Infographic 60 · ZANISS SOFTWARES

The Strategic Guide to Evaluating and Selecting the Right Custom

Most businesses evaluate software vendors through only two phases — shortlist and contract — and skip the two phases in between that actually reveal whether a partnership will work. This infographic shows the full four-phase evaluation funnel, narrowing from five shortlisted firms down to one signed partner, and flags exactly where bad partnerships typically originate.

Get Free Consultation Download SVG Read full article

The Strategic Guide to Evaluating and Selecting the Right Custom — infographic by ZANISS SOFTWARES — The Strategic Guide to Evaluating and Selecting the Right Custom · Source: ZANISS SOFTWARES — free to share with credit and a link back to this page.

Key takeaways

Phase 1 (Shortlist) narrows from portfolio review, case studies, LinkedIn team checks, and Glassdoor signals down to a top 5 firms.
Phase 2 (Interview) — technical calls, hard questions, client references, and a redflag checklist — narrows further to a top 2 firms.
Phase 3 (Paid Trial) — a 2-week discovery engagement assessing spec doc quality, communication pace, and how the team pushes back — selects the final 1 firm.
Most businesses skip Phases 2 and 3 entirely — that's where 80% of bad partnerships begin. Phase 4 (Contract) should formalize IP ownership, source code rights, exit clauses, and payment terms only after the prior phases are complete.

Key details at a glance

Phase 1 (Shortlist) narrows from portfolio review, case studies, LinkedIn team checks, and Glassdoor signals down to a top 5 firms. Phase 2 (Interview) — technical calls, hard questions, client references, and a redflag checklist — narrows further to a top 2 firms. Phase 3 (Paid Trial) — a 2-week discovery engagement assessing spec doc quality, communication pace, and how the team pushes back — selects the final 1 firm. Most businesses skip Phases 2 and 3 entirely — that's where 80% of bad partnerships begin. Phase 4 (Contract) should formalize IP ownership, source code rights, exit clauses, and payment terms only after the prior phases are complete.