Defining a best-practice communications strategy requires establishing a planning starting point. To do this SVM professionals need to undertake a comprehensive audit of the company's communications operational current state that includes compiling use cases by different business divisions; determining the more popular and alternative procurement models; and identifying specific as well as general vendor management responsibility and processes. Key to a successful audit is obtaining wide business buy-in, which can be achieved by a combination of obtaining a mandate or official endorsement from the IT executive steering committee that includes key business leaders, and asking business operations executives for input and feedback starting with at least two major divisions and then socializing an opinion and concerns about comms technology input across all the major businesses. As a next step, SVM and the IT communicatons technology strategy planning team need to actively solicit feedback and additional data that will be used to develop the future-state communications technology vision. In this way, and specifically when the business stakeholders who've participated see their ideas and concerns reflected in the strategy planning documents, momentum will build for interest and readiness by the businesses to move forward faster to flesh out, finalize, and execute a new strategy.