Partner selection & RfPs: Lessons learned

These are the final 4 of the 8 lessons I learned during my years of running projects. I hope they help you avoid common pitfalls.

Lesson #5 - RfPs: How to use them for software or partner selection?

RfPs are not the problem. In fact, if used correctly, they are an excellent way to explore the market and find the right match. They only stop working when they turn into an endless list of questions, requirements, and too many vendors to compare.

Organizations overestimate the value of breadth and underestimate the value of depth.

What I have learned:

• A smaller, well-constructed shortlist provides better insights.
• Scoring models help, but chemistry, clarity, and collaboration carry just as much weight.
• One day of actual collaboration yields more than an answer to a 50-page RfP.

Lesson #6 - Is digital transformation an IT or business matter?

The classic paradox, and the answer lies in how your organization is structured. Naturally, it is: both. It won’t work without balance: IT-driven projects often lack business buy-in, while business-driven projects often lack technical depth.

What I have learned:

• Digital change is never just IT and never just business – both are essential.
• When hiring external help (SI or agency), form one joint team. This builds and retains knowledge internally.
• Involve the departments that manage key digital processes from the start and keep them engaged throughout the entire lifecycle of the change.

Lesson #7 - Do you choose a one-stop-shop or a specialized agency?

Do you go for the large agency that can do everything but might not truly excel in any single area? Or do you opt for the smaller specialist who is extremely good at one specific field but lacks the scale and security of a large organization?

What I have learned:

• Use larger partners when process, governance, and scale are essential.
• Hire smaller specialists for innovation, speed, and technical depth.
• Too many partners = overhead. Too few = blind spots.
• Build joint teams and ensure your own developers are part of that team whenever possible.
• Big is not necessarily better, and small is not necessarily vulnerable.

Lesson #8 - Keep the shop open!

When replacing a CMS or e-commerce platform: How do you ensure business continuity? The shop must stay open. In my experience, it’s all about correctly defining the scope and having a robust migration plan.

What I have learned:

• Don’t try to change everything at once (even if your tech team says it’s fine).
• Use a ‘shadow environment’ to test without disrupting the live experience.
• Ensure the customer experience remains consistent, even as the backend changes.
• Start your content migration plan early (you will definitely need to clean up or rewrite).
• Cherish your SEO rankings; you worked hard for them.