52 Software Selection Tips to Pick the Best-Fit Software and Impress Your Colleagues

52 Software Selection Tips to Pick the Best-Fit Software and Impress Your
Colleagues

@selecthub
So, you’re buying business software?

@selecthub
So, you’re buying business software?
CONGRATS!

@selecthub
Welcome to the world of:

@selecthub
Defining hundreds (if not thousands) of
requirements

@selecthub
requirements
Communicating with too many people who need a
say

@selecthub
requirements
say
Very persistent vendor representatives

@selecthub
And much
more!
requirements
say
Very persistent vendor representatives

@selecthub
Piece of cake right?

@selecthub
Get better prepared for the selection process
by studying these software selection tips
For a more in-depth discussion of these tips, check out the full list on our blog

@selecthub
I. Initial Planning

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Define the Project Scope
What features do you need and what goals need to be met?

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Do a Cost/Benefit
AnalysisHow will new software impact your business?

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Conduct a Risk Assessment
AnalysisAssess direct and indirect issues including insurance and industry compliance

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Assign an Internal Champion
Assign someone to interact with vendors and manage the sale

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Get Buy-In
Get the full support of all stakeholders on record to avoid challenges later on

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Establish a Budget
Assess how much each component will cost, including training and implementation

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Decide on an Expected ROI
Figure out what the ROI should be to evaluate the financial impact over
time

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Set a Decision Timeline
A solid timeline with milestones helps the process stay on track

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Use a Tool to Manage the Process
Management tools help organize and document the various steps of the
process

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Look for the System of Tomorrow
Make sure the software has lasting power by looking for forward-thinking systems

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Review Common Feature Sets
Compare the features offered by different vendors to see what is and isn’t
standard

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Read Buyer’s Guides and Market Reports
Understand the current state of the software market and the vendors

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Find the Market Leaders
Use leaderboards and analyst reports to find the most popular vendors

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Who Fits Your Requirements?
Identify the vendor that fits best, based on details like your size and strategies

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III. Requirements Gathering

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Know the Different Deployments
Can your business benefit from a cloud system more than from on-premise?

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Do You Need Mobile Access?
What types of mobile features and data can improve your business
processes?

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Talk to IT
Ask your experts about the implications of adding new technology

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What Customizations Do You Need?
Will your specific needs tweak vendor solutions or affect learning curves?

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What Needs to Connect?
Take inventory of your existing related technologies to assess what will be affected

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Take a Closer Look at Security
Understand security risks such as database connectivity and data storage

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Don’t Forget About Segmented Security
How will you handle endpoint security and your business network?

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Eliminate Vendors that Don’t Offer
NeedsIf a vendor doesn’t offer one of your most critical requirements, look
elsewhere

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Ask About the Development Process
Get background information, e.g. have they beta tested and thoroughly debugged?

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Know the Vendors’ SLA
Know when and how often downtime can contractually occur

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Understand Industry Compliance
Make sure the software adheres to compliance laws such as HIPAA

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Make a Checklist of Things to Do
Such as, maybe, a Slideshare of 52 software selection tips

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List the Pains the Software Will Solve
Identify the core problems that a new piece of software needs to fix

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Define the Requirements and Criteria
Turn your lists into a formal set of requirements for assessing vendors

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Prepare a RFI/RFP
Use your requirements list to draft a formal RFP to send to vendors

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Have Stakeholders Rank the
RequirementsKnow which requirements are the most important for you by ranking them all

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List the Metrics to Improve
Use what you commonly benchmark to establish how well the business is
doing

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List the Reasons for Changing Vendors
If you’re switching vendors, list the reasons why so you can avoid the same issues

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Create a List of Vendors
Assess all possible vendors by compiling a list of every vendor in the market

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Get All Stakeholders Together
Include all necessary parties at every stage of the process to keep everyone
informed

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Distribute Your RFP
Take all necessary steps to make sure your RFP gets out to the target audience

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Ask for Feedback from Colleagues
Seek advice from colleagues who’ve selected the same category of software

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Bring In a Selection Consultant
Write down questions to ask a consultant familiar with selection and implementation

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Narrow Down Your List
Screen vendors and shortlist the few that you think will make the most sense

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Review Case Studies of Your Shortlist
Gain valuable insight into other companies’ experiences with these vendors

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Read Reviews of Your Shortlist
Find out what customers think, but don’t let them be your primary resource

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Get a Demo or Free Trial
Try before you buy with a demo or free trial of your shortlisted vendors

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Request References for Your Shortlist
Ask the vendors for references that show their track records

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Conduct Background Research
Read financial performance and corporate news to fully vet each vendor

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VII. Closing the Deal

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Understand the Pricing Models
Talk to vendors about available pricing options, and the features of each

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Think About Contract Negotiations
Figure out the costs you’ll be facing and how to get the most out of the contract

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Sign Contracts
Tell all stakeholders and get every employee excited for the new software

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Create Connections with the Vendor
Forge a partnership with your vendor by staying engaged during implementation

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VIII. Implementation Planning

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Understand Implementation Requirements
Ask your IT staff about how to blend your new software into the existing architecture

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Create a Change Management Plan
Plan for training new users and changes in important business processes

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Make a List of the Software Users
Gathering the names of everyone who will be a user helps training go smoothly

@selecthub
Assign a Tech Liaison
Have an IT member troubleshoot for the department using the new software

@selecthub
And, Most Importantly...

Take a Deep Breath, and Relax
@selecthub

SelectHub is a technology selection management platform
that helps businesses find their best-fit software. If you’re in
the market for business software, give us a holler. We’ll
make
sure you pick the best choice for your business and your
ROI.

52 Software Selection Tips to Pick the Best-Fit Software and Impress Your Colleagues

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