The Hidden Cost of Poor Vendor Management

In many residences, technology is often pieced together by suppliers rather than designed holistically. Vendors, by nature, are incentivised to sell, not to simplify. Without oversight, the family’s interests are subordinated to the vendor’s.

- Escalating cost

Families pay for systems and services they don’t need, or for multiple services covering the same function.

- Conflicting advice

Vendors recommend competing solutions, leaving estate managers caught in the middle.

- System failures

Technologies built in isolation struggle to integrate, leading to recurring breakdowns.

- Lack of accountability

When issues arise, each supplier blames the other. Estate staff end up firefighting, not managing.

- Proprietary lock-ins

Vendors promote closed systems only they can service, tying estates to their ongoing costs.

- Overlapping contracts

Security, AV, and networking firms all billing for overlapping support.

- Unnecessary upgrades

Vendors pushing new hardware every two years, regardless of estate need.

- Fragmented documentation

Each vendor keeps its own records; the estate itself has no master view.

- Neutral oversight

Appoint a trusted party whose only agenda is the family’s interests.

- System standardisation

Align technologies across properties. Avoid proprietary lock-ins in favour of interoperable, enterprise grade systems.

- Contract rationalisation

Review all agreements. Eliminate duplication. Negotiate from a position of estate wide understanding.

- Transparency protocols

Insist that suppliers justify every recommendation in writing, with alternatives presented.

- Accountability framework

Place responsibility for integration, performance, and alignment in a single point of estate oversight.

A principal with homes in London, New York, and Dubai faced spiralling costs and inconsistent technology. In London, AV ran on a closed system. In Dubai, security relied on a proprietary vendor. New York’s networking firm demanded biannual hardware refreshes.

We standardised systems across the three estates, consolidated contracts, and removed overlapping suppliers. Annual costs fell by 20%, integration improved, and staff reported far fewer issues.

Suppliers are essential, but they should not lead.

By bringing them under discreet oversight, estates restore control. The family’s interests take precedence, costs are contained, and technology quietly performs… as it should.