Honest, You Can Trust Me!
By Laura Neufeld
It may be cliché, but it is nevertheless true that in any relationship, trust (or lack thereof) is the foundation that everything else is built upon. With your friends, family, and spouse, there must be a certain level of trust built into the relationship, or else it is doomed to fail. This is no less true with the relationships that we have with the companies we choose to do business with, though it may seem foreign to think of those transactions as relationships.
Consider it, though. Every time you swipe your credit or debit card at a store, you trust that business with your financial information. You trust that the product you purchased is not faulty, and you trust that you are not getting ripped off (most of the time!).
Trust is a crucial aspect to all business transactions. It is especially so for companies or organizations who rely on the technology products or services of an outside party for a facet of their operations. Let's face it - with the rapid-fire pace at which technology moves these days, it can be difficult (if not impossible) for every organization to keep up on their own. Technological advances have allowed us to make our operations far more efficient, so it makes complete sense to look to professionals in the field to help you make your operation the best it can be. In these situations, however, trust plays a major factor.
You must be able to rely on the company that you choose to contract with to provide all of the products and services that they say they will deliver. Otherwise, the entire relationship will falter, and you could be left trying to work with an obsolete product or a half-done service, with years left on your contract. When you are choosing the company that you will work with, it is imperative that you really examine all of the claims that they put forth. After all - these contracts usually involve large amounts of money, and are binding for a significant length of time.
Frequently, trust is underestimated in relationships between buyer and seller. Many believe that the written contract will suffice to keep everyone in line. However, psychological contracts also play a key role - probably more than we are aware. Promises are made during conversation, hints are dropped, and decisions are made based on both the written contract, and the psychological bond that has developed between the two parties.
When dealing with public sector contracts (such as those between the courts and their IT providers), trust and accountability become even more crucial. Public funds are involved, so public scrutiny is often at an even higher level. "They told me they would do it" is not an explanation an angry constituency will accept if those promises are left unfulfilled, and public money has been lost.
There are several jury management software vendors out there, and they all make big promises. Some have recently made the claim that their systems either are Web-based or that they will be releasing a Web-based version soon. Before committing to any one provider, however, you must take a step back and decide whether or not you feel you can really trust the company. Ask yourself (and them!) some hard questions.
By Laura Neufeld
It may be cliché, but it is nevertheless true that in any relationship, trust (or lack thereof) is the foundation that everything else is built upon. With your friends, family, and spouse, there must be a certain level of trust built into the relationship, or else it is doomed to fail. This is no less true with the relationships that we have with the companies we choose to do business with, though it may seem foreign to think of those transactions as relationships.
Consider it, though. Every time you swipe your credit or debit card at a store, you trust that business with your financial information. You trust that the product you purchased is not faulty, and you trust that you are not getting ripped off (most of the time!).
Trust is a crucial aspect to all business transactions. It is especially so for companies or organizations who rely on the technology products or services of an outside party for a facet of their operations. Let's face it - with the rapid-fire pace at which technology moves these days, it can be difficult (if not impossible) for every organization to keep up on their own. Technological advances have allowed us to make our operations far more efficient, so it makes complete sense to look to professionals in the field to help you make your operation the best it can be. In these situations, however, trust plays a major factor.
You must be able to rely on the company that you choose to contract with to provide all of the products and services that they say they will deliver. Otherwise, the entire relationship will falter, and you could be left trying to work with an obsolete product or a half-done service, with years left on your contract. When you are choosing the company that you will work with, it is imperative that you really examine all of the claims that they put forth. After all - these contracts usually involve large amounts of money, and are binding for a significant length of time.
Frequently, trust is underestimated in relationships between buyer and seller. Many believe that the written contract will suffice to keep everyone in line. However, psychological contracts also play a key role - probably more than we are aware. Promises are made during conversation, hints are dropped, and decisions are made based on both the written contract, and the psychological bond that has developed between the two parties.
When dealing with public sector contracts (such as those between the courts and their IT providers), trust and accountability become even more crucial. Public funds are involved, so public scrutiny is often at an even higher level. "They told me they would do it" is not an explanation an angry constituency will accept if those promises are left unfulfilled, and public money has been lost.
There are several jury management software vendors out there, and they all make big promises. Some have recently made the claim that their systems either are Web-based or that they will be releasing a Web-based version soon. Before committing to any one provider, however, you must take a step back and decide whether or not you feel you can really trust the company. Ask yourself (and them!) some hard questions.
-
What are they promising? From everything you have seen and heard,
is that promise feasible? Often these promises will seem overly technical,
and will be difficult for the layman to understand. If you are in doubt,
take your concerns to an expert.
-
How binding are their claims? Have they announced publicly what
they intend to do, or published it on their website? If they are unwilling
to face public and professional scrutiny, they may not be as reputable as
you think - and it will be harder to call them on discrepancies later if
they have been secretive with their claims.
-
What is their history? Have they followed through on previous
promises? Have they delivered on their product road maps? If you're not
sure, check with some of their current clients. What is their track
record of following through on their lofty ambitions?
-
Do they want to work with you, or are they more interested in
"making the sale" than they are with following through on everything
they said while trying to get you to sign on the dotted line?
-
What about actual skill level? They may be laying out a plan
that is, technically, quite reachable - by the right people. However,
many of the newest developments require a high level of skill combined
with a deep level of subject matter expertise, and not everyone in the
field has the know-how to see these goals through to completion successfully.
