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Don’t Get Burned by IT Work Gone Bad
You don’t have to look far to find horror stories of businesses that have hired the wrong high-tech consultant. To make sure your firm doesn’t fall victim, put a written contract in place before you engage a consultant. The contract should include the following:
- The basics: Who, what, where, and when. Without them, the contract is not legally enforceable.
- A detailed description of the scope and nature of the work with a realistic deadline.
- A provision for progress reports or development updates.
- A compensation schedule specifying the consultant’s fee, along with terms and conditions of payment. Reserve part of the total amount until the job is not only complete, but everything is performing to your satisfaction.
- A confidentiality provision that makes it clear that any proprietary information will remain confidential.
- A provision for free upgrades for a specified period if the project involves software that is later improved or modified.
- A warranty stating that the work shall conform to the project’s specs and the workmanship and materials shall be free from defects.
- A provision for operators’ manuals and training before final payment is made.
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