Why vendor recommendations shouldn't set a company's technology direction

Businesses often accumulate their technology stack through vendor recommendations rather than deliberate strategy, since vendors are rightly focused on selling their own products. Author Kevin M. Coles describes sitting in meetings where large platform purchases were approved largely because a vendor's presentation was persuasive, with no one comparing it to existing tools or weighing exit costs. He proposes a test: review the last five significant technology purchases and see who proposed each one, since vendor-driven choices indicate a lack of internal strategy. The remedy he suggests is not more bureaucracy but a dedicated owner who sits between the business and vendors, has no commission at stake, and is accountable for long-term outcomes. He notes that many small and mid-sized firms lack such a role, leaving vendors to fill the gap.