The complexity of implementing the commerce strategy should not be underestimated. We need to define an organization’s vision clearly, and who will be involved and when for a successful outcome.

Starting with a Clear Vision and the Right Resources

Given the amount of time and money an organization will be investing, it is crucial to start the project with a clear vision and the right resources. Besides defining specific expectations around how the commerce implementation will impact and benefit the strategic objective, having the correct internal team, implementation partner and partnering strategy are just as important.

The internal company team must identify the business and technical stockholders for the implementation project and how the internal team structure looks like during the construction phase of the project, and the operation phase of the project (after the project goes live).

Selecting an Implementation Partner

• What range of services do you require? The specific services provided by partners are: strategy, design, project management, implementation, and on-going support? 

• Would you prefer to work with a larger consulting firm or a mid-size consulting firm? Remember, if you have a smaller budget, a mid-size consulting firm will provide better customer service and resources than a large consulting firm. 

• What other vital technologies or skills set are needed during the operation? (ERP, Marketing Automation, Web Content Management, SEO, etc.) 

• Do you prefer on-site verse remote delivery? Is off-shoring acceptable? Or is a hybrid approach acceptable? 

• Do you have a preferred implementation methodology? (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid) 

• Is the partner a certified partner of the technology of choice? 

• How experienced is the partner implementation team? You could ask for profile and resumes. 

• How experienced is the Team Lead and Architect? 

• Has the candidate partner provided valid references? 

• Do they have experience and specialize in your industry? 

• What documentation and deliverables will the partner be producing? Can they share examples? 

• Is there a code quality criteria? How does the partner candidate handle code quality? 

• What are the payment terms?

Partner Involvement

Some customers prefer to do the development work using internal resources and don't want to depend on partners at all. However, we firmly believe having some partner involvement would increase project success. Dunn Solutions has many years of e-commerce experience partnering with companies of all sizes and industries to help them achieve their e-commerce goals!

Contact Dunn Solutions today to discuss your e-commerce needs!