How to Choose an IT Partner Who Can Deliver Your Project?

When a software development project requires external assistance, selecting the right partner is critical for achieving a successful outcome. But what factors should you focus on during this process?

According to Raúl Gil García, CEO of Unatec, choosing an IT partner should start with mapping out your own company's needs. “If you don’t know exactly what you want from your future partner, making the right choice can be quite difficult,” he said. “Before you start comparing and evaluating companies, you need to clarify your requirements, as these will determine both the proposed solution and the outcome.”

Gil García suggests first considering whether your company needs a one-time IT project to be executed or a long-term partner ready to continuously contribute to development. While some issues can be resolved with off-the-shelf products, others require ongoing maintenance and a flexible approach. “Clients need to figure out whether they’re looking for a consultant who can assist with a long-term project or if they already have a clear idea of what they want and simply need additional resources or skills,” he said.

Gil García pointed out that this type of introspection is often overlooked. “Many say they don’t need long-term support, but this means the company must have someone internally ready to dedicate at least 80% of their time to development over the next six months,” he explained.

The choice of partner also depends on the client’s type. “Some clients are satisfied with the pros and cons of an off-the-shelf product, while others prefer to customize and tailor the solution to their specific needs,” he said. This, in turn, influences the choice of partner. “Some specialize in ready-made solutions, while others focus on bespoke options. If you ask an IT company specializing in one-off projects to continuously adapt a solution after its completion, the relationship can become complicated,” he added.

You Can’t Beat Experience

When selecting a specific partner, Gil García recommends looking at the company’s track record. “If a partner can demonstrate that they have been in the market for years and have delivered successful projects, it’s more likely they can handle your problem too,” he said.

It’s also worth asking for recommendations and consulting with acquaintances to see if they have prior experience with any IT partners. “If you’ve never dealt with development projects before, you cannot objectively evaluate and compare IT partners. In such cases, advice from friends and colleagues can be very helpful,” he said.

When comparing partners, you should also pay attention to the technologies and platforms they use. “With lesser-known technologies, there’s a risk that once the collaboration ends, it may be hard to find anyone else to manage and update the product,” Gil García warned. “This is a significant business risk because if support ends, some components may simply stop working, forcing you to start the development from scratch.”

In addition to technological capabilities, it’s important that your company’s values align with those of the IT partner. “Your perception of the cost of a workday should align more or less with your partner’s,” Gil García said. “Collaboration becomes challenging if the service feels unreasonably expensive or suspiciously cheap.”

Before starting a partnership, he recommends asking how potential disagreements during the project would be resolved. “Some companies prefer to detail all possible scenarios in a contract, while others take a more flexible approach,” he said. “It’s also worth inquiring about long-term support: ask the partner what happens after the project is completed and under what terms they’re willing to continue supporting you,” Unatec’s CEO advised.

Ultimately, Gil García noted that it’s impossible to fully predict a partner’s competence in advance. Sometimes you just need to start the project and evaluate after a month whether the money spent yielded the expected results. “If, at the end of the month, it seems that enough value was created, you can move forward. If not, it’s worth considering finding another partner,” he suggested.