How To Get More Value From Your Service Provider, Than You Pay For
Preamble In writing this article I have chosen - for MY convenience - to use my area of interest which is custom software development, as a basis for providing examples/explanations and references in this article. It goes without saying that the ideas on offer here can be adapted by interested persons to other relevant areas. Many times I have come across people who complain about having had an unsatisfactory service experience with a particular provider. Over time I have carefully evaluated the various situations under which these complaints arose against the backdrop of my experiences as a service provider. And come to the conclusion that both client and provider with a BETTER understanding of HOW to work with each other would end up with MORE positive and fruitful outcomes. Based on my personal experiences and observations over the past six years as a service provider, I offer the following ideas for consideration by persons/organisations looking to hire a provider. 1. Decide If You Really Need The Service Or Solution Here's how : Ask yourself... a. Can I do this by myself? b. If "YES" to "a", ask yourself: "Do I have the time to do it by myself ?" c. If "YES" to "b", ask another: "Do I have the training or skill to do it by myself, to the desired standard, and deliver it to meet the desired deadline?" You could equally ask "Do I have an employee, friend or relative who can do it - at less cost or FREE ?" d. If your answer is "YES" to "c", then you don't need to hire a Service - or Solution - Provider! However if the answer is "NO", go to step 2 below. 2. Decide How Much The Service/Solution Is Worth To You. Ask yourself/check what NOT having the service or solution is currently costing you. Estimate how much having it will SAVE you in terms of TIME, EFFORT, MONEY and human/material RESOURCES. 3. Check if a ready-to-use alternative (e.g. off the shelf commercial software) exists in the market. 4. Price: Use what you arrive at from doing the foregoing to decide how much you would be willing to pay to purchase the service/solution. 5. Identify a provider to deliver the service/solution. 6. Compare your hired provider's offering and fees to any other options you are considering. 7. Make up your mind which option you wish to adopt (e.g. hire a provider to build the software versus do it yourself). 8. If you hire a provider ensure you get him/her to fully understand YOUR needs - spell out your brief in detail. a. Details of your project brief could be specified in a Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) - similar to the one I prepare in collaboration with my clients. This document is then signed off by both parties with the understanding that the deliverables specified on it are to be used to assess completion (or otherwise) of the project. b. Work closely with the provider to do a comprehensive situation analysis which will help him/her gain a full understanding of what is required. c. Where appropriate DO NOT FORGET to request formally that s/he provide for future developments such that changes that occur in future do not render the delivered service/solution obsolete. In other words, request a futuristic solution. Fail to do this, and you may repeatedly find yourself having to PAY additional fees to incorporate changes that occur in the short medium term. 9. Don't Pay Until Provider Formally Agrees (e.g. by signing on FRS) To deliver the service/solution to the agreed specifications. 10. Provide ALL Support Requested By The Provider - "On demand". a. Don't go on leave without being sure to provide a COMPETENT "stand-in" person to guide the provider in delivering the agreed service/solution. b. Don't suddenly become too busy (after asking the provider to commence work) to review work progress with the provider. 11. Be Sincere & You'll Make A Friend a. Avoid trying to "trick" him/her to accept out of scope additions to the project brief. b. Avoid trying to catch him/her out or "aiming" to shoot him/her down. S/he is human, and has feelings just like anyone else. If s/he gets convinced you are trying to do the foregoing, that could lead to a significant drop in motivation to go the extra mile in doing your work. c. Stick to agreed negotiation outcomes. Pay up as and when due in line with the agreement reached with the provider. 12. Understand What S/he Does For instance software debugging is rarely ever a one-off activity. So don't complain during initial test run. Even Microsoft gives out Free Beta Evaluation versions for download/use by interested users some years before final release! 13. Always REMEMBER: The Provider Is Unlikely To Be A Magician S/he will NOT therefore be capable of making miracles happen. You are the expert in YOUR field or area of interest. You are likely to know the issues or problems to be addressed by the provider better. S/he will likely only know what you tell him/her. If you forget (or hide) some details, the solution will be incomplete or the service delivered ineffective! Summary When you engage the services of a service provider, it is highly unlikely that s/he will come in with the intention of leaving without getting paid. On your part therefore, you should aim to get maximum value for the money you will be paying him/her to work for you. A tested and proven way to go about doing this successfully is by following the steps outlined above. Most important of all the above listed points is the need to ensure you make it as EASY as humanly possible for your hired expert to deliver the service or solution you paid for. Establishing good rapport with him/her is could make him/her go a few extra miles in serving you without feeling the need to request additional charges for doing so. As I stated earlier in this article, the provider is only HUMAN, and like anyone else is very likely to respond positively to being treated with respect and consideration. In my experience based opinion, the quality of relationship you establish with him/her will ultimately impact on the VOLUME and QUALITY of delivery s/he will give back. |
