01Start with how they begin
A good DevOps engagement starts with understanding your delivery process, not with a proposal for a platform.
- Do they offer an assessment first, with a written plan afterwards?
- Is the first call with an engineer or a salesperson?
- Do they ask how you release today, where changes wait and what breaks?
- Do they give a straight recommendation, including when to change little?
02What to check
Skills
- What good looks like
- Engineers certified on the clouds you use, and able to explain trade-offs
- Warning sign
- Only tool names and no reasoning
Accounts and code
- What good looks like
- Everything in your cloud accounts and your repositories
- Warning sign
- Resources kept in the vendor's account
Documentation
- What good looks like
- Runbooks, diagrams and a walkthrough for your team
- Warning sign
- Scripts only the vendor understands
Approach
- What good looks like
- Small, reversible phases with staging and rollback
- Warning sign
- A big-bang rollout
Security
- What good looks like
- Checks built into the pipeline from the start
- Warning sign
- Security treated as a separate project later
Exit
- What good looks like
- Clear handover, or monthly support you can end
- Warning sign
- Hard to leave
03Engagement models
- Assessment: a short audit with a ranked plan, good for knowing where to start
- Fixed-scope project: a defined piece of work such as a pipeline or a migration
- Hourly: fixes and short tasks
- Dedicated engineer or team: ongoing work inside your tools, by the month
04Questions to ask every vendor
- Who exactly will work on our project, and what are their certifications?
- Which cloud accounts and repositories will the work live in, and who owns them?
- What does handover look like, and what happens if we leave?
- How do you test changes before production, and how do you roll back?
- Can you show an example of similar work?
- How will you report progress and cost?
A short paid trial on a real task tells you more than any proposal.
?Frequently asked questions
Should we pick a DevOps company by cloud?
Pick one that works across AWS, Azure and Google Cloud and recommends what fits you, so the advice is not tied to one cloud.
What certifications matter?
Cloud architect certifications for the clouds you use, such as AWS Solutions Architect or Azure Solutions Architect Expert, plus Linux and security certifications such as Red Hat RHCSA and CEH.
How long before we see results?
A first working pipeline can take a few weeks. The assessment gives you a timeline before you commit.
Can we start small?
Yes. Start with an assessment or one fixed-scope project, then expand.