You don’t know what you don’t know.  Ignorance is bliss. We’ve all heard these phrases many times. Recently I attended a luncheon and the person across from me said “We are new to this. We don’t know what we don’t know!”.  So true, but this is something I rarely hear admitted out loud.

When your organization decides to implement a new technology (i.e. document management, matter management, contracts management, cloud migration, etc) there are some key components that need to be considered.  To insure the best possible outcome, align yourself with a trusted advisor who can help guide you through these unchartered waters.

Top 5 benefits of working with a technology partner:

1. Insuring technology solution aligns with organization’s business needs

This will allow your organization to spend wisely and allocate resources to the right projects at the right time in order to help reach business objectives.

2. Best practices knowledge transfer based on projects of similar size and scope

Take advantage of vendor’s expertise to avoid pitfalls you may not be aware of. Sometimes these unforeseen issues can be quite costly in time and money.

3. Experienced resources with specific technology being deployed

Using a partner with a tried and true proven methodology backed by vast experience will help your implementation run more efficiently.

4. Introductions to peer organizations who have followed the same path

Expanding your network can give you peace of mind regarding the process and the outcome.

5. Leveraging IT resources both internally and externally to maximize skill sets and control costs

Working with a vendor who is focused on the technology you are deploying affords your team the time to focus on other projects simultaneously.

While your organization may have excellent internal resources, chances are your team doesn’t have the breadth of knowledge a reputable, experienced, technology partner would bring to the table.  Aligning your team’s areas of expertise with the right technology partner creates a synergy to guarantee the best possible project outcome and return on investment.

As you start to look ahead and plan for 2019, consider consulting with a technology partner. The right partner will be able to advise you on what to look out for, as well as, provide assistance whether as a consultant or as an extension of your IT team managing the entire project from beginning to end.  It is key to choose a partner wisely.  The best implementation partner has experience with the specific technology along with consideration of third party products, operating systems, server requirements (if applicable).  These are often overlooked areas that can cause a project to go over budget and/or over time. Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know!