How We Vet Big Data Agencies

We reject 68% of agencies we review. Not because they're bad—but because "probably fine" isn't good enough when you're betting $300k on a data warehouse migration.

Our 5-Step Vetting Process

1

Initial Screening

Before deep evaluation, agencies must meet minimum requirements:

  • • Minimum 3 years operating as a data consulting business
  • • Verifiable client projects (not just claims)
  • • Named technical leadership with relevant backgrounds
  • • Professional online presence with clear service descriptions
  • • No recent legal issues, bankruptcies, or regulatory problems

~40% of agencies fail initial screening. Most common reason: Cannot provide verifiable client work.

2

Reference Verification

We contact past clients directly to verify claims:

  • • Request 2-3 client references (with client permission)
  • • Independent contact via email or phone
  • • Ask about: budget accuracy, timeline adherence, team quality, deliverable quality
  • • Critical question: "Would you hire them again?"
  • • Verify reference legitimacy (not friends or fake contacts)

~20% fail at this stage. Common issues: Inflated claims, hidden problems that emerge in reference calls.

3

Technical Assessment

We evaluate actual technical capability, not marketing:

  • • Verify platform certifications (Snowflake, AWS, Azure, etc.)
  • • Review code samples or public repositories where possible
  • • Assess team composition: senior vs. junior ratio
  • • Evaluate architectural approaches: modern patterns or outdated practices
  • • Check for thought leadership: blog posts, conference talks, open source

~10% fail technical assessment. Usually agencies that market as experts but lack depth.

4

Compliance and Security Check

For agencies serving regulated industries:

  • • Verify security certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST)
  • • Check for appropriate insurance coverage
  • • Assess data handling practices
  • • Confirm compliance expertise for relevant industries
  • • Review privacy and security policies

This step is mandatory for healthcare and financial services agencies.

5

Ongoing Monitoring

Vetting isn't one-time. We continuously monitor:

  • • Annual re-verification of certifications and references
  • • Immediate investigation of client complaints
  • • Monitoring for company changes (acquisitions, layoffs, leadership)
  • • Tracking skill currency (are they keeping up with technology?)
  • • Removal for legitimate concerns or failure to maintain standards

We've removed 3 agencies in the past year due to client complaints and certification lapses.

What Gets Agencies Rejected

Cannot Provide Client References

If an agency can't connect us with past clients who can verify their work, we can't verify their claims. "Confidentiality" isn't an excuse—professional agencies maintain reference relationships with client permission.

Undisclosed Offshore Teams

Some agencies present as US-based firms but have undisclosed offshore teams doing actual work. This isn't inherently bad, but hiding it is dishonest. We reject agencies that misrepresent their team composition.

Inflated Case Studies

Taking credit for projects where they had minimal involvement. Common pattern: Subcontractor on large project claims it as their own work. We verify actual contribution levels.

Pay-to-Play Review Manipulation

Agencies that incentivize fake reviews on Clutch, G2, or other platforms. We cross-reference reviews with actual client base. Patterns of purchased reviews lead to rejection.

Recent Legal or Financial Issues

Lawsuits from clients, bankruptcy filings, or regulatory problems indicate risk. We check public records and news coverage for material issues.

Mismatched Expertise Claims

Marketing as "big data experts" but actual work is basic web development. We verify that claimed specializations match actual project history.

We're Not Perfect. Here's What We Can't Guarantee.

Honest transparency: Our vetting process is thorough but not foolproof. Here are our limitations:

We Can't Verify Every Claim

We verify key claims through references and documentation, but we can't audit every project an agency has done. We rely on patterns and sampling.

Agencies Can Change After Vetting

A vetted agency might lose key staff, change ownership, or lower standards after our assessment. Annual reviews catch some of this, but not real-time changes.

Our Database is Smaller

Clutch has 27,000 agencies. We have 32+. Our directory is curated, not comprehensive. We might miss great agencies that haven't been reviewed yet.

We May Miss Great Agencies

New agencies without track records, or agencies that don't market themselves well, might be excellent but don't pass our verification process. Our process favors established agencies.

Cultural Fit is Subjective

We can verify technical competence and delivery history, but we can't predict if an agency's working style will match your team's culture. That's on you to assess during evaluation.

Bottom line: Use our vetting as a starting filter, not your only evaluation. Do your own reference checks. Have technical conversations. Trust but verify.

Use This Checklist When Evaluating Any Agency

Whether you use our directory or find agencies elsewhere, here's what to verify:

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Can they provide 2-3 client references in your industry?

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Have they done similar projects at your scale?

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Who will actually do the work? (seniors vs. juniors)

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Do they have verified certifications in your target platforms?

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Can they explain their methodology clearly?

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Do they ask about your business goals or just technical requirements?

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Are they transparent about limitations and risks?

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Do they provide realistic timelines or tell you what you want to hear?

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Have you checked their online reputation beyond their own marketing?

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Do they have appropriate insurance and compliance certifications?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make money if agencies don't pay to be listed?

We charge agencies a referral fee when they successfully win a project through our matching service. Specifically:

  • Listing on our directory is free
  • When you request agency matches, we introduce you to qualified agencies
  • If you hire one of our matched agencies, they pay us a referral fee

This model aligns our incentives with yours: We only get paid when you successfully hire an agency, so we're motivated to match you with agencies that will actually deliver. We don't get paid for bad matches.

Why do you reject 68% of agencies?

Our acceptance criteria are strict because being "probably fine" isn't good enough when you're betting $300k on a data warehouse migration. Common rejection reasons:

  • Cannot provide client references: If they can't connect us with past clients, we can't verify their claims
  • Undisclosed offshore teams: Agencies that hide their actual team composition
  • Inflated case studies: Taking credit for projects they had minimal involvement in
  • Recent legal or financial issues: Lawsuits, bankruptcies, or regulatory problems
  • Mismatched expertise: Marketing as big data specialists but lacking actual depth

We'd rather have a smaller directory of verified agencies than a large directory of questionable ones.

How do you verify client references?

Our reference verification process:

  1. Agency provides 2-3 client contacts (with client permission)
  2. We contact clients independently via email or call
  3. We ask specific questions about: project delivery, budget accuracy, timeline adherence, team quality, and whether they'd hire again
  4. We verify the reference is legitimate (not a friend or fake contact)

We look for patterns across references. One bad reference might be a mismatched engagement. Multiple concerns indicate systemic issues. We weight recent references more heavily than old ones.

What technical aspects do you evaluate?

Our technical assessment focuses on:

  • Platform certifications: Verified certifications from Snowflake, AWS, Azure, GCP
  • Code quality: When possible, we review anonymized code samples or public repositories
  • Architecture patterns: Do they follow modern best practices or outdated approaches?
  • Team depth: How many senior vs. junior engineers? Who does actual implementation?
  • Technology stack: Do they use proven tools or experimental ones for client projects?

We don't just take their word for technical expertise. We look for tangible evidence: certifications, GitHub activity, technical blog posts, conference talks.

How often do you re-evaluate agencies?

We re-evaluate agencies annually and on-demand:

  • Annual review: Check for certification renewals, new client references, any red flags
  • Client feedback: If someone reports a bad experience, we investigate immediately
  • Market changes: Agencies that don't update their skills get flagged
  • Company changes: Acquisitions, leadership changes, or layoffs trigger reviews

Agencies can be removed for legitimate client complaints, loss of certifications, or failure to maintain standards. Vetting isn't a one-time event—it's ongoing monitoring.

Can agencies pay to improve their ranking?

No. Our directory doesn't have paid rankings, sponsored placements, or premium listings. All agencies are listed based on:

  • Relevance to your search (service type, industry, platforms)
  • Quality signals (certifications, client feedback, technical depth)
  • Recency of vetting

When you use our matching service, we recommend agencies based on fit for your specific project, not who paid us more. Our revenue comes from successful placements, so recommending poorly-fitting agencies would hurt our business.

Our vetting process is how we maintain quality. When you use our matching service, you're getting agencies that have passed this scrutiny. If you'd prefer to browse yourself, that works too.

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