There is way too much emphasis today on the FORM of communication - but the more important part of a successful relationship is what is left unsaid. Be less worried about what you explicitly specify - and more on how the vendor interprets what you haven't. Are they on the same wavelength? When you pick a vendor, go with your gut about whether they "got what you said" - it's a decision you will not regret.

Clarity. Transparency. You can't overstate the importance of being able to know, when needed, what is exactly going on with your team. Processes, tracking tools, all help -- but what's way more important is whether your vendor has a habit of proactively letting you know what's going on.

A small outfit will give you way more importance than a larger one - right? Not necessarily. You have to be practical - if you're looking for a 5 person team, a 1000 person outfit is not a likely good fit for you. That said, find an outfit that oozes customer focus. It's easy to tell after a few calls and interactions.

Attention to detail is a habit that pervades an organization - or not. If they didn't pay attention to your RFI, and didn't spend the upfront time with you asking, answering and detailing questions and issues, be prepared to face a very traumatic experience during execution.

If you're looking to throw your project over the wall and expect your partner to execute with little or no supervision, you're likely to be disappointed. Ensure your responses are quick and to the point - even on seemingly trivial issues. A good partner will have the ability to triage, respond and correct.

Don't make your vendor be purely an execution partner. Outsource some of your technical and user interaction challenges to them, especially if you have a little time to solve them. You'd be surprised to see how well it helps the overall project, and deepens understanding.

There is nothing more helpful to enhance the delivery of a project than a visit. Board a plane and spend a week or two with your team - if possible, during the early stages of a project. The most successful relationships we have feature frequent visits from the stakeholders, and we're very glad to accommodate them.

Mistakes happen. But when you find yourself in a situation where mistakes are repeated and you're just hoping against hope that things will improve, its time to cut the cord. Its mind boggling to see a customer stick with a vendor who doesn't perform, simply because it takes too much effort to switch - its a strategy that never works.