BeME Community

Weighing this decision and honestly dreading either direction right now.
We're about four months into a route optimization build and progress has slowed to a crawl, communication feels one sided, and half our questions go unanswered for days. Considering whether to switch to a different logistics software development company or just push through since we're already this deep into the build.
Never had to make this call mid project before so genuinely torn on what's the smarter move here.
Things I keep going back and forth on:
How much time a handoff to a new team would realistically cost us at this stage
Whether slow progress now is a sign of bigger problems ahead or just a rough patch
If you've switched vendors partway through something like this, was it worth the disruption?

Trying to get this right the first time since we don't have room for a costly mistake.
Our clinic is finally moving forward with a patient facing app and now comparing a few healthcare mobile app development company options. Problem is every single one claims HIPAA expertise and clinical experience, but when we ask deeper questions the answers start sounding pretty generic and rehearsed.
This is our first time hiring anyone in this space so we genuinely don't know what separates real expertise from a good sales pitch yet.

Things I'm trying to sort through:
What specific questions actually expose whether a team has handled real patient data before
Whether asking for references from similar sized clinics is enough or if there's more we should be checking
If you've been through this evaluation process already, what actually helped you tell the difference between vendors?

Trying to set realistic expectations before we start reaching out to vendors.
We manage a mid size delivery fleet and need custom route optimization software built from scratch. Comparing a few logistics software development company options right now but struggling to figure out what actually separates a strong team from one that just looks good on paper.
Never hired anyone for something like this before so this whole evaluation process feels like a bit of a guessing game so far.

A couple things I keep coming back to:

• Whether industry specific experience with fleet or route data actually matters more than general software skill
• What kind of past projects are worth asking to see before trusting someone with something this critical to our operations
• If you've hired a team for something similar, what ended up mattering most once the project actually started?

Genuinely asking because I don't want to learn this the expensive way.
We're about to start a real project and need to bring in a custom AI development company for the build. Looked into a few options and honestly most of their websites sound identical, same buzzwords, same promises, no way to actually tell who's good and who's just marketing well.
Never hired anyone in this space before so I don't have a gut feel for what red flags even look like yet.
A few things I'm trying to figure out:
What questions actually reveal whether a team has real hands on experience versus just theory
Whether asking for a small paid pilot before the full contract is normal or considered excessive
If anyone's gone through vetting a vendor like this recently, what actually helped you separate the serious teams from the ones just good at talking?