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10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing an IT Vendor in Hong Kong

A practical checklist of 10 essential questions every Hong Kong business should ask potential IT vendors.

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In brief

Choosing the wrong IT vendor is one of the most expensive mistakes a Hong Kong business can make.

Why the Right Questions Save You Thousands

Choosing the wrong IT vendor is one of the most expensive mistakes a Hong Kong business can make. Asking the right questions upfront helps identify reliable partners.

Question 1: Can You Show Me a Working Demo?

Any vendor can show polished case studies. Ask to interact with an actual application similar to what you need.

Question 2: Who Will Work on My Project?

Some agencies pitch with senior consultants but assign juniors. Ask for CVs of the actual team members.

Question 3: What Is Your PM Methodology?

Look for specific terms like Agile, Scrum, Kanban. Ask about sprint reviews and tracking tools.

Question 4: How Do You Handle Scope Changes?

Mature vendors have formal change request processes with documented impact on timeline and budget.

Question 5: What If You Miss a Deadline?

Confident vendors willingly discuss contingency plans and penalty clauses.

Question 6: Who Owns the Source Code?

You should own all source code and IP upon final payment. Get this crystal clear in the contract.

Question 7: What Is Your Testing Process?

Reliable vendors have dedicated QA, automated testing, and staging environments.

Question 8: What Post-Launch Support?

Clarify warranty period, SLA response times, and how bugs vs new features are handled.

Question 9: Can I Speak to Three Recent Clients?

References are non-negotiable. Ask about communication, deadlines, and problem handling.

Question 10: Business Continuity Plan?

What if a key developer leaves mid-project? Good documentation and team redundancy matter.

Need Help Evaluating IT Vendors?

AccordHK offers free IT vendor assessments via our WE C.A.R.E. service. Visit accordhk.com or email cs@accordhk.com.

Frequently asked questions

What should I ask before choosing an IT vendor?

Ask about a working demo, the people who will do the work, project management, scope changes, missed deadlines, source-code ownership, testing, post-launch support, client references and business continuity.

Why should I ask for a working demo?

A polished case study does not let you assess the product itself. The article recommends trying an actual application similar to the one your business needs.

How can I check who will work on my project?

Ask for the CVs of the people who will actually be assigned to the project, since some agencies pitch senior consultants and then assign junior staff.

What should the contract say about changes and ownership?

A mature vendor documents how change requests affect the schedule and budget. The article also says the customer should own the source code and intellectual property after final payment.

What should I confirm about delivery, testing and support?

Ask about contingency plans and penalty clauses, dedicated QA, automated testing, staging, warranty, SLA response times, bug handling, client references and team redundancy.

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