Contracting with an onshore or offshore IT service provider always involves a leap of faith. While due diligence is essential, you’re essentially trusting your chosen partner to deliver the high-quality services they’ve promised. Though legal contracts are important, the success of offshore partnerships hinges on the provider’s integrity.
Before signing that offshore IT staff augmentation or support contract, consider these critical questions:
1. Are you truly getting the billable hours you’re paying for?
2. Is your intellectual property and sensitive information adequately protected?
3. Are the professionals assigned to your project genuinely qualified?
4. Will billing rates increase after your team invests time in training the offshore team?
5. Is the vendor readily available when you require immediate support?
6. Will the vendor remain committed and supportive when challenges arise?
7. Is the vendor located in a politically, socially, and economically stable country?
8. Do currency exchange rate fluctuations pose a risk to your budget?
9. Is the country safe for business travel?
10. Is the vendor’s location within the city safe and secure?
11. What are the likely costs of business travel to the offshore location?
12. What are the costs associated with the offshore professionals traveling to the U.S.?
13. Can professionals at the offshore location easily obtain U.S. passports and visas for training and on-site visits?
14. Are U.S. contracts legally enforceable in the vendor’s country?
15. How long does it take for team members to acquire the necessary visas and passports for training and orientation trips?
16. What are the total visa and passport costs for your offshore team?
17. Will the offshore team have a dedicated, experienced project manager?
18. Is the vendor a financially stable company with a proven track record and experienced leadership?
19. Does the vendor’s team possess the interpersonal skills necessary to collaborate effectively with your company?
20. Does the vendor’s executive management team speak English fluently, respond promptly, and share your sense of urgency?
21. Are the vendor’s team and executive management available during your workday time zone with minimal notice?
22. Can the vendor scale their services to meet your company’s evolving needs?
23. Does the vendor carry adequate commercial liability and errors and omissions insurance?
24. Is the vendor able to obtain commercial liability insurance in their country?
25. Will they align their work schedule with your workday time zone?
26. Does the company have a robust and secure network infrastructure?
27. Is their network infrastructure professionally designed and protected by firewalls?
28. Is the physical facility secure, preventing unauthorized access?
29. Are extreme weather conditions likely to disrupt travel, security, or work schedules?
30. Does the location expose your business to natural disaster risks?
31. Will the vendor demonstrate flexibility as your needs evolve?
Even the most meticulously crafted contract can’t eliminate all risks. International litigation or arbitration should be a last resort. Contracts must be general enough to avoid constant revisions as needs change.
Strong relationships are crucial for clear communication in any offshore project. Building trust, mutual respect, and a shared sense of urgency are key. Vision TRE has cultivated dependable relationships with partner locations in Brazil and Panama for years, based on integrity and proven reliability.