Software Project Management; Get By With a Little Help From the Vendor

For major software implementations of purchased products, while it's important to retain control of the project in-house, we also need to remember that the vendor truly knows the territory.

I liken it to taking a class on a field trip to the Grand Canyon. While I as the teacher would be totally responsible for the well-being of the class, I'd be a complete moron not to let the tour guide lead the way, lest we fall into one of the many hidden chasms.

It's the same with software projects. While we need to look out for the best interests of the organization, the team, and the project, we also need to leverage the expertise of the vendor's implementation team. After all, they've "been there and done that" with their product more times that we can count (assuming we're working with a top-notch implementation consultant).