Over the years, the world has witnessed the revolution of business concepts and models triggered by the fusion of business and technology. The introduction of technology into business highlighted better alternative approach for commercial operations and showed that business transactions can be carried out hastily in a more convenient and efficient manner.
The role of technology in business can no longer be ignored as businesses now need technology to survive or thrive. It is now possible for commercial entities to develop international influence or start operating on an international scale. More than ever, there is the possibility of a wider reach in the global market and establishments are increasingly seeking-out tech partners in order to form an alliance and attain globalization.
Without a doubt, the benefits attributable to the services offered to commercial entities by their tech partners are astounding in terms of increased business productivity. This is true for giant corporations, small or medium-sized businesses. While tech partners have been helping companies to quickly adapt to changes and actualize their business goals, certain misguided act and judgement have been soiling the relationship between commercial entities and their tech partners. This, subsequently, impede the benefits business are to derive from their tech partners.
The following are mistakes business must avoid if it must fully maximise the benefits that come with having tech partners:
1. Outlining Ambiguous Technology Needs
Tech partners will always find it difficult to help an entity attain its desired goal if they have to work with agendas that are not well defined. Businesses must specify their technology needs and intended goals as clear as possible. Directors, Managers and Chief Executive Officer ought to know that their tech partners need all the information they can get in order to deliver the expectations.
2. Ignoring Internal Needs
Companies are often quick in seeking out tech partners without a serious consideration of the internal needs that must be met so that it will be possible to maximize the advantages of the tech support that would be offered.
For instance, it’s almost useless to hire a tech partner that would install a feedback interface on your online shopping platform without having an inside team to collate the information generated and work out changes for increased customer satisfaction.
3. Relationships Defined Outside Business Problems
It’s ideal for the relationship between establishments and their tech providers to be defined within the identified business problems. Although this would open up an avenue for creative thinking and even inspire major changes, it wouldn’t permit the forsaking of the initial problems except when it’s no longer considered a matter that needs to be dealt with.
4. Ineffective and Poor Communication
Having a tech partner wouldn’t matter much if there is ineffective, poor or lack of communication. It has been identified that the failure to communicate effectively often lead to the distortion of priority and conflict between businesses and their tech support.
5. Choosing the Wrong Partner
All tech providers are not offering the same services. While some are software providers, others are specialists in offering new IT solutions. As such, it fairly stupid to believe they are all the same and can provide whatever tech support that’s needed.
The importance of choosing the right partner best-suited for the business needs identified can’t be over-emphasized.
6. Unrealistic and Tenacious Expectations
Certain miracles are just impossible. Commercial entities must be realistic and flexible with their expectations. It’s unfair and outrageous for a business to expect its tech partners to increase its customer base from nothing to astounding figures within a very tight timeline and as well, refuse to make meaningful changes to the goods or services its offering. No meaningful achievement will be recorded in the fullness of time.
7. Working With Inexperienced Partners
There are a few disadvantages associated with having tech partners and, working with inexperienced partners trumps them all.
It’s like having a blind man driving a vehicle, a crash should be expected sooner rather than later. Thus, it’s safer to work with tech partners that have an excellent track record as third-party vendors. You wouldn’t want to pay for experiments that would cause your establishment more harm than good.