In a PSAP/ECC, vendor partnership can’t mean we signed a contract and hope for the best. When 911 is a 24/7 operation, vendor relationships have to function like an extension of your team because when something breaks at 2:00 a.m., dispatchers don’t care whose system is at fault. They just need it to work. Here are 5 tips for having successful vendor partnerships.
1) Success starts before you ever “engage a vendor”
The smoothest implementations start with clear, shared goals, before cutover is even on the calendar.
As Pasco County’s 911 coordinator, Jody Kenyon, put it in a former webinar, you have to start by determining what you’re building and what your agency actually needs. This includes how the new solution will work with the systems you already have in place. In PSAP/ECCs, very little technology stands alone. CAD, call handling, radio, logging, reporting, network; each one feeds another.
What successful partnerships look like here:
- The PSAP/ECC defines operational needs and constraints up front (not just wish lists).
- Vendors are expected to talk integration early, not late.
- Everyone acknowledges the “disparate systems” reality, including legacy tech that still matters.
2) Timelines are made, or broken, by expectations and honesty
Most PSAP/ECC teams have lived this: a vendor gives a timeline, the customer compresses it, and the project suffers. If you force a vendor to move faster than they realistically can, you’ll often get substandard performance.
What successful partnerships look like here:
- A realistic timeline is agreed at the start (and documented).
- Regular project meetings are non-negotiable.
- When setbacks occur, both sides diagnose whether it’s PSAP/ECC-side dependencies or vendor-side constraints.
- Staffing changes on either side are addressed quickly and transparently (not ignored).
3) The “people in the seats” must be part of the partnership
A PSAP/ECC can select the best technology on paper and still fail in practice if frontline telecommunicators feel it was imposed on them.
In a previous webinar, Quality Reporting Solutions President Alex Spencer described a common challenge: when end users have no input, the vendor starts the project at a disadvantage because adoption becomes harder, patience becomes thinner, and every hiccup is treated like proof the decision was wrong.
In a previous webinar Alan Campbell, 911 Director of Shelby County, Alabama, shared a strong model: when Shelby County evaluates new systems, they pull telecommunicators from each shift into demos and evaluations. The organization may not always pick the exact “vote winner,” but the team understands the decision and that creates buy-in.
What successful partnerships look like here:
- Frontline staff are included early (demos, feedback, shift representation).
- Communication is written for operations, not IT.
- Training is robust, vendor-led, and equitable across shifts, not just “train a couple and hope it spreads.”
4) A strong vendor owns the outcome, even when it isn’t “their fault”
In multi-system environments, blaming is easy. Fixing is harder.
Never point the finger first. Do your due diligence, document what you’ve validated, and approach the other vendor with “Here’s what we’ve checked, can we work together to verify your side?” Sometimes the solution is surprisingly small (a blocked port, a single character mismatch), but you don’t find it if everyone is defensive.
From our side at INdigital, we believe transparency matters especially when the news isn’t fun. A vendor who only calls when it’s time to renew isn’t a partner. A partner calls with the good and the bad so the PSAP/ECC can prepare. Strong partnerships don’t dilute accountability, they clarify it.
What successful partnerships look like here:
- Vendors accept ownership of resolution, not just their component.
- Vendors communicate proactively (including risks, changes, impacts).
- The PSAP/ECC isn’t surprised by licensing changes, upgrades, or integration fees midstream.
5) Post go-live support is where “partner” becomes real or disappears
A PSAP/ECC doesn’t judge partnership by the kickoff meeting. They judge it months later when something changes. Good vendors check in regularly, stay reachable, and keep contacts consistent. Bad vendors vanish after contract signature or quietly replace support teams without telling the customer.
Successful partnerships also require PSAP/ECC ownership. Alan made a key point: vendors juggle many customers and projects if you don’t follow up, lingering issues can stall. The PSAP/ECC has to stay “squeaky” enough to ensure problems don’t get deprioritized.
What successful partnerships look like here:
- Scheduled check-ins (quarterly or otherwise) are part of the relationship.
- Escalation paths are known, used, and respected.
- PSAP/ECC staff know how to report issues (tickets, correct contacts, on-shift call-back processes).
- Open tickets don’t linger silently there’s follow-through.