You may (and should) choose an OutSystems partner according to your business needs, business metrics and the reality you are facing at the moment. Up until very recently, choosing an OutSystems partner was a one-off event. There was this idea that, once chosen, you should keep it for life. Nowadays, things are a bit different, for certainly.
This is even more of a fact, in an era that companies face things like digital transformation, which poses enormous challenges while everything changes in a blink of an eye.
Anyhow, ideally, when choosing an IT partner, keep in mind it must have the capacity to contribute with diverse skills and talents to the business, providing a sense of wholeness that, once you are alone, it would be impossible to achieve.
And, if the idea of being tired of facing out the same results on your IT solutions day in, day out sounds familiar; of wanting more and, still, your IT partner says “you have already the most you can get”; of working with the same company for years and still, don’t have quite the results you are looking for with your OutSystems partner; if all this sounds familiar to your organization, so it is time to rethink your activity…and maybe, just maybe, the partnership you have.
In fact, it might be time for a change. With that in mind, we want to help you find the yin to your yang, giving some expert tips you may (and, most of all), should follow.
Fact is that choosing an OutSystems partner is just the first step towards a partnership that should be successful for both sides. But, when the IT partner is not in the same wavelength you are, then you have a problem.
Time for a change!
Not all OutSystems partners work alike; not all are able to give you, exactly what you need. Find out which are the main facts you must have under consideration when evaluating your partnership:
1) Good technical skills plus an excellent background of the partner team
People are one of the most important assets in an organization, may it be yours or the one of your partner. When choosing, make sure you will be working with a team that knows exactly what you are talking about; they must have the right skills and an excellent technical background. Above all, you must be partnering with professionals.
Contrary to popular belief, trying to save money by going with the most economical choice is never the best path; so, you should make sure you have someone with you able to (correctly and rapidly) answer the needs you have identified.
2) An exceptional background…built on years of experience
There are no sectors alike; there are no business alike. Each one has their specific characteristics, more even on what concerns to law requirements, data sensibility and protection, taxes and all the items that grow around it.
That been said, it is a fact that the partner you choose to work with, must be aware of it all, must know the consequences of the paths they follow together and be able to adapt, in the best way possible, the project to that specific reality.
3) The ideal response times
One of the most difficult challenges companies face is how to be more flexible and adaptive in a dynamic and highly volatile business environment. Is how to be able to build a company that can identify and capitalize on opportunities, navigate around risks and other challenges, and respond quickly to changes in the environment, while putting important projects rapidly in the market.
Time is everything. Time to market even more! You (as CEO) know it; your clients, know it; your OutSystems partner must also know it.
If your company is developing a project that will make the difference towards your competitors, so it is important to have it done in the minimal time possible. Only assuring that, you are able to capitalize on the opportunity to have something that makes the difference on the business.
In this case, the right question you must pose is: do my current partner has the capacity, time and adequate team to ensure compliance with my deadlines?
4) Project Customization
Your brand is unique to your company – the graphical assets, the company culture and training, the way you develop, it all contributes to a reputable brand of commercial success. That is why we say customization is important to your project and your partner must be aware of that. Above all, he must be able to work on it the best way he (as a partner) can.
In this case, the right question you have to pose is: is my partner focused on customized projects? Are they able to work with tight deadlines?
5) Customer service and follow-up
Project is finished, the enterprise and mobile applications are all in place and working… And what about now? How can you guarantee an effective follow-up on the work made and a customer service if, and when, it may be necessary?
Nowadays, people will only stay loyal to a company if they have good reasons for it. Otherwise, there is plenty of competition on the market to choose from and to move to.
With this idea in mind, organizations must choose partners that are able to work even harder to keep customers happy and build their trust upon their work, day in day out. By providing the best customer service, partners should increase trust and reinforce the success of the work you are doing together.
Will your OutSystems partner be able to assure effective customer service after the end of the project? Will he be able to train your teams and keep them up-to-date?
Wrap up this ideas
ROI is the buzzword that everyone speaks about, but most organizations are far from being able to determine their effective return on investment. When talking about business ROI, this must be seen as more (much more) than just an acronym. In fact, it may reflect the difference between success and failure of a project or (even) a business plan. We know for sure that all the investment made on OutSystems low code must be justified under the concept of ROI, for everybody in the team to know exactly what will be able to get from the solutions in terms of day-to-day work. Having that under consideration, it is a fact that, if the OutSystems partner you have chosen is not able to give you the adequate ROI, so it is time to “ring a bell” on your IT department. For sure, it is time to change partners and get a new one.
Each case (organization) is unique and should be treated like that; with their different needs, their individual business plan, their distinctive paths and ways to growth, their special team and group of clients.
On the other hand, checking a partner’s reference is also a critical step towards the success of your business. Blue Screen is a systems integrator and software development partner of OutSystems. If you are looking for a new partner, contact us.