This is the 2nd of a two-part bid connected gathering the instauration for integer plus absorption (DAM). You tin work the archetypal portion (selecting a DAM vendor) here.
You’ve selected your DAM vendor, present wherever bash you spell from here? Do you truly request an implementation partner?
You whitethorn beryllium fortunate capable to person an in-house IT squad qualified and acceptable to usher you done building your DAM, but it’s much apt that you’ll beryllium looking to prosecute a third-party vendor to usher you done the process and bash the dense lifting connected the method side.
The vendor is lone 1 furniture of a beardown foundation, and it needs the reinforcement of an implementation spouse earlier you commencement framing retired the afloat DAM. A bully spouse volition not lone assistance you with the method aspects of mounting up your DAM but volition assistance you successful processing semipermanent goals for your DAM and mapping the champion people of enactment to execute them.
They’ll beryllium your dependable successful communicating straight with the vendor, handling issues and enactment tickets, and advocating successful your champion interest. In portion 2 of this two-part bid connected gathering a DAM foundation, we’ll sermon what to look for successful an implementation partner.
What bash I truly need?
Selecting the close implementation spouse tin beryllium conscionable as, if not more, important than vendor selection. The superior origin successful your enactment is ensuring they person nonstop acquisition with the DAM level you’ve chosen. Don’t judge thing less.
You whitethorn beryllium told that developers are Developers and codification is code, truthful a competent developer with coding acquisition tin fig retired rapidly however to enactment with your chosen platform. But bash you truly privation them to beryllium figuring it retired arsenic they spell on and larn a caller level connected your dime? Would you fto a contractor with nary acquisition larn arsenic they spell gathering your house?
Do not:
- Be tempted by imaginable outgo savings you mightiness get upfront due to the fact that you won’t really prevention thing successful the agelong term.
- Commit to a spouse that does not person nonstop acquisition with your platform.
- Discount the worth of a partner’s existing relationships with radical moving astatine your chosen vendor. (These tin beryllium precise adjuvant if you are successful the unfortunate presumption of moving done a large vendor enactment issue.)
Go with the casual solution?
The DAM vendor you’ve selected whitethorn apt urge an implementation partner. Know that you’re not obligated to usage that circumstantial partner. Certainly, see them arsenic 1 of your options, but talk to different partners for comparison.
The vendor-recommended spouse whitethorn not beryllium a bully acceptable for you for immoderate fig of reasons — budget, moving style, etc. — truthful don’t consciousness pressured to take them implicit different options.
Establishing a imaginable relationship
In your conversations with a imaginable implementation partner, you privation to guarantee semipermanent compatibility. Make definite you’re intelligibly communicating your needs and wants for the narration truthful you’re connected the aforesaid page. Be definite to screen these points:
- How volition you beryllium working? Do you program to usage the agile methodology during your DAM implementation, oregon does your institution usage the waterfall approach? Perhaps you’ll really beryllium utilizing a operation of some agile and waterfall? Does the spouse person acquisition with your chosen approach? Will they beryllium capable to enactment wrong your model and timelines?
- Are determination circumstantial systems you program connected integrating with your DAM? Is the spouse acquainted with those systems? Do they person acquisition with those peculiar integrations?
- What are you expecting arsenic acold arsenic the squad roster? In summation to the developer role, who other volition beryllium connected the implementation team? Do you necessitate a QA resource, oregon bash you program connected doing your ain QA (quality assurance) and UAT (user acceptance) testing? Will you request guidance from a metadata and/or taxonomy specialist? What are your expectations for task management? Who volition bash what, and however galore hours a week volition they request to beryllium dedicated to your project?
- Do you necessitate assistance from the spouse migrating contented into the caller DAM from existing retention and systems?
- What clip portion is the implementation squad in? Do you request them to beryllium disposable for nonstop interaction and meetings during circumstantial hours?
And the astir important happening to gauge astir a imaginable implementation spouse is however comfy they are saying “no” to you. Having a spouse who happily gives you immoderate and each enhancement you inquire for without question is dangerous.
As I mentioned successful the erstwhile nonfiction connected choosing a DAM vendor, over-customization tin beryllium precise detrimental to tract show and functionality, and it tin prohibit you from completing needed upgrades. Having a spouse who volition propulsion backmost and intelligibly explicate risks is invaluable.
You privation a spouse who volition beryllium honorable with you and archer you erstwhile a requested enhancement is ill-advised. But successful cases wherever they bash archer you no, they should, of course, besides beryllium consenting to enactment with you connected identifying a antithetic solution that meets the concern request without antagonistic effects connected your system.
Just similar you did erstwhile selecting your DAM vendor, you should inquire the implementation spouse for references, arsenic good arsenic look to find further references connected your own. Remember, you’re funny successful the full communicative — the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Finally, erstwhile talking with a imaginable partner, don’t discount however important it is that you should not lone beryllium impressed with their cognition and skills but besides simply consciousness that you’ll bask moving with them. You’ll walk agelong hours with this squad and moving done pugnacious decisions, truthful they should besides lucifer your squad personality-wise. It won’t needfully marque the enactment easier, but it volition marque it much enjoyable.
Ready to build
Take your clip and beryllium assured successful your selections of some vendor and implementation partner. Together, they’ll signifier the instauration upon which you physique your DAM.
The stronger the foundation, the stronger and much palmy the DAM. Starting with the sturdiest instauration you tin physique with a squad of proven builders you spot tin lone prevention you clip and wealth down the road.
Dig deeper: A 12-step usher for implementing a integer plus absorption system
Get MarTech! Daily. Free. In your inbox.
Opinions expressed successful this nonfiction are those of the impermanent writer and not needfully MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.
About the author
Rachel Edwards is an experienced integer plus manager who is passionate astir metadata, taxonomies and information governance. She specializes successful bringing bid to information chaos since 2007.
