The 5 most common mistakes when choosing a technology partner
The digital solutions’ offer is vast and expands daily. Most of the companies that look for us have gone through previous bad experiences since they did not know how to identify the quality of what was offered until they obtained the result.
Some considerations may seem a bit obvious, but the truth is that many of the problems arise from taking for granted things that never were. So let us tell you how we do it at Reign when we sit down to talk.
Today, knowing the new trends is a requirement
The technology fast pace has transformed the way companies develop. Those that remain on the sidelines of innovation become isolated, or worse, end up with obsolete technology.
For this reason, besides recommending you to be aware of the latest new technology trends for your company’s benefit, you must know how well-informed potential partners are.
For example, it is important to know how they provide the service or product, whether on-premise or cloud (hopefully the latter). Or to know what their perspective on cybersecurity and system protection is. This way, we can ensure that we are in contact with a company aware of the environment in which it operates.
A deep modular strategy
We have had clients who have told us about experiences that, in the beginning, meant a significant advantage over the rest. Eventually, however, and as the environment changed, they were left behind, either because the supplier did not want to accommodate the new needs or simply because their product’s rigidity was unable to incorporate modifications.
The last few years have strengthened the philosophy we follow at Reign: change should not be resisted but integrated as part of your evolution. And your platforms must be prepared to live it constantly. At least for us, that’s the beauty of headless that allows us to be ready for the unknown.
Using a modular strategy has become the best alternative, for example, composable commerce and its advantages for big brands. They have complete freedom to integrate or remove services without restricting their platforms by exclusive contracts or incompatibilities.
Affinity also matters
Does it require further explanation? It is practically impossible to establish a business relationship with people we cannot communicate with on a basic level. This is key because the idea behind a partner is just that, a relationship where both seek to meet goals, support each other and deliver what is promised. To illustrate, if the conversation starts, develops, and concludes around payments, then that's not it. And not because the costs don't matter; it's because the real value is not in the invoice.
Technology is constant learning, which implies that your partner must be transparent and encourage your teams to acquire the necessary knowledge to manage the solutions you incorporate. There must be an involvement in the whole process, from day one, where you as a client feel that they listen to you, understand your challenges, and are motivated to face them together.
For instance, when it comes to Reign's platforms content, we use a personal approach: the Reign approach (very original). But, what does it mean? We are involved from the beginning in educating our clients about what a design system is, the importance of these, and the most appropriate methodology to create them, which in our opinion is Atomic Design.
Being part of an innovative technological environment
The high level of uncertainty we have experienced lately has shown how susceptible the business environment can be to change. At the same time, it has become clear how resilient companies can be in such situations when they are part of prepared environments.
Have you heard about JAMstack or MACH? Both are expressions of what headless technology means. The first concept has more connotation in the developer environment, while the second is more known in the business world. But both imply the same thing; permanent innovation in searching for the best technology.
So our advice is to focus on the supplier's strategy rather than the product itself. The product may be great, but what is the future of the supplier company? That's why the environment in which it operates is essential, as it will also give you clarity on whether it is a thriving or declining technology.
The professional team’s quality and experience
"Have you experienced similar challenges lately, and how did you overcome them?" that would be our first question. But we never ask it, as we are usually the ones to answer it, and we love to talk about our success stories (because we are proud of them).
You have to know the experience they have, and above all, recognize the quality of the professional team behind it. Errors and inconveniences are always part of implementing new platforms, so you should have the peace of mind of knowing that you will have the expert's support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
At Reign, we believe that if you are looking for a new platform, your company must always keep in mind that the technology you acquire must be ready for everything. With modular, flexible solutions that boost your brand, but above all with people that give you confidence and security to face the future together.