To stay competitive in today’s dynamic business ecosystem, it is important to understand that having the latest technology is critical. Partnering with the right company to make it all work at the back end can make or break your technology initiatives. The pressure that companies face to make the latest technology work for them is likely to be two-fold– one, their customers demand a best-in-class user experience, which, two, requires a reinvention of their business processes and systems through optimal IT solutions. This is important to consider, whether you’re looking for ERP software for a small manufacturing business or assistance in using the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, SAP cloud services, Crystal Reports, or even just conducting a cyber security maturity assessment.
In this context, it is very important to choose the right technology partner to make the most of your technology investments, which could be a significant number. According to AMR Research, the average SMB spends 6.4% of its annual revenue on IT expenses[1]. With a plethora of technology companies operating in the market, it is understandable that narrowing down your choices to partner with just one that meets your company’s requirements, is not a straightforward or easy process. You would need to analyze various quantifiable and qualitative factors including customer needs, organizational objectives, future expansion and diversification plans, existing internal IT, and business solutions systems, among others before making this all-important decision.
So, what exactly should you look for while choosing a technology partner?
In deciding which technology company to work with, it is important to find one that becomes your partner rather than just a vendor. A technology partner doesn’t just sell you solutions and services, but rather takes the time to understand your business and recommend technology that meets your needs, thereby translating business requirements into IT deliverables. They make the effort to understand your existing technology landscape, and don’t come in recommending a rip and replace approach. They should be capable of assisting in integrating with older systems or legacy applications, migrating the data, and ensuring that your employees are trained and comfortable with the new solutions as part of their delivery process.
Your partner should be able to scale and adapt with your business growth and be capable of working on phased, scalable projects so you can validate their ability to stay on schedule and within the budget.
The choice of a right technology partner has a major impact on the success of your business. Here are some questions that you should be asking while choosing your technology partner:
- Do their results speak for them? You can ask for references to see if they put their customers first
- Do they offer substance beyond the flash? Their competencies should be a balance ofstrong technology as well as business competencies
- Are they approachable, adaptable and transparent in their interactions with you?
- Are they responsible, quality conscious and supportive of your expectations?
- Do they really care about your business? Have they researched your company to understand your pain-points?
- Are they respectful of your needs, deliverables and deadlines?
At Saberpoint we make sure to keep all these aspects top of mind for our customers. This is because we approach the project with a unique perspective, as we were customers of technology solutions before we started implementing them, giving us a unique perspective from both sides of the equation of being both customers and implementation partners.
Choosing a technology partner is a challenge every time, no matter how many times in the past you have gone about it. The right choice can win you laurels while wrong one can be a costly and time-consuming mistake, making this a very important building block for a company’s success.
[1]https://networkalliance.com/understanding-technology-costs/
