How to choose between a vendor and a partner?
All businesses reach a point where they need to innovate to remain competitive. It is important to choose the right tool for any job including software development. As technology becomes a bigger part of our lives, there are several options to choose from when it comes to software development. However, it is important to choose the one that is the most appropriate for you and your software development needs. There are two main types of software developers: a partner and a vendor and it is important to educate yourself on the differences between the two.
Software vendors are often thought of as dev shops, sounds sweaty right? According to Forbes their main purpose is to deliver the product you have paid them to create, regardless if it adds value to your business or not. By definition, Dev Shops are not partners as they don’t share the same interest as you when it comes to the success of your business. They are only invested in the project short-term and its immediate success rather than creating a long-term relationship with your business to get to know your values.
When you choose RedBit, you’re choosing a partner over a vendor. We don’t offer a quick fix, but rather integrate ourselves with the mission and values of your company and strive to deliver expert advice for the long-term success of your project for your organization. A partnership with RedBit means a long-term connection with a team that will put in the time to understand your business, customers and competitors, focusing on more than just the web or mobile app development.
The decision of choosing between a vendor and a partner relies on your understanding of what you need and who would be the best fit for the project at hand. Keep in mind that the quicker, cheaper option may prove to be more expensive in the long run.
Drawbacks of a Dev Shop
There are times when a quick fix is just what you need to solve a technical problem, but most times organizations want a partner to understand their mission and deliver technological solutions to cater to those needs. However, Dev Shops, as their title suggests are structured solely to only provide outputs, making them vendors rather than partners.
The Golden Hammer
One of the drawbacks of a Dev Shop is something classified as a Golden Hammer which is jargon that software developers use to indicate the act of solving problems with one software solution. In other words, it means that they recycle tools from previous projects to apply them to any new projects even if the customer has different goals or constraints. The hammer represents a comfortable solution because it is used so many times, regardless if it is the best fit or not. The best way to recognize a golden hammer is if a Dev Shop is quick to offer a solution for your problems, without going in depth about your business challenge and the technical problem at hand.
Lack of interaction/communication
Another drawback of a Dev Shop is that they lack interactions. They tend to rarely interact with their clients (like yourself), which prevents them from building that long-term connection and understanding the business mission. At RedBit we care about building connections with the team via checking in regularly. This eliminates the lack of customization because we take the time to sit down with you to get to know your company and mission in depth.
Click bait
The concluding drawback is the way Dev Shops bait you with a small budget. It may seem like a good idea in that moment, but be prepared to be introduced to many add-on costs later that they were not transparent about. Dev Shops tend to propose larger projects bringing in more money for themselves without finding you a return on your investment. They may advise including more features that are not needed or expanding the scope of the project to meet their own goals rather than yours.
What a Tech Partnership Should Look Like
Dev Shops are helpful for businesses that need a quick fix, and already have an internal technical leadership. They're a "cheaper" way to get the job done, but let us warn you to be mindful of the quotations as Dev Shops are notorious for add-ons and hiking up project costs. If you are looking for someone that is more invested in your business and will only deliver what adds value, consider a tech partner instead.
Going beyond the line of code
The goal for us at RedBit is to ensure you that the technology you invest in will deliver outcomes to help support your mission while making life a little bit easier. RedBit thinks about the long-term effect we could have on your company and we strive for continuous improvement and growth. We are transparent about any problems that we incur and about our pricing model so that in the end there are no surprises and you get what you were promised.
Unlike Dev Shops when they propose big projects for more money in their pockets, we like to keep your business’ best interests in mind while recommending smaller projects with essential features. By doing so we hope to build trust so you can be assured that we respect your opinions and try to understand the unique challenges and constraints to your business.
Conclusion
Dev Shops try to find a one solution fits all, whereas every company comes with unique problems and require unique solutions. When you initiate a conversation with us at RedBit we try to probe deeper into your strategy, understand what your needs are, visualize what you want and ask the tough questions to ensure you get something of value.
Make sure you find a partner you trust and a partner that understands your mission.
It’s important to find a tech partner that is curious and asks all the necessary questions to figure out what the company needs instead of merely listening. Here at RedBit we believe in growth and transparency. We will help your company grow and be completely open with you to avoid any surprises.
Come talk to us to see how we can be a great fit for your company!
“RedBit were the ones who stepped in and took a program with many issues, and focused on not only how to fix those issues, but build a better program to have more success in the future”
Pat Joslin
Regional Training Coordinator, Second Harvest
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