When looking for the right IT Partner, you likely want the best help at a price point you’re willing to pay. However, not all partners are created equal in terms of pricing, services and personnel.

There are several considerations to keep in mind when evaluating the right fit for you. Let’s take a look at five of these critical factors:

Determine your needs. Are you looking for support on a short-term development project or do you want to shift tasks from your IT team, leaving them to perform more value-added responsibilities for the enterprise? For the first scenario, you want a company that has experience with this type of project—preferably with experience in your industry. In the second instance, determine whether the company has expertise in the tasks you’re looking to outsource and dedicated resources to accomplish each of them.

Determine your wants. With each passing year, the importance of the IT function increases across the enterprise. A high-functioning IT department is no longer a “nice to have,” it’s critical to the business. So while you’re thinking about your needs, also consider your wants, those longer-term projects or initiatives that may have been put on the backburner because of a lack of resources. Consider how a partner can help in the present, in the near future and in the longer term. A company that’s a perfect fit for your immediate needs may not be best-suited to a longer-term or more complex engagement.

Consider the ability to scale. You can think of this as a corollary to No. 2. If your engagement grows in contract size and complexity, can your resource partner keep up? There’s a big difference between someone with basic experience and no knowledge of best practices and a competent software architect or engineer who not only has the right Technical Expertise but also a firm grasp on the right way to do things. What type of people is an outsourced partner bringing to the table?

Ask about technical expertise and training. Which brings us to technical expertise throughout the organization. What’s the ratio of senior engineers and technical project managers to engineers, coders and QA staff? Who will be working on your account? Furthermore, consider the technical expertise of the account manager you will deal with on a day-to-day basis. Finally, what standards or best practices will be adhered to during the engagement? Software development should be modular, designed to easily fit with other components and with maximum connectivity to other modules within and without your organization.

Determine where the work will be performed. With many companies, you can have personnel at your location, near shore or off shore. There likely will be pricing differences among the three scenarios, so be sure to ask. Also ask about the competency level of not only the personnel who will be working on your account but also their supervisors. Who will be your liaison, a customer service rep or a technical account manager who can help you get the most out of your engagement?

Discover the Pyramid Solutions difference.

At your location, in country or around the world, Pyramid has assembled a top-notch team of designers, architects and engineers who follow best practices and accepted engineering paradigms so projects can scale up or down as necessary. We don’t cut corners to win business, because, like you, we’re in business for the long haul.

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