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Choosing the Right Technology Vendor for Your Business

It is important to select and have the right software vendor for your business. With so many IT vendors available in the market making the right choice is a tricky thing. We suggest you to have a set of questions prepared by you in order to pick the right technology vendor.

How can you be sure of choosing the right vendor?

Make a note of your requirements and targets. Read available reviews about a company or individual you want to choose as your software vendor. Check for cross referencing about your potential vendors or extended help.

You must run a clean check on an IT solution provider’s credentials, backgrounds and certificates. It is important for a company to have growth. M Commerce Companies in India are popular in handling outsourced IT and mobile development work. You must pick a brand that has substantial growth in its field. A company might be new in the market but it is important to have presence, focus and noticeable growth.

What is your Requirement?

Before getting busy in picking a technology vendor you must know vividly as to what your requirements are. There might be times when you realize that you are not sure of the exact needs. This means you might not be able to foresee the end product. If you are not a technical person you might not be aware of the technicalities that come with a project. But as a client you must be sure of few things such as whether you want to have a fixed priced project or an hourly rated project route map.

If you have a clear set of requirements it bodes well for your project. In case you fail to have a well-chalked out project plan and requirements, you must invest on time and money (if needed) to clarify and make a note of your exact needs. It would help you to understand what exactly you want in terms of feasibility, costs, etc.

Fixed priced projects must have well-defined project scopes before they are routed for effort estimation and cost. The latter can be worked out well with your chosen vendor before journeying on the project.

Communication is important in every step. It is important for someone doing your job to know what he/she ‘exactly’ needs to do in order to get the best results. In case the project cannot be defined in specific terms, then the broad outlines of the project need to be defined in terms of scope, existing system /applications, updates, outcomes, technology options etc. Project effort may be defined in terms of man hours / days needed to be devoted for specific tasks.

Your goals come with a price. Whether you want a cost effective solution or just a good end product must be something you should be careful about. Needs and goals must fit your business requirements. You cannot leave empty spaces (not knowing your exact needs) to be filled by your chosen vendor.

In some cases, dedicated hires may be required. It is strongly recommended that the client is fully aware of the technologies/skills required to perform tasks based on dedicated hires. Based on that they should be able to interview and shortlist the personnel for the specific skills needed for the project. Be sure to validate bios, take video interviews if possible and conduct a technical test if possible.

Take note of your data security

It is important to sign official agreements such as NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) with vendors. This must be done before any detailed discussion takes place on new ideas or specific software requirements. Communication on Software requirements and related project dimensions must be discussed before initiating a project. Direct and specific software development agreements must be signed in order to ensure future data security.

Building good business relations is important but not without careful preventive measures. You may develop excellent terms with your software vendor but you must have prior agreement on data security. You must have all possession of finished products and raw files.

Data must never be held back by a company on any ground whatsoever. As a consumer you must ensure what happens when you leave your vendor. This is an area that should be bound legally. Being transparent will make you stand in clear waters without having to worry about your data security.

Look for Hidden Costs

Setting up and agreeing on a project budget is vital. Check for hidden points on payments within the contract. If you are willing to stick to an all-inclusive fixed amount then you must look for terms such as annual maintenance cost, added service charges, fees for in-person training and monthly support charges.

Effective Communication is Important

Communication is one of the most vital ingredients in ensuring a successful relationship while outsourcing work to overseas vendors. Many projects suffer due to poor communication than for the want of the correct technical skills. You must ensure that the vendor is comfortable communicating in the language of your choice. Strong written communications skills are vital. It may not be essential for the vendor to have great verbal /oral skills as most or all communication can be done in the form of written documents and messages.

Sharing texts will also form as a proof for future references on projects. Chances of miscommunication will be reduced.

FAQs for Vendors

=> Whether they will provide you with after sales support? – You must look for the credibility of a company in providing you with extended support.

=> Will the software or the app work on existing environments and systems? Before investing your money, time and energy on a vendor you must be sure of their abilities.

=> Whether cloud-based installation and updates would be there or not? You must have a firm say on upgrade and update management. Cloud-based updates come in handy. Get sure of a company’s website management and strategies before recruiting their services.

=> Will training and set up be easy? Vendors usually provide for set-up and training services. However it must be noted whether this is included in the implementation costs.