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5 Tips on Choosing Your Technology Partner

In retail, releasing products out into the world is usually exciting. After all, clients had options scattered across the internet – but they chose your creations.

That said, as refreshing as it is to create products and tell their story, there also exists the demanding task of ensuring great customer experience on the backend (the technical backbone that’ll actually keep your business running swiftly.)

If you design tech solutions for specific functions like customer service, inventory management, and billing, an easy way to provide a streamlined customer experience is to partner with 3rd party software firms. Some people believe that doing this could water down their brand, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Research has repeatedly proven that developing an internal mindset that’ll create room for the RIGHT external partnerships can help a retailer better deliver on its brand promises. Unfortunately, picking the right technology partner is easier said than done.

Some think it’s a simple task – just request for proposal software development, and you’re good to go. But as you’re about to learn, that isn’t nearly enough to effectively judge whether a prospective technology partner will meet your needs and standards.

5 Tips on Choosing Your Technology Partner

Here is everything you need to know about choosing the right technology partner.

Their Experience and Number of Specialists

Make an effort to know everything you can about the number of experts within the company. The higher the number of specialists, the higher the likelihood that even the smallest sections of your project will be covered.

You can easily obtain this information by checking out the company’s LinkedIn page. There, you’ll also find everything regarding the company’s past projects, their experience, the number of specialists, as well as the specific areas these doyens have specialized in.

Better yet, don’t hesitate to ask questions directly. Inquire everything you can about the company’s management and structure before committing yourself.

Check The Types of Methodology For Software Development your Technology Partner Uses or Prefers

Each program development procedure is unique and can have distinct complications when handled differently in varying different situations. It’s vital to ensure the company you’re about to partner with has a viable software development methodology (this is where requesting for proposal software development will come in handy.)

Typically, software development methodologies are divided into traditional and flexible approaches. Most tech partners will rely on agile methodologies that make processes adaptable to tweaks that happen in real-time.

Your tech partner’s development process should be the finest, which often includes sufficient project updates, early delivery, adaptive planning, and the necessary communication tools.

Trust: The Key Ingredient

Technical requirements aside, picking a technology partner has much to do with the trust element. The first way to tell whether or not your technology partner is committed to the cause is to ascertain that they love your clients just as much (if not more) as you do. The right partner should, because the last thing they want is to see you fail.

Also, since trust has to be earned, it’ll be up to the partner to live up to your high standards (way beyond the nukes and crannies of your contract.) For instance, are they willing to share unknown program features that your organization could benefit from?

Even more important, the right partner will dedicate their effort to understanding and analyzing your business, your clients’ specific needs, and the gaps you intend to fill. They’ll then help implement the program such that it puts your entire business at a competitive advantage.

Another thing worth noting – for a tech partnership to be successful, it’ll need to be a long-term relationship. Not a six-month contact.

Reliability

The other thing you’ll need to figure out is your budget and how the technology partner can help ensure you make the most of your hard-earned cash. Here is an example. Let’s say you need a website heatmap, A/B testing, and solutions that’ll tailor recommendations to your shoppers (if you run an e-commerce website.)

Instead of going for partnering with distinct companies for each task, you could find one or two that can handle all of your needs. Remember, fewer technology partners will also mean fewer truth sources when it comes to data.

Furthermore, to ensure the partner in question can actually handle all your needs, ask for a proof of concept or only pick a company that offers free trials.

Review Their Portfolio and Website

If you have a long list of software companies and are having a hard time making a final, educated decision, start by reviewing their portfolio and websites. Your goal here is to eliminate all but four or three companies whose offerings align with your needs and requirements.

Does the Firm’s site provide all the data you need to decide (like the number of completed projects, fields of expertise, contacts, industries, and more)?

Next, ensure each of these companies’ portfolios includes projects in the same niche or case studies solving problems similar to yours. Only such companies can best comprehend your business’ challenges.