Food, beverages, fashion, cosmetics, automobiles, consumer goods. All companies today have something in common: to a greater or lesser extent, their operations depend on information technology. Therefore, the selection of IT suppliers is of great importance for the efficiency and profitability of an organization. In this article, the IT Companies By Li Creative offers some ideas to select the high quality IT providers for your company.
And in your company, how is it done and the choice of suppliers? Do you know what are the criteria that guarantee access to high quality IT providers? Do you understand the main terms that an IT outsourcing contract should have?
If you still have doubts when selecting your partners and closing deals, don’t miss this post. We’ll show you some essential steps for hiring – or discarding – IT providers.
Steps to select good IT vendors
1. Demand Adequate Information and Assistance During Deployment
It is not uncommon for companies to face difficulties when deploying an IT solution.
It takes time to correct errors, lack of a professional allocated specifically to monitor the process and incorrect parameterization are some of the problems that lead to a much longer stoppage of operations than initially planned.
Therefore, the contract must ensure that the supplier will place a professional at your company’s disposal to conduct this process. More than that, it must enable the internal team to deal with the new product and prepare it to use the solution efficiently.
2. Check the Company’s History in the Market
With the expansion of technology, many companies launched themselves on the market. However, the services they provide do not always receive a positive evaluation from their former and current customers.
Before hiring a supplier, it is essential to consult these assessments. It is also important to check how they carried out the project, and not just the proposal presented. What was the quality of the service provided? Was there adequate assistance during the implantation? And after-sales follow-up? What structure does the company have to offer?
It is also important to check the solidity of the organization, including the financial aspect. Have you ever imagined the inconvenience of investing in the implementation of a project and seeing your supplier close its doors shortly after, forcing you to start a new hiring process and bear the costs of this new partnership?
On the contrary, the ideal IT supplier is one that has the capacity to serve your company not only today, but that has a structure capable of keeping up with its growth and implementing solutions as they are needed.
Therefore, be sure of the supplier’s history, evaluating its service, ability to fulfill the contract and monitor the evolution of your organization.
3. Demand Cutting Edge Technologies
The IT area is constantly evolving, and it is not just about acquiring news to follow trends. The most advanced solutions promote productivity and profitability, and become true competitive advantages for organizations.
Therefore, the IT supplier must offer cutting edge technologies. Whether in the exchange of equipment or systems, it needs to provide the necessary conditions so that the company can compete and overcome the main rivals in the market.
The updated solution is one that not only offers the necessary resources, but also shows itself capable of dialoguing with other technologies. After all, new options in IT emerge every day, and the company cannot have its performance limited by applications unable to interact with innovations.
4. Check the Existence and Quality of Technical Support
No company expects to have to deal with failures or difficulties, but it must still be prepared to face them. Therefore, your IT supplier needs to be excellent not only before signing the contract, but especially after the sale.
It is common for the commercial service to “sell the fish” of the company in the best possible way and to guarantee, even with numbers, the quality of the support. However, before purchasing this “varnished” version, it is essential to check the facts and verify that the company provides assistance in the way it promises.
The best way to do this is to seek information from other customers and by contacting the support team. Analyze the information and check the average response time, the attendant’s preparation to solve simple and complex questions and the willingness to solve problems promptly.
5. Assess the Technical Training of the Team
The IT area has valuable instruments to ensure supplier training: certifications.
Issued by globally recognized institutes, these documents ensure that the supplier has experienced professionals and an infrastructure compatible with the services it intends to offer.
When the IT supplier has a large number of certifications, the customer is assured that he is able to fulfill the contracts according to the parameters established for the delivery of these services.
The ideal IT vendors are not the cheapest or the most expensive. On the contrary, they are the ones that offer the best cost-benefit ratio, ensuring that your company has all the necessary tools to optimize processes, leverage productivity, and increase the company’s profits.