How to evaluate a technology partner before you sign

Ask how scope changes are handled

Every engagement of any size changes shape. What separates partners is whether change is surfaced early with a written impact on cost and timeline, or absorbed silently until a deadline is missed.

Ask what you receive at handover

Documentation, credentials, architecture diagrams, and recorded training should be contractual deliverables. If a partner cannot describe the handover package, the engagement is likely to create dependency rather than capability.

• System and configuration documentation
• Administrative credentials held by your organization
• Recorded training for the teams who will operate the system
• A named escalation path with response times

Ask about the exit

A confident partner will describe how you leave as clearly as how you start. Ownership of accounts, code, domains, and data should sit with you throughout, not transfer at the end of a negotiation.

Ask for outcomes, not logos

Client lists demonstrate reach, not performance. Ask for the measurable result of two recent engagements in your sector, including what did not go to plan and how it was resolved.