We first set out by asking the bank which of their approved builders produced the best results, i.e. came in on time, within budget, and generally made their clients happy with the end-product. We then contacted four of them and began the interview process. We asked them what "gotchas" we should be aware of, and the feedback produced some hilarious exchanges. One contractor said he hated working for folks who had dogs…because they inevitably bit him as the hammers started flying. We don’t have a dog, so that shouldn’t be an issue. However…don’t dogs have a sixth sense? Maybe this dude had some bad karma going. Another said that he always worried about tearing out the existing sheetrock and finding frayed wires that would mean extra electrical work for which he would not have accounted. Our home was built in 1969, so that is probably going to happen. We asked them various other questions, some of them not even related to the work itself, i.e. do you have children…and have you ever sent them to time-out? We have three, so that one was important Anyway, we distilled down the list of four "good" contractors to the one we felt most comfortable with and, after contacting their references, signed the contract.

I see choosing an LMS as a very similar process. At the end of it, you have to live with your application every day, through good and bad. My suggestion to anyone in the market for an LMS or custom courseware creation services would be to talk to an industry "expert" first. BrandonHall and Bersin have vast resources from which to draw. All of the vendors they follow have been vetted, and there will be information on each company’s pro’s-con’s in their research. Next, choose a handful you like, either because they have clients in an industry similar to yours or because the "expert" review is compelling. Then, start the interview process, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Ask the vendor if they’ve ever had a management shake-up in the middle of an implementation. Ask what their client renewal rate is (very important and most telling, IMO). Ask if they have dogs or kids…maybe not that one, but you get my point. Review the software via a demonstration and ask for a site to play in afterwards. Finally, make sure you talk to at least three references, at least one who is in the same industry and ideally another who is local (so you can have a face/face meeting organized by the vendor with the client for the prospect to ask even more questions).

If you get to the end of this process and have identified a vendor you think is right for you, take the plunge. There is absolutely no way to be 100% certain you’ve made the correct choice, but digging into the vendor’s history, identifying horror stories and their reactions to them, and insuring that folks who sign up with them remain their clients year after year will certainly help alleviate most fears you had at the beginning of your investigation. As for me, send me an email in seven months, and I’ll either have an awesome builder to recommend or be living with my family in the minivan!