When it comes time for company decision-makers to select a technology partner, there are numerous considerations that should come into play. Because so much is riding on an enterprise's technological capabilities these days, choosing the provider that will support those systems is crucial.
In this way, executives must look not only at the types of services and solutions offered, but at the core values of the company itself to ensure the right match.
"Find a partner that understands the company's struggles and goals."
Keyword: Partner
In the current tech and business environments, organizations need more than a tech "provider" or "vendor." They need to find a true partner that will enable and support the company's key needs with advanced solutions that align with their unique requirements.
It's important to find a partner that understands the company, its current struggles and goals for the future. And a technology partner's core values can present a beneficial indication of just how well a partnership may go.
For instance, Steve Jobs once described Apple's core values as ownership, simplicity, courage and collaboration.
"It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple, to truly understand the underlying challenges, and to come up with elegant solutions," Jobs said, according to The Muse.
Finding a tech vendor that can become a partner, and not just a provider, is key. In this spirit, here are some core values to look out for:
1) Integrity based on experience
A tech partner that boasts integrity is an organization that businesses can count on to be honest, trustworthy and sincere about their capabilities and the services they provide to their clients. This type of partner builds up its integrity through experience, ideally with other businesses in the company's industry or marketplace.
Finding such a partner might be difficult, but taking a look at potential providers' case studies and other similar collateral can help.
2) Accountability and commitment to service
Building upon integrity, it's imperative to find a technology partner that values and supports accountability within its processes. This is especially important in the technology space, as an accountable partner can help support the business and ensure that service level guarantees are met.
Accountability and commitment to service go hand-in-hand when seeking out a technology partner. These values can translate to happy customers, positive reviews and success stories, and will also be evident in the provider's service portfolio. A committed partner will work to support an array of critical tech services, ensuring they can meet their clients' demands and requirements.
3) Dependable support
Finally, it's critical to seek out a partner that can provide reliable and dependable customer support. In this way, should anything go wrong during the customer lifecycle, or should a service interruption or other issue impact the company, stakeholders can reach out to their tech partner's customer service to get things resolved.
SFG provides a wide breadth of services and solutions to support advanced needs, and represents a true technology partner to our clients. To find out more, contact us today.
