Three core values underpin Theravada as a company and as a technology partner to some of the world’s leading brands. They are: Technical excellence; Continuous innovation; Equality without exception.
But what is it exactly that makes a good technology partner? We know for a fact that it’s far more than the technology on offer! If you’re scoping for a new technology partner, we recommend you make sure the company you choose, ticks the following boxes:
Relevant area of expertise
If you’re in the market for a technology partner, naturally you’ll be looking for one that has expertise within your market; they should be able to provide case studies and testimonials to demonstrate their depth of experience. An expert will know and be able to explain how the technologies you’re interested in will interact with your existing systems; that will make it easier to build a more strategy for your business.
Don’t look just at the company, also consider its individual parts. If you’re to be assigned an account manager, find out how long they’ve been working for the business, or, at least, within the market.
A partner with extensive experience and expertise brings learning from past projects and applies that understanding to help you to grow your business.
Transparency
From the very beginning, the lines of communication between yourselves and your prospective partner should be clear, honest and open. Both sides of the partnership should understand how the project in discussion will proceed; how long will it take? What are the costs involved? What possible challenges might you face in achieving your goals? And, if there any tool available so that you can keep a track on progress? Being on the same page in this respect is vital to preventing friction down the line.
Of course the world has a way of throwing up unexpected challenges. If these happen, then you need to be assured of full transparency from your partners; immediate alerts if issues arise plus details on the necessary steps to correct the problem.
Strategy
A good technology partner can become an extension of your own team, and as such, should understand the objectives of your business. With that understanding they should be able to deliver a well-thought out and strategic vision for your work together.
When you hire a new employee, you will be looking to see what they can add to your business, what new and interesting ideas can they bring? Selecting a partner is similar. Find a partner that can offer strategic insight, supplemented by their wider experience of the market, and you’ll be in a good position to succeed in the rapidly changing landscape.
A technology partnership shouldn’t stop once a solution is installed and running. Before choosing an organisation to work with, pay close attention to the SLAs in place, the promises they make and the testimonials of existing clients. If they promise the earth, they should be able to give tangible examples of how they will deliver on that promise.
Confirm also, whether you’ll be assigned an account manager – a single point of contact, who can take ownership of your relationship and manage any queries as they rise. What you don’t want is to be bounced between representatives, none of which has a deep understanding of your company of history together.
We say of ourselves that, whether a company is looking to react to changing demands within the market they work in, or they want to step ahead of their competition, we are an expert partner that can be relied upon for end-to-end consulting, product and service design, delivery and support.
Contact us to find out more.
