At WebDevStudios, we believe that our clients’ success is our success. We ensure that success by becoming a true partner to them. Sometimes, that means forming a website project partnership by partnering up with some of their other partners.
From design agencies to IT agencies, to other development agencies, we have worked with them all. As a Project Manager, I see the risk increase with every additional vendor brought into a client project. Whether our client brings a design agency’s design to us to build their website, or they work with another web developer on another part of their site, it is important for us to work with everyone collaboratively and with a positive attitude. In doing so, we can minimize the project risks and make our client feel like we are a true partner to them, working toward a common goal: the success of their website project. Here’s how we do it.
We begin with communication.
When we begin a website project partnership where there are other vendors involved, it is important to first establish the mode of communication. Will everyone communicate via Jira or perhaps have a shared Slack channel? Once the method is agreed upon, it is crucial that everyone adheres to that. Open lines of communication are key to making sure everyone is aligned on goals and statuses of tasks and timelines throughout the life cycle of the project.
We identify the decision makers.
It is also important at the start of a website project partnership to determine who are the key decision makers. Some clients will give their other partners decision making power, while others will want to have the final say. During the beginning phases of the project, this should be discussed and determined who will be able to make decisions when necessary. This will alleviate any confusion during the active phase of the project when decisions may need to be made quickly.
Even if our clients’ other partners are not decision makers, it is crucial to learn early on who can provide answers to questions and when. Additionally, not all agencies have project managers so determining who is in charge of their timelines and how they impact us and our clients is helpful.
We remain flexible.
We consider ourselves experts at WordPress website development, but that doesn’t mean we are the only ones out there. We enjoy having the opportunity to collaborate with other agencies on projects. We are currently working on an enterprise level website project partnership that has us collaborating with our friends at Big Bite and Human Made, just to name a few.
By acknowledging that we are all working towards a common goal of helping our clients and delivering the best possible product, it sets aside any potential friction. We know that other agencies have a different way of doing things sometimes, so it is important to talk through processes with one another and come to a mutual agreement on how best to move forward. And it is important to note that sometimes that means that we need to do things a bit differently for the sake of the project and the relationship.
We work as a team.
Instead of feeling like there are too many cooks in the kitchen, we embrace the opportunity to work with other partners. By clearly identifying a communication method, points of contact and decision makers and agreeing upon processes, we can minimize the risk significantly before the project even kicks off! It’s great being a player on teams where the goal is to create something truly amazing for our clients. That is true success.
Looking for an agency to be a part of your website project partnership? Contact us!
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