3 Red Flags when Making your Next Big Technology Purchase

Technology projects are a necessary evil. Whether it’s a server refresh or a company move, you need to get every single detail of the project laid out so that you can better understand how to manage any contractors involved, price things out and get a handle on the timeline and how it will impact your business efficiency. But not all project proposals are created equal.

Technology projects are a necessary evil. Whether it’s a server refresh or a company move, you need to get every single detail of the project laid out so that you can better understand how to manage any contractors involved, price things out and get a handle on the timeline and how it will impact your business efficiency. But not all project proposals are created equal. We wrote a blog some time ago giving you a reason to trash your IT project proposal, but if you’re not convinced, then you should definitely look for some red flags when making your next big technology purchase.

1. You’ve only spoken with salespeople.
   Salespeople are almost exclusively for selling, so no matter how much technology expertise they have, they’re often out of touch with the best possible and most innovative solutions for a business. They’re not qualified to engineer a project, so if you haven’t received a visit from one of their engineers to help architect your project, odds are you’re getting a solution that isn’t ideal for your situation. Make sure you speak to the engineers and strategists behind the scenes so that they can better understand your needs. If they’re not being made available to you – this could be a warning sign.
2. You get your quote very quickly. (In less than 24 hours)
   Properly designed IT projects take time and multiple resources to organize and ensure they’re the best fit for your organization. Quotes that come back the same day or next day were usually thrown together without consideration for the intricacies of your business processes and individual applications and structure. A well-orchestrated project proposal can take a few days to a few weeks to put together, depending on the complexity and size of your organization and setup.
3. Lack of detailed scope.
   This is the most common issue that we see when we go up against less expensive proposals. The most important thing when you secure IT project proposals is to make sure that you have a comprehensive scope of work attached. The scope of work should lay out specifically what is to be accomplished, the hardware to be delivered with the project and a rough timeline. If you receive a proposal that’s missing any or all of these elements, it’s important to ask for them and take notice that the company didn’t do diligence enough to include them in the first place. Signing a proposal without a scope of work leaves you open to all kinds of issues with timeline, budget, and “add-ons” that weren’t included in the proposal.

You should trust the IT company that you’re working with to know your processes and business intimately when they’re proposing a technology solution for your business. If you have an existing relationship with them they’re not only going to know your business much more intimately than a third party contractor but also have your best interests in mind – since they will have to maintain the network once the project is finished. If you encounter any of the above red flags, please contact an additional technology provider that can give you a proposal without these issues.