Blog

Searching for a new supplier, even if the company already has an integrator, can be justified for several reasons.

• New Opportunities and Technologies: A new supplier can bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions that the current integrator may not offer. This allows the company to benefit from new technologies or approaches that improve efficiency and competitiveness.
• Comparing Offers: Seeking a new supplier allows the company to compare offers and prices with the current integrator, which can lead to negotiating better contract terms or more competitive prices.
• Supplier Diversity: Diversifying the supply sources can be a risk strategy that helps minimize potential threats associated with dependence on a single supplier.
• Access to New Skills: A new supplier may bring additional competencies or specialized skills needed at a particular stage of the company’s development or in the execution of a specific project.
• Improving Relationships and Customer Service: If the current integrator doesn’t meet expectations regarding customer service, service quality, or timeliness, searching for a new supplier can contribute to improving these relationships and the quality of cooperation.

• Performance Metrics: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the integrator’s performance, such as project completion time, adherence to budget, quality of work, system implementation time, and customer satisfaction.
• Regular Audits: Conduct regular performance audits with your integrator to discuss project progress, identify issues or concerns, and provide feedback. You can use these reviews to see if the integrator meets your expectations and delivers value to your organisation.
• Delivery Quality: Evaluate the integrator’s delivery quality, including the functionality, reliability, and usability of implemented systems. Assess whether the proposed solutions meet your business requirements and contribute to achieving your goals.
• Communication and Responsiveness: Evaluate the integrator’s communication practices and responsiveness to your inquiries, requests, and concerns. Assess whether they inform you about project progress, promptly respond to issues or challenges, and actively communicate any changes or developments.
• Adherence to Schedules and Budgets: Evaluate whether the integrator consistently meets project deadlines and stays within budget. Assess their ability to accurately estimate project costs and schedules and their effectiveness in resource management and minimize delays or budget overruns.
• Problem-solving skills: Evaluate the integrator’s ability to identify and solve problems or challenges that arise during the project implementation process. Assess their creativity and flexibility in dealing with unexpected obstacles or changes in requirements.
• Additional Services: Consider whether the integrator goes beyond their contractual obligations to provide additional services, such as offering active recommendations for process improvement, providing training and support for your team, or sharing best practices and industry insights.
• Stakeholder Feedback: Obtain feedback from internal stakeholders, such as project managers, end users, and engineering staff.