Is your company planning a move to the cloud? Are you feeling lost? Confused? Not sure where to start? Have no fear! The right partner will be able to help you plan out your cloud strategy from start to finish and beyond. Sometimes, choosing an implementation partner in the sea of available options can be a bit daunting. How should you go about choosing the right implementation partner and what are some things to look for? Here are a few tips to get you started. Get Plenty of R&R That’s right. Reviews and References. A lot of companies will try to wow you with flashy sales pitches at the onset, but don’t let that sway you without doing your due diligence. Ask around to find out what other companies’ experiences have been with the vendor you’re considering. Just because the vendor lists all of the skills and experience you’re looking for on their website, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right fit. Search online to find out how the vendor has been rated in the past, get a second opinion from others in your industry, and ask the vendor to provide you with references you can contact. Flexibility is Key Make sure the partner you choose can work with all the tools you need. Avoid partners that are just hammers looking for a nail. Some vendors are so specialized, they may end up trying to bend your processes to cram them into the tool they know (instead of the tool that works best for you). The best vendors are flexible enough to adjust their approach to fit your unique needs. Remote, On Site, or Both? You know your team and business best. Are you and your team comfortable with a remote team or do you need people local, onsite, and fully dedicated to your project? Or somewhere in between? If you’ve never worked with a fully remote team before, be aware there is often an adjustment period. Take this into account when choosing your vendor, as many companies work with offshore or remote resources to save on costs. If you decide to work with a primarily remote resource, make sure you consider any travel expenses for the project budget. Also, be sure to use a system like Microsoft Teams that enables vendors or people external to your organization to join conference calls. How well do they understand you?
You may receive multiple quotes and it can sometimes be tempting to focus primarily on price point. However, some vendors will provide a low price without really understanding the requirements and your end goal. This can lead to scope creep and a huge spike in the price during implementation. Instead, make sure your partner has really listened to everything you need before they start offering you a quote. Ask if the implementation partner does a discovery and analysis phase before quoting the rest of the work. This will give them a better idea of your requirements and goals and in turn you’ll get a more accurate quote. Is it still a good fit? If you start the project and things don't feel like they're working out with the vendor you’ve chosen, it's easier and less costly to switch towards the beginning of the project (instead of waiting until they've completed a lot of configuration work). Don’t be afraid to provide feedback or ask for new consultants from the vendor if things aren’t working out with the initial team. Building several internal checkpoints along the way and encouraging continuous feedback from your team will help you identify any potential issues sooner rather than later. It’s important to make sure you’re still happy with the implementation partner’s performance all the way from kick-off through project close. How can we help? Still looking for the right partner to help plan your cloud strategy? The experienced team at Pivotal Consulting can help you build a strategy at any point in your cloud transformation journey that will help you meet the ever changing business and market requirements to modernize and transform the way you work. Get started today! |
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