Forever is a really long time, so the notion of FIF, or Fix it Forever, seems impossible, but apparently this could be one of those new business terms that’s coming into vogue now.

A good case in point came from a procurement professional from a Fortune 500 company who was brought in solve a “broken” outsourcing relationship the company had with its existing facilities and real estate management scope of work. The gentlemen was asked to run a competitive bid for a second time, and to “make sure we get it right.” Thus, the name of the project was known as FIF (Fix it Forever).

As he began to dig into how he was going to FIF, he realized that the problems were much deeper than a bad supplier who just didn’t get it. He then praised how Vested and the Vested books helped his company understand that the actual sourcing business model had structural flaws. The P&G case study had a big impact on the company as it outlined how P&G emphasized the need to find a partner that could “take charge of their buildings, not just take care of them.” The result? The procurement professional convinced his company to toss out itsr conventional RFP process and adopt a “Request for Partner™” approach.

Can anything really be “FIFed?” As I say “business happens” – so whatever problem you are fixing today is likely going to evolve and new problems will emerge. But having a partner with a WIIFWe mindset can make all the difference in the world. Ask P&G and Jones Lang LaSalle – who are now in their 11th year, with JLL winning P&G’s coveted supplier of the year award three out of 10 years (out of 80,000 suppliers).

Image: Partners by Olinclusive via Flickr cc