IT outsourcing is gradually picking up speed. Even during the pandemic, there was almost a 4% rise in businesses hiring technology partners to manage their IT. And that trend shows no signs of slowing.
Perhaps you’ve already considered outsourcing some or all of your technology to a partner. But with so many experts on the market, how do you find the perfect fit for your business?
Read on for our quick guide on what you need to consider when choosing a technology partner.
What Services Do You Need?
Technology is a broad industry, and there are many different specialists within it. Before choosing a technology partner, you need to know what services you want. Here are some of the main ones:
- First Line IT Support
- Infrastructure
- IT Project Management
- Software (or one specific software)
- Websites
- Security
- Application development
Some technology companies may offer many of these services, whereas others will only provide some or one, like rdparena.com.
You might also find that some companies specialize in a specific industry. That can be useful if you work in a technical field where industry knowledge is essential (for example, medical equipment).
Are They a Good Cultural Match?
A partner offering IT help is different from a typical customer and supplier relationship.
You’ll need to work closely as a team and be able to have open and honest communications with each other. That means you’ll need to look for a partner that’s a good fit for the culture you have in your organization.
Suppose you’re a small, fast-paced organization that favors speed over processes with informal communication practices.
In that case, you probably won’t find a good match with a conservative, formal partner who has a background in working with large government organizations, for example.
Likewise, suppose you have strict internal processes. In that case, a small and agile partner offering software help might find it challenging working within that traditional business culture.
Check Out Their Support Model
You’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best possible tech help and customer service from your partner. And one way you can find this out is to look at their current support model.
First, take a look at whether they offer 9.5 support or 24/7. If your company works 9-5 and the partner is local, you might not need the added cost of 24/7.
But remember that most companies need round-the-clock support nowadays (for example, to avoid downtime on your website).
Another thing to check is whether you have named support contacts or need to go via a help desk. Find out whether they offer guarantees on how quickly they will respond to a new support ticket.
Read Case Studies
Finally, don’t forget to read testimonials and case studies to get a first-hand account of other customers’ experiences with the technology partner.
That will provide an insight into the processes and culture and how effective they are in terms of reliability and customer support.
Find the Perfect Technology Partner
Are you ready to hire professional support for your IT needs? If you’re planning to build a Flutter app, you can augment your team with needed developers like https://doit.software/services/staff-augmentation/flutter-developer.
Use this guide to make sure you pick the perfect long-term technology partner. Or explore our how-to section for some technical tips and tricks if you need to troubleshoot an urgent problem.
