5 Signs Your In-House Team Needs Better External Partners
When you’re running at full speed, the last thing you need is a partner who adds to the pressure. External support should make your life easier–not harder.
The right external partner flexes with you, respects what you’ve already built, and helps get great work out the door without adding more cost, more chaos, or more stress.
The wrong partner? They slow you down, introduce redundancies, and quietly drain your time, budget and energy.
Here are five questions to help you spot who’s moving your team forward and who might be holding you back.
1. Can they flex with you—or are you locked into more than you actually need?
What to look for:
A good partner scales with your workload. When things ramp up, they jump in. When it’s quiet, they don’t keep billing for unused hours or unnecessary roles. You’re paying for what you actually need—nothing more.
Red flags
- You’re trying to “use up hours” instead of getting what’s needed
- Scope changes come with surprise markups
- You’re adjusting your needs to fit the retainer, instead of the retainer adapting to fit your needs
What to do:
Start the conversation about flexibility. Plug-and-play or project-based might suit your team better than a locked-in model. Try a pilot project with a more agile partner and compare the difference. You’re not stuck—explore options that actually fit how your team works now.
2. Are they working with your team—or creating more work for them?
What to look for:
The right partner works with your team–not against it. They fill the gaps without creating redundancies, and they respect the strengths you already have in-house. Instead of taking over, they slot into your process, help you fine-tune what’s there, and keep things running smoothly and consistently.
Red flags:
- They push for roles you don’t need (like a director you already have in-house)
- You’re spending more time managing them than managing the work
- Even with help, your team still feels overwhelmed
What to do:
Be upfront about how your team works. Define who owns what, what stays internal, and where you need support. Bring your partner into the planning phase so everyone’s aligned early—and no one’s stepping on toes halfway through.
3. Do they get where your team is headed—or just where you’re at right now?
What to look for:
Strategic partners look beyond the current deliverable. They want to know what your team is building long-term and bring ideas that support that vision. They’re invested in your growth, not just the task list in front of them.
Red flags:
- Conversations feel transactional, not collaborative
- They follow instructions but never ask why
- You never get proactive ideas to improve process—just reactive execution of the work
- They do the work but don’t feel like a true partner
What to do:
Make time for relationship-level check-ins, not just project updates. Twice a year is a good start. Ask your partners to bring ideas to the table. The best partners will already be thinking ahead.
4. Are they helping improve your workflow—or just plugging into what’s broken?
What to look for:
Good partners don’t just follow your process–they help make it better. They notice what’s slowing you down and offer suggestions to make things faster, smoother, or less frustrating. They care about how the work gets done, not just that it does.
Red flags:
- They follow inefficient systems without question
- They add complexity instead of simplifying
- They avoid problem-solving if it’s not explicitly stated in their scope of work
What to do:
After a project wraps, ask: “What would you change about how we worked together?” A strong partner will have thoughtful answers and be excited to make it better next time.
5. Can you clearly show the value they bring—or are they just another line item?
What to look for:
Smart partners help you avoid unnecessary costs, not just manage spend. They bring creative solutions you didn’t see coming, reduce pressure on your team, and help you reallocate budget toward what actually matters.
Red flags:
- You struggle to explain what value the partner is actually bringing
- Other teams or stakeholders are starting to question why they’re involved
- You’re spending too much time chasing clarity, fixing issues, or covering gaps
- They get defensive when you ask for transparency or try to measure their impact
What to do:
Start tracking avoided costs like extra FTE hires, overtime hours or vendor fees. Make this part of how you evaluate and engage partners. And be clear with your partners that you expect them to help track value, not hide from it.
Final Thoughts
A great external partner should feel like an extension of your team: supportive, flexible and focused on helping you grow.
If these questions sparked some doubts about your current roster, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a chance to step back and reassess how your external support is (or isn’t) serving your in-house team.
Let’s Solve This Together
If you’re feeling the pressure of doing more with less—or your current partners just aren’t cutting it—you’re not alone. We work with in-house teams at brands like Pepsi, Sephora, and Kohler to help them rethink how external support can actually lighten the load.
Whether you’re up against bandwidth, budget, or just need a fresh perspective, we’re happy to chat about what’s working, what’s not, and where we might be able to help.
📩 Reach out at newclients@makers.to
🔍 Or take a look at how we support teams through strategic production planning
