The Influence of IT Governance Mechanisms and Value-Based Selling in an IT Supplier-SME Collaboration

To be competitive, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need information technology (IT) to enhance and support their business models. IT governance (ITG) is common in large enterprises but is poorly suited to SMEs. To provide benefits to SMEs, it is therefore essential for IT suppliers to recommend appropriate ITG mechanisms and collaborate with their SME customers. Through the structured use of ITG mechanisms and value-based selling, IT suppliers can develop suitable products and strengthen both the customers' and their own businesses. In this study, the authors used qualitative interviews to explore how IT suppliers perceive the issues their SME customers face regarding their IT and business strategies and how they handle those issues. The findings highlight the challenges that SME customers must deal with when making IT strategic decisions and investments.