| How to Get the Most from Your GIS Vendor: 10 Steps You Can Take
By Nirav Shah In the last article (January 1997), we offered tips for choosing the GIS vendor that best suits your needs. Now we will move onto the next phase of GIS development and discuss steps that ensure you can take full advantage of the skills, experience and strengths of the GIS vendor you have chosen.
The key to getting the most from any business partner is in building a win-win relationship. You want to develop a business arrangement with the vendor whereby your project is completed within budget and on time. But your expectations must be reasonable enough to allow the vendor to put forth the time and resources necessary to do the job right.
In the end, you will be happy with a GIS that works, and the vendor will be satisfied with another job well done. You and the vendor will have built a strong relationship, which is critical because you most likely will continue working together long after the first product is delivered.
Here are the steps you can take to build a good relationship that enables your vendor to perform his best work: Develop specifications
Before the project, assume an equal role with the vendor in defining project specifications. Make sure your input is taken, and have at least one meeting with everyone involved to ensure all specifications have been covered and are agreed upon. Monitor progress
Establish a regular methodology for checking the project's status. Ask the vendor to provide you with a written report at least monthly and preferably more often. It should recount total progress to date, the previous month's (or week's) work, and highlight issues that must be clarified or discussed. Don't micro-manage
You hired the vendor for his expertise and now you must let him work. It is okay to tell them what to do, but don't get in the habit of telling them how to do it. Vendors can't exploit their own strengths and experience if they are forced to do things your way. Avoid change orders
If you don't change specifications, few change orders should arise. If they do, take a look at the original work order and verify whether the suggested changes are already included in the project's scope. Changes will arise, and you should review each on a per-case basis. Don't change specifications
Avoid mid-project changes if possible. The vendor will have to charge you for them, and that can be costly if the project is well underway. Ask for vendor input
If you decide to change specifications, ask the vendor for ideas, options and associated costs. Often the vendor will have the best suggestions for the least expensive solution. Take the lead in quality control
As GIS components are delivered, check them immediately for quality and inform the vendor of problems right away. Problems will multiply if they are not dealt with as they occur. Communicate
Keep an open channel between yourself and the project manager. Even if you receive a written report, speak directly with the manager on a regular basis. With this personal contact, the manager will feel more comfortable bringing problem issues to your attention so you can solve them together. Develop cooperation and trust
These are the keys to a win-win situation. Both vendor and customer must be completely honest with each other in calling attention to problems and dealing with them. And when problems do arise, you need to cooperate to solve them. Being at odds with each other and placing blame will drag down the entire project. Accept it now: problems will arise, and so will solutions. Revel in a win-win project
There should be a feeling of fulfillment for both parties. You receive the GIS you wanted, and the vendor feels adequately compensated for a project well done.
By the time your project is complete, you will have built a strong relationship with the vendor that will serve as the foundation for continued cooperation years into the future. As you grow into the GIS, you will undoubtedly find new applications for it and want to expand its capabilities. Hopefully, you will find yourself returning to the same trusted vendor repeatedly to solicit advice and add new technology to your system.
At the same time, the vendor will keep you informed of changes taking place in the world of GIS development technology. A vendor who keeps pace with these changes can assist you in making continual upgrades to your system so that you never end up in the position of having to completely replace the entire GIS.
In the next article, we will discuss the many trends and advancements in data conversion technology that we see on the horizon. Free Offer from the Author -
Nirav Shah is president of EI Technologies in Aurora, Colo., a full-service GIS consulting firm. Contact him to receive a free Special Guide, "What Everyone Needs to Know About GIS." He may be reached by phone at 303-750-8084, fax at 303-750-8488, and e-mail at [email protected]. You may also visit the EI Technologies Web Site at http://www.eitek.com Back | 
