We are always on the lookout for a good software vendor that has a solution that we can resell to our customers as part of a total solution. A software solution that keeps us from having to write code ourselves to get a project done for a customer. Our methodology is always to first try to get the customers’ business software to do the application work needed. But if that is not possible, our second option is to find an off-the-shelf software solution, if one is available. Finally, only after the first two have failed, will we consider writing software ourselves.
So that means we spend a lot of time interviewing software companies to see if their products meet our standards for reselling to our customers. Is the product baked enough so that it is configurable, and the source code does not have to be modified for every installation. Is the price reasonable for the features that are offered?
Something that you may not think about when you are looking at a software application is the size, and longevity of the software company themselves. The line of questioning needed to vet this can sometimes lead to a tense conversation. Particularly when the software vendor does not feel comfortable with their own answers.
Questions like, “who are your developers, are they employees or contractors, are they onshore?”. “How long have they been with you, who owns the company, how old are they, and what is the succession plan for the long-term sustainability of the business?”. “What cloud providers are hosting your software and what is their uptime percentage for the last year?”.
We have walked into many software messes at our customer sites over the years, if these types of questions were asked up front, disasters down the road would have been averted. This is not a job interview, there are no illegal questions, and if the software vendor gets angry at your questions, you are getting your answers, and they are not good ones.
So, if you are looking for a partner who isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions on your behalf, visit us at www.emptechgroup.com to learn more.