When you’re searching for contractors, consultants, business partners, software, and hardware, what are some methods you use? What method do you use for keeping track of your contacts and leads? Once you have a list of resources, how do you decide which to recommend to your company to select for your project?

SELECTING OUTSIDE SERVICES

When you’re searching for contractors, consultants, business partners, software, and hardware, what are some methods you use? Be very specific and detailed in how you research these resources and give more than one example (contractor and software search, for example).
What method do you use for keeping track of your contacts and leads?
Once you have a list of resources, how do you decide which to recommend to your company to select for your project? (If you have never done this, research a methodology and report on how you plan to do it.)

If you are selecting contractors, consultants, or other human resources, recommend an interview process and gather the costs.
If you are looking at software, hardware, or other non-human resources, talk about how you determine the most value to the company for the money. The company is making an investment; how do you determine the best investment for the greatest return? (Be specific on the methodology you use or would use.)
After responding to the above, write an additional paragraph on why you think your recommendation should be followed and how you can be confident that your recommendation is best for your organization.