Considering new software for your organization? Download this free one-pager with our top 5 tips for how you can select the right solution to improve your business. Written in clear, no-nonsense language and drawing upon years of experience in helping businesses choose software, this free resource is suitable for anyone who’d like to make sure their next system is well chosen and delivers the tangible, real-world benefits that they expect from it.

1. Top 5 Tips for Selecting Business Software
Be clear on your objectives and priorities
Focus on the business case first: what are the outcomes you expect a new system
to deliver for your business? For example, is it about streamlining processes, reducing
costs, improving coordination, boosting revenue, etc? Then map out the specific requirements
for your new system, making sure you distinguish clearly between the ‘must-haves’ and the ‘nice-
to-haves’. This prioritization at the outset will make life much easier when you come to evaluating
specific vendors.
Talk to a shortlist of several vendors
Technology and companies change over time, so it’s important to consider a range of options
in your selection process. Don’t just look at vendors you already know about or have used
before. And don’t jump at the first option that comes to mind. Take your time to cast the net a bit
wider and identify a shortlist of great options to compare and evaluate. Investing in a new system
is an important decision with lasting impact on your business ... so invest the time to get it right.
Get hands on with your own data and scenarios
Go beyond the marketing brochures and make sure your evaluation process includes
hands on testing of the solution with your own data and key business processes or
scenarios. Depending on the system, this can be done via a free trial account or alternatively
a scripted demo. The important point is to really experience the solution and get a sense of how
it will work in practice for you. The devil is always in the details re functionality, and ease of use
can make all the difference.
Involve a team of people in the process
In general, no one person is able to fully understand and appreciate the requirements,
benefits, risks and tradeoffs involved in the software selection process. By assembling
a team of people from different parts of the business, you maximise the chance that your chosen
system will deliver the expected outcomes ...without any unnecessary surprises!
Software selection is the start, not the end
Choosing the right system to purchase is important, but it’s just the beginning of a whole
series of activities needed to get full value from your investment, including (a) implementation
(b) training (c) actually using it. If significant customization and integration with other systems is
needed, then choose your implementation partner wisely. Also invest plenty of time and effort in
informing staff and ensuring they understand why the change is happening and how it benefits
them. And once the system is in place and staff trained up, make sure that you are taking
advantage of its full capabilities.