How to choose an automation partner (without getting locked in)

Automation projects fail quietly. The build works in the demo, the invoice gets paid, and six months later nobody can change anything without going back to the original developer, who has moved on. The way to avoid that isn't a better contract. It's choosing the right partner in the first place.

Ask who owns the result

The single most important question: when this is done, do you own the source code and the accounts it runs on? If the answer is 'it runs on our platform' or 'we host it for you,' you don't own it, you're renting it, and the rent only goes up. Insist on full source on your own Git and credentials in your own accounts.

What good looks like

• Full source code, documented, handed over, not a black box you can't open.
• Runs on your accounts and keys, so leaving is always an option.
• Plain-language runbooks, so your team or any developer can maintain it.
• Short cycles with demos, so you steer early instead of waiting for a reveal.

Red flags worth walking away from

Proprietary platforms you can't export from. Vague answers about who holds the API keys. No documentation in the quote. A price so low it only makes sense if they plan to keep you dependent. The honest version costs a little more up front and far less over the life of the system.

If you can't fire your automation partner without losing the system, you never really owned it.