Vendor Integrity

Dennis Howlett raises some questions to be used when evaluating lawyers and accountants. Similar guidelines could be applied when hiring consultants on IT projects.

• How messy is your lawyer’s desk? When they bill you for thirty minutes of “file review,” how much of that time was spent looking for your file?
• When you call a lawyer for the first time, how long does it take for him to return your calls? After you hire that lawyer, expect it to take at least three times as long. Same goes for e-mails.
• Does your lawyer have reputation for being a “bulldog?” That probably means they are an asshole. To everyone.

Want your IT project to be successful? Find a really well-qualified vendor who does the right thing, puts your needs before his personal agendas, and is honest. When you find that person, don’t nickel and dime him, pay him properly for his work, and keep hiring him back.