When engaging a technology vendor there are absolutely some things
you can do that will help ensure you get the most for your money while getting
a quality product and even having some fun in the process. Let me share with
you some advice, of sorts, on how to maximize your return when working with a
vendor that is building software for you. These have worked for me when I've procured
technology vendors for companies like Coca-Cola, CNN and Dollywood.
1. Hire a partner that is smarter than you. Then trust them by
listening to them. These vendors have smart people working for them that have
had tons of experience across different verticals. Capitalize on that! They
have perspective that you don’t because they’ve been working with varied
industries. Some of them win awards for your competition! Get them to bring the
good stuff to your brand. Get a firm to bring you their best.
2. Tell them what you want, not how to do it. Your partner needs
you to give requirements not technology directives. Good firms will approach
this subject with you professionally when needed. Weak firms will do what you
say even though you are wrong. Stay away from the "Yes Men" firms.
Stick to explaining what you need the software to do and let the vendor decide
the details of how to build it. Remember, you hired a smart partner….didn’t
you?!
3. Pay your bills on-time. In a perfect world, this shouldn't
matter but this world is far from perfect. If your Account Manager doesn't have
to deal with past-due invoices they have more time to deliver quality and drive
velocity on the Development Team. Enough said here.
4. Be nice. It's that simple. Actually, I should have made this number
one in this list. Project Managers will fight for you if you’re nice. There are
tech firms with tech people that will give you far more than you paid for if
you are easy to work with. Trust me on this one!
5.Connect with your vendor on a personal level. That Project
Manager at your vendor has personal interests and they may even be the same as
yours. Get to know the vendor's senior leadership as well. It starts to get
real interesting for you when you find out the CEO of your software vendor has
season tickets to your favorite team. The main thing here though is not what
you can get out of them but rather you and the vendor will work better together
if you make a connection on a topic other than software.
Let me share with you one last thing that I think is really kind
of the "secret sauce" of getting the most bang for your buck with
technology vendors. This is not an opinion everyone agrees with but it's just
my advice: Don't be the smallest client
your vendor services.
If you are the smallest client then you'll tend to expect more
than your budget will allow for. The vendor will try to give you the same
service that they give Disney but let's be realistic. I've seen it happen. Even
the best software firms struggle with this. Your Account Manager will have to
fight to get resources for you and the contract will always be pulled out in
meetings. Smaller shops have less depth to their talent but he bigger shops
send their top talent to work on their biggest accounts. Wouldn't you
rather be the marquee client for a smaller shop than the smallest client of a
big shop?
You and your brand deserve the best experience possible from your
technology partner. So make it a true partnership! Partner with the right shop,
get in and get personal, give it your all and expect them to give their best as
well. Be nice, pay your bills and have fun along the way. Go build something
great together!
This article also appeared on the SOLTECH blog in August 2017.
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