Supplement your team with carefully chosen vendors

From law to software, using outside expertise to round out the team is common. In software, 97 percent of organizations use consulting services for some aspect of their software initiatives at some time according to VarBusiness/Reality Research. Obviously, choosing the right vendor partner is key. Here are my top tips for doing it right:

• Take time to pick a good provider. The difference between a top and bottom performer is a factor. Don't rush to find a vendor because you have a urgent, current problem. Treat the selection like recruitment process for an executive in your firm.
• Ask around. In a meeting with a vendor, it's pretty easy for both sides to put on their "game face." A set of reference checks can provide insights to how the vendor has performed over the years.
• Look at the firm’s long-term track record. Here’s a sad reality of service firms—the barrier to entry is low—stop by Kinko’s, print a business card, and you can be a consultant.
• Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Unlike cars or detergent, services are harder to quantify. Ask questions about what’s in the bid, what’s outside of the scope, and how inevitable changes will be handled.

Tom's Takeaway: While using outside vendors to complete projects is extremely common selecting the appropriate vendor takes work and attention to detail. Invest in the process and you'll be rewarded with a valuable addition to your team.

Free Talk on ASP.NET Ajax Server Controls

Davin, one of our fantastic instructors, is doing a talk on ASP.NET Ajax Server Controls on November 25th. You can attend this event in-person n Minneapolis/St. Paul in the AM or if you're not in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you can attend the webinar in the PM.

Intertech R&D: Share your thoughts, save $

James White, who oversees R&D at Intertech, is conducting a survey to help define our 2010 R&D plan. If you complete the survey, you'll be eligible to save $250 on any Intertech course.

If this is an area where you thoughts and insights, take a moment and complete the Intertech R&D Survey.

Get the team right

Books on the topic of human capital -- recruiting, motivating and retaining employees -- fills many shelves at the local Barnes and Noble. And they should. Studies show that top performers out produce low performers by a factor. In software, it is a factor of eight-to-ten.

With the stakes so high, it's important to create an environment that draws talented people. It's also smart to take your time when hiring new people. (One highly successful firm I know conducts between 25 and 40 interviews to fill one position.) Once the right people are on board, make sure to pick the leaders wisely.

Tom's Takeaway: To ensure a great team, work to bring in great work opportunities. Take your time when hiring and make sure talented people with proven leadership skills are in charge. If you pick your leaders wisely, employee retention will be automatic.

Execution makes all the difference

Few professionals readily admit to being "process oriented," which some believe connotes images of uptight individuals who are so busy cataloguing trees that they completely miss the proverbial forest. I'd like to challenge that perception.

People who can follow a carefully designed process are most likely to achieve success. This is a fact CEOs understand. When asked to name the main reason for the success of their companies, 75 percent of the CEOs leading Inc magazine's top 500 companies said "superior execution in a mundane business."

That's pretty mind boggling, but it makes sense in light of a estimate from the Gartner Group that approximately 75 percent of software projects fail due to lack of technical consideration or poor business planning.

Tom's Takeaway: Execution of a well-planned approach equals profits.

Just Do It!

Successfully executing a business project, from launching software to implementing a major marketing initiative, requires a clearly defined plan that all parties understand and endorse. It also requires effective teamwork and people who are willing to put their shoulder against the work everyday. Once a team is ready to execute the work project, the focus needs to be on doing the right things and having systems in place to compensate for inevitable miscommunication and human errors.

Before laying out the game plan for successful project execution, though, I'd like to share a broader thought about getting things done: Just Do It! In my experience, it's far better to take action than to procrastinate while obsessing about making things perfect.

Perfection is nearly impossible to achieve...although it's a worthy goal and one we strive for when developing software for our customers. Rather than software, I'm referring to general business decisions about priorities. I've seen too many organizations nearly grind to a halt over a single issue, or the inability of top managers to make a tough decision. Don't let this happen to your company.

Tom's Takeaway: It's better to move and get things done than to let organizational rigor mortis set in as you search in vain for perfection.

Intertech a Wall Street Journal Winning Workplaces Finalist

Intertech was selected as a finalist in the Wall Street Journal Winning Workplaces award. There were over 600 nominations and 35 finalists. Here's a link to the online article that mentions Intertech: http://www.winningworkplaces.org/topsmallbiz/2009finalists/index.php#intertech