Criteria to Consider When Choosing a New System

There is a rich choice of systems around any generic business need: be it for time and attendance or for broader practice management functionality.

The software buying company can find itself at the weaker end of the negotiating table: the software vendor goes through a sales process that is difficult to fault. The software buying company then finds itself in the situation: well it sounds ok, why don't we go for it?

Only to discover too far down the line of an expensive implementation process that there are some things about the application that do not fit their business model and never will. The company is then faced with less than ideal options...
- either writing off the time and costs, and going for something else
- spending a significant amount of additional money generating the bespoke functionality required
- breaking their own business model to make it fit with the software

For the software buyer the important first step is to properly document what their business processes are and what needs to change independent of what any current systems do, or what future systems need to do.

From the business process perspective they need to identify what is in scope, and what is out of scope for the new system: once this is done the company will have a well drafted set of business requirements.

This set of business requirements should be used to identify a short list of software programs that have a matching set of functionality. Only if the requirements are not properly catered for by any existing applications should the option of developing bespoke software be taken.

If the system budget is high enough to justify it, the business requirements should be used as the driver for a formal Request for Proposal / Quotation (RFP / RFQ) from a set of short listed software application vendors (or software development houses, if it is a bespoke requirement).

By knowing what the business of the software buying company needs, and using that to drive the process, the software buyer can take the lead in the decision making process, and be more able to get the very best solution for their needs, that fits their budget, and delivers the business benefits.

And why does this site provide advice on strategy for you get the best system for the best price?

The answer is that we believe firmly in offering the right solution at the right cost to match the appropriate needs. We want only to participate in a fair and competitive tender process. We believe our participating will add value to your decision making progress, and provide a viable alternative.