You're considering outsourcing your IT. What are the most important qualities to look for in a vendor?

When considering IT outsourcing, the most important qualities to look for in a vendor are their ability to deliver services swiftly and with high quality. Speed ensures that project timelines are met and that the vendor can adapt quickly to changes, while quality guarantees that the delivered services or products meet the required standards and perform reliably. A vendor should have a proven track record of efficient project management, timely delivery, and adherence to quality assurance practices. It’s also essential to evaluate their communication processes, technical expertise, and customer feedback to ensure they can balance rapid execution with the delivery of exceptional results

Review their portfolio, testimonials, and references to assess how they've tackled similar projects and challenges. Additionally, certifications, such as ISO standards or industry-specific credentials, can provide assurance of their expertise and adherence to best practices.

When outsourcing IT, prioritize vendors with: 1. Reliability and expertise in your industry 2. Clear communication and responsiveness 3. Technical proficiency to meet project requirements 4. Scalability and flexibility 5. Emphasis on security measures and compliance

Look for vendors that adhere to industry-standard security protocols, such as encryption, access controls, and regular security audits. Additionally, inquire about their data backup and recovery procedures to ensure business continuity in case of any incidents. It's also crucial to have clear contractual agreements regarding data ownership, confidentiality, and compliance with relevant regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.

Establish clear channels of communication, such as regular meetings, status updates, and project management tools. Ensure that both parties have a shared understanding of project goals, timelines, and expectations. By fostering transparent communication and collaboration, you can maintain visibility into the progress of your projects and address any issues proactively.

Value is key, but it's not just about the cheapest option. We recently helped a small business with a limited budget. They needed a new website, but fancy features weren't their priority. Our team focused on building a user-friendly, secure website that fits their needs perfectly. We didn't try to upsell them on anything they didn't need. In the end, they got a great website for a fair price, and they're happy as can be. That's what value means to us.

While factors mentioned above can be considered as Hygiene factors, We should also consider some 'differentiators'. One important such factor is the culture of both the organizations and the cultural fit. This is very important as a cultural mismatch can potentially affect the engagement even when everything else is fine. And this is because culture will affect the relationship, how the work is passed on, how work is performed, what are the implicit expectations, what is the communication style, and so on and so forth. Even if the cultures do not match, as a buyer, it would help to understand the vendor's culture and try and adapt your styles to match theirs. This can also help if you have not been a part of the vendor selection process.