Zone of Possible Agreement: Researching & Predicting Publishers’ Positions

The Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA) is where price agreement can happen during a negotiation. This range is between the minimum the seller is willing to sell and the maximum a buyer is willing to pay. When planning negotiation strategy, predicting your ZOPA can be critical to ensure the best agreement can be reached. While it is easier for libraries to determine your maximum price, estimating an e-resource vendor’s minimum price may feel daunting. This workshop will help provide resources and strategies for trying to determine your ZOPA including strategies such as analyzing historical price increases for your own library, researching pricing at other institutions, and using available market research and competitive intelligence resources to understand drivers for vendor decisions.Association of College & Research Libraries SPAR