Choosing the Right Vendor on Style

Going through the traditional process of choosing the right organization to help you execute a key initiative is naturally very important.  When you get closer to the final stages there is another factor in the selection process that you’ll need to assess – does the vendor’s style match your organization’s culture.  You will want to know if there are any differences that will need to be addressed early on if you decide to go with them.

You should be very aware of your own corporate culture and how things get done where you work.  I’m talking about the process of how successful initiatives are run.  There are established procedures and expectations for being successful whether they are written down or not.  It’s very important that you understand what those are.

How to Check Vendor Referrals and Improve Outsourcing Success

OK, so you’ve gone through the selection process to pick just the right outside company to handle a VIP (very important project).  You’re feeling pretty good because you’ve gone through all the necessary legwork up front by defining the need, outlining the critical success factors, setting the budget, performing the RFI’s and RFP’s, conducting the demos and already began some preliminary negotiations.

Now it’s time to check the references.

No big deal.  This is just a formality, right?  I mean who is going to give you a reference that will not give a glowing review of the company you are just about to ink a contract with?  While that’s true, this is an excellent time to look into a crystal ball and get a sense for things you should watch out for after you sign the dotted line.  It’s also a chance to see how well you did in the selection process.