Almost every business owner has asked himself "How to choose the right IT company among thousands of different companies?" Becouse most of them have perfect websites with perfect company characteristics. The Internet is full of companies. It's hard to pick one.
In order to avoid making a mistake and choose the right IT company, we're gonna tell you the main критерії та кроки, які ви повинні зробити вибору надійного технічного партнера.
- Make a clear statement of your needs
You should understand your business problems and what kinds of services you need. Of course, you cannot be an expert in all areas, so you delegate certain tasks such as IT services. Only you know your business better than anyone else.
What's your basic need? At this point, what's your problem? How are you gonna achieve your goals? Answer these questions and move on.
- Ask for recommendations
If you're in business, you probably know someone who's also an entrepreneur, maybe in a different field. I'd guess that some of them have already been searching for and choosing IT companies. You might get recommendations from someone they know from experience or hear about people you shouldn't do business with. You need to talk to your business environment about it too. Make sure you take advantage of the experience of your acquaintances to save time, money, and effort.
- Make a list of 10 companies that can help you with your tech needs
Not every service provider is right for your organization. That's why you need narrow-profile specialists. There are also a few other things to consider:
- The IT service provider you choose should be able to effectively support your employees, whether they work in the office, at home, or from another country.
- Don't let specialists impose extra services on you despite their experience. Becouse you already know what you need. Follow your needs only.
- You need to ask your potential technology partners tough questions to see if they can handle your requests and if they have any ideas for improving your business.
- Don't pick the first company you see online. You'll have to spend some time finding the right technology partners. Analyze and shortlist at least 10 candidates.
- Make sure the company you're working with prioritizes security
Data on customers, performance reports, and confidential info shouldn't be leaked. You need to make sure your data is safe. Ask the company for security guarantees. Check out their supplier management programs, regulatory oversight, internal governance, and risk management systems.
- Pricing
Ten years back, outsourcing was primarily viewed as a cost-cutting strategy. However, in today's landscape, it's more about boosting business revenue through the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like IoT, machine learning, AI, and others. The adoption of Eastern European outsourcing vendors has been on the rise annually, driven by the escalating demand for specialists with a high level of expertise.
This is why outsourcing nowadays doesn't always translate to cost savings. Furthermore, opting for budget-friendly services might indicate subpar work quality or a lack of experience.
So, in this case, don't solely focus on cost savings; pay attention to the quality of services being offered to you. You can gain more insights on this from client reviews of the company.
- Team seniority
Another critical aspect in our guide on how to assess an IT service provider is the seniority of the company's team, not just the experience level of its developers. The contribution of business development managers, accountants, and financial controllers is significant for the project's success. There's a considerable risk of project failure if the provider's team lacks experience.
When it comes to software developers, there's a straightforward rule: the more experienced the developer, the better it is for the project overall. On larger projects, the development team may include not only senior developers but also middle or junior developers. However, it's crucial to note that junior developers may require supervision from their more experienced colleagues.
Highly complex tasks cannot be expected to be handled by an inexperienced developer. In contrast, a senior developer can independently design architecture and develop an application.
- Response time and communication
Another crucial measure of reliable managed IT service providers is their prompt response to client inquiries. In the event of an issue, it's optimal to reach out to your remote team as quickly as possible. Therefore, having a designated point of contact with the IT service provider, such as a dedicated account manager for your project, is a beneficial approach.
- Learn about the payment system
After they pass the communication and company competency checks, the payment system will be important. Don't get sucked into complicated subscription plans. Complex subscription plans leave plenty of room for hidden costs and fees. Be careful with fixed prices, as they often come with caveats, like different prices for engineering or labor. If you want, you can ask more questions:
- Will the company fix something that's broken for an hourly fee? Does the IT provider offer block hours that provide a certain amount of work per month for a fixed price? How about service agreements that specify exactly what the supplier will do for you each month regarding maintenance and repairs?
- Legal Considerations
After finalizing a deal with the IT provider, it's crucial to review the Intellectual Property clause in the agreement to ensure clarity regarding the ownership of all software products and source codes. This ownership should unequivocally belong to the client and be accessible upon request. Additionally, there should be an option to execute a non-disclosure agreement at any stage of the project.
- Check the company for compliance with their competencies
After talking to many companies, you can already pick a few leaders you want to work with. You can check out their case studies on the site and ask highly specialized technical questions. But at this point, it's all just words. The skills of technical specialists are proven by various certificates and diplomas.
There are a bunch of different products, services, and levels of training an IT professional can get IT certifications for. A greater number of certificates is generally better. Here is a list of the main industry certificates that you should pay attention to when choosing an IT provider:
- CompTIA A+ and Certified Systems Information Auditor (CSIA)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCSP).
You can check a provider's expertise and quality of service if they have these certificates. It's good to have at least one certificate from this list.
Other than that, you can get customer contact info from the IT reps at the company you like. You should do this when you and the company know that there is a high probability of your future working together.
- Finally, inquire with the company about guarantees
When establishing a long-term partnership with an IT service provider, it's reasonable to expect transparent and responsible handling of business processes to ensure the timely completion of the project. It's perfectly acceptable to ask the provider some upfront questions like "What happens if a developer can't handle a task?" or "Is there a trial period for our collaboration?"
A trustworthy business partner is open about potential challenges and is willing to shoulder associated risks.
If the provider requests a prepayment, there's no need for concern. It indicates the company's commitment to taking on the project and seeing it through. However, it's essential to ensure that your contract includes clauses addressing material breaches and prepayment refunds.
After you've passed all the previous steps, you should have a lot of data about several companies. You need to analyze everything and pick the one that's best for you. Besides financial and professional metrics, consider how comfortable it is to get in touch with the company's experts. Communication skills are important and you should enjoy communicating with the IT team because there will be a lot of that.
We're confident you'll find the right company! If you are starting to search for a tech company we suggest that you also analyze us. Get to know us and our main areas of expertise here. We'd be happy to show you our professional certificates. If you want to get in touch, leave your contact info.
What else can help you choose the perfect IT provider?
Don't forget to use rating platforms. This makes it easier to find and select an IT company, because all the companies' catalogs are in one place, so you save a lot of time. Customer reviews are also available.
Use this list when you're looking for an IT company.
- Clutch
- Capterra
- G2
- Trustpilot
- SoftwareSuggest
- SourceForge
- TrustRadius
- CrowdReviews
- SaasGenius
- Good Firms
Summary
When it comes to choosing an IT provider, you need to take it seriously. You have to make an effort and make sure to follow these basic steps to choose a company where you won't make a mistake.
If you're a small or medium-sized business owner, choosing an IT partner is one of your most important decisions.
Because they will be your closest advisers and assistants in future technological aspects of your business. Looking for an IT company that focuses on integrations and support of standard and custom solutions? Contact us for free estimate.
