Choosing a partner, however, is not simple. But there are a host of seemingly secondary issues that, if neglected, could result in a rocky relationship with your supplier. Except that it's a very big person.
Companies have personalities.
Latent corporate culture clashes aren't always weighted very heavily in what Stockdale calls the decision matrix. It's an oversight that some companies live to regret. Perhaps the firm you are contracting with isn't forthcoming with information and needs constant prodding to provide project updates. Conversely, some companies will flood you with more information than you need or want. It's not always easy to assess these types of things, says Stockdale, but it's well worth the effort.