In this blog post (another of my DevOps SI series), I want to explore the contractual aspects of working with SI (System Integrator). At the highest level there are three models that I have come across:

• Fixed Price contract – Unfortunately these are not very flexible and usually require a level of detail to define the outcome, which is counterproductive for Agile engagements. It does however incentivise the SI to use best practices to reduce the cost of delivery.
• Time and Material – This is the most flexible model that easily accommodates any scope changes. The challenge for this one is that the SI does not have an incentive to increase the level of automation because each manual step adds to the revenue the SI makes.
• Gain Share – This is a great model if your SI is willing to share the gains and risks of your business model. While this is the ideal model, often it is not easy to agree on the contribution that the specific application makes to the overall business.

So what is my preferred model? Well let me start by saying that the contract itself will only ever be one aspect to consider, the overall partnership culture will likely make a bigger impact than the contract itself. I have worked with many different models and have made them work even when they were a hindrance for the Agile delivery approach. However, if I had to define a model that I consider most suitable (Ceteris Paribus – all other things being equal), I would agree on a time and materials contract to keep the flexibility. I would make it mandatory to do joint planning sessions so that both staff movements and release schedule are done in true partnership (it does not help if the SI has staffing issues the client is not aware of or the client makes any ramp-ups/ramp-downs the SI’s problem). I would agree on two scorecards that I would use to evaluate the partnership. One is a Delivery Scorecard, which shows the performance of delivery, things like: are we on track, have we delivered to our promises, is our delivery predictable. The second is an Operational Scorecard , which shows: the quality of delivery, the automation levels in place, the cycle times for key processes in the SDLC.

With these elements I feel that you can have a very fruitful partnership that truly brings together the best of both worlds.