Germany.
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Interviews with CIOs and IT directors
- 3B2B survey of IT decision-makers
- 4Insight
We interviewed CIOs, IT directors and infrastructure heads at mid-sized and large organisations who had recently selected a cloud partner, asking them to walk through their evaluation from long list to final decision. A survey of verified IT decision-makers from our business panel then measured the importance of migration methodology, security credentials, industry experience, pricing models and post-migration support. Interviews were conducted in English and German, and every survey respondent passed role and decision-involvement screening.
Business panelQuantitative researchQualitative research
Sampling strategy
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- interviews
- 30
- survey responses
- 450
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Buyers rarely chose on price alone.
- What separated winners was a clear migration plan with risk mitigation, evidence of similar projects in their industry and a credible plan for managing cloud costs after go-live.
Buyers were purchasing reduced risk, so proposals that made risk visible and manageable won more often.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: buyers were purchasing reduced risk, so proposals that made risk visible and manageable won more often.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: buyers rarely chose on price alone.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The company rebuilt its proposals around industry-specific case evidence and a cost optimisation commitment, and trained bid teams to lead with the migration plan.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do IT buyers choose a vendor?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.