Finding the right technology partner is key to your business’s success, but it can be hard to know who to choose.

A lot of people think it’s simple – just look at their portfolio and see what they have done. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to judge whether or not they are going to be able to meet your needs. There are many things you need to take into account when choosing the best tech partners for your business.

This blog post will help guide you through the process of finding the right tech partners for your company. We’ll give some helpful tips on what to look out for, as well as explaining why it’s important to choose wisely!

Area of Expertise

Any well-regarded technology partner should have advanced to the point where they not only share their expertise in specific technologies but also assist their partners in creating a rock-solid product and a company around it.

The best technology partners are those who not only have the skills to help you build your product but also know how they can use their expertise in other areas of business.

Proactivity in a technological perspective can help in long-term development, and therefore care should be taken that the partner really understands the project, its goals, etc. Otherwise, expect a surprise when the product will be changed/upgraded later.

When you’re looking for a good partner, it’s important to consider bench strength, years of experience, and individual experience within the company. You should try understanding their previous projects and talk with their clients in order to get an idea about them.

At the end of the day, it isn’t enough to just write code. Real expertise is when a company has the experience and competence to find a solution that fits your strategy and leads you towards success.

Transparency and Communication

It’s important to have an understanding of the development process from day one. Ensure that your technology partner and you are on the same page about project requirements, development plan, engaging resources, and estimated cost before getting started with them.

A healthy relationship and a successful project require efficient communication. To understand the client’s requirements and keep him informed, each technology partner prefers various communication modes and feedback channels.

If a technology partner is unwilling to give you access to the development process (tools like Jira, or even Trello, or similar) so that you can get status updates whenever you want, you can keep searching for a more open technological partner.

You can tell a lot about the quality of your technology partner by their willingness to communicate and maintain transparency during the process. A few small details like response time, willingness to put additional efforts, open-mindedness towards suggestions from various stakeholders will help you in identifying a good partner for your project needs.

An average developer with good communication is always better than an expert developer with bad communication.

Consider the following questions:

• Are they able to communicate effectively?
• Do they ask questions to get a better understanding of your company and the problems you’re trying to solve?
• Or do they start by talking about money?
• Do they pay attention to you and know your priorities?
• Are they forthcoming about potential risks?
• When the call is over, do they respond to your emails promptly?

Passion and Credibility

Good technology partners are the ones who consider your product as their own. They are passionate about it, and they want to make sure that the product is successful.

They’ll help design the product architecture, deciding on the best technology stack for the job, and advising you on whether anything should be updated, added, or removed from the product, as well as the business implications. They will assist you before the product is successfully launched into the market, as well as afterward for additional support and maintenance.

And when things go wrong, good technology partners show the trait of “Credibility.” They never play the blame game and are always willing to accept responsibility for their mistakes. They strive to understand the client’s pain and come up with the best solution to implement.

Development Approach

Normally, every good development team strives to use the best software development methodology and deliver a high-quality end product.

But…

It is your responsibility to ensure that your potential technology partner uses the best development approach, which covers all facets of the development process, including writing various customer acceptance checks, quality assurance, maintaining a feedback recording system, and documenting minor and major changes and their implications.

Of course, you are not expected to know all the details about it at the start. The dev team should offer you options, and explain the +’s and -‘s of each approach so that you can make the right decision.

References

Even if your potential technical partner leaves you with no doubts and follows all of the standards mentioned above, having real feedback from their clients will help you get a better sense of what to expect.

Asking for a reference from an existing or previous client is a good way to get genuine feedback about a technology company.

Ask their clients about the quality of work, communication, and deadlines that were met or missed during a project’s execution phase, as well as how they would rate them on customer service in general (the ease with which you can reach someone at any given time).

If possible, ask if there are other projects currently being worked upon so it will be easier to see what kind of workload this company has been able to make to a room out from under its belt without sacrificing client satisfaction levels too much – especially important when considering long-term engagements where expectations may not always align perfectly upfront due to unforeseen circumstances like market changes, etc…

But keep in mind, in the IT industry, it is common for companies to have an NDA with a previous client (or licensing issues), and it is often impossible to look at old references or speak with old clients. In that case, it doesn’t have to be a red flag.

Commitment to Client’s Success

Software projects can be challenging with fast-moving technologies, and it’s important to partner up with the right people. A great technology partner will never hide problems but rather proactively suggest ways of overcoming them; they’re always open about potential issues, so you know what to expect.

Question to consider:

• Do they try to understand your long-term goals and priorities?
• Do they build the product in such a way that it can be scaled?
• Do they assist you not only during the production phase but even after the product has been released?
• A client-focused partner will ensure that you get a technology solution that meets your unique business needs and supports both your immediate and long-term goals.

Considering the Price

Don’t let the price be the only defining aspect. What looks like a “better deal” at first can actually make you pay 2-3x times more than necessary – and if your product doesn’t work, it might have to be rewritten from scratch, which will eat up any savings.

Still, it is important to make sure the company you are investing in offers value and it’s worth your time. In the long run, what matters most is not just saving money but also being able to return investments for a profit.

Consider the following:

• Do they provide value?
• Do they give clear and easy-to-understand estimations?
• Do they make recommendations for resource optimization?
• Do they consider whether the investment is likely to provide a return on investment?

But don’t let the numbers discourage you.  If you get the numbers that seem to be higher than expected, it doesn’t mean an investment isn’t worth it. If a company inspires confidence in its product and offers reasonable compensation, then price should not be your priority when making decisions about investing with them; there are other factors to take into consideration as well.

Conclusion

Choosing a technical partner can be difficult, time-consuming, and emotionally draining. But with the qualities mentioned in this article, you will find yourself equipped to make an informed decision that meets your needs.

This is not an easy task for any business owner or manager. It requires careful consideration of all aspects of the process before making a final decision on who to work with. 

We hope this article has helped you better understand what makes up a good technical partner and how they can help your company grow! If there are any other questions about finding the right fit for your company feels free to contact us anytime! 

We would love to hear from you!