Software selection and evaluation process

Software Evaluation and Selection ProcessPresented by: Aciron Consulting, LLC

Are you looking to implement a new software program or technology solution?

• Today’s technology marketplace contains hundreds of thousands of products, vendors, and promises• It is important that you thoroughly analyze your

business and technical needs for a new solution, research, analyze, and assess potential solutions based on your needs, and select the solution that best meets those unique requirements

Introduction

How do you find the best solution for your company?

• There are several steps you will want to take when selecting a new technology solution to implement at your business including: • Requirements Gathering and Analysis • Research and Evaluation• Product Demos• Implementation Planning

• Depending on the size and complexity of your initiative, you may want to hire a consulting firm or to perform the work yourself in-house

• If you choose to do the work yourself here is a good process to follow:

Introduction

1. Analyze and Prioritize your Needs

• This is perhaps the most important step in the process, as without truly knowing what you need, you cannot select an appropriate solution.

• Talk with key stakeholders, examine your existing IT environment and IT investments, and make a prioritized list of your specific business and technical needs for a new solution

2. Research Options• Once you have assessed your needs, you can now use

those requirements to research solutions that match those needs• Start with a long list of options, to ensure you consider

all viable options, and gradually eliminate selections based on how well each fits with your needs

• You should try to collect information from as many sources as possible to avoid falling in the trap of marketing or sales pitches

3. Evaluate how well each option meets your needs

• After performing thorough research to identify potential fits, you should now start narrowing down your list to the top few solutions by assessing each solution and how well it meets your requirements• A few key factors that you will

want to evaluate are: • Fit with requirements• Cost• Flexibility• Ease of use• Ease of implementation• Ease of maintenance• Scalability

3. Evaluate how well each option meets your needs

• By evaluating the options against your needs, in an unbiased and structured manner, you should be able to refine your list to a few top contenders

• Developing a structured matrix by mapping out the solutions against your prioritized requirements can also come in handy when performing a thorough assessment

4. Take Test Drives

• You should not buy software or technology that you have not seen in action• Try to obtain free trials of the top few solutions you

have identified before making a final decision in order to evaluate each more thoroughly. • How easy is each for end users to

understand and use? • Can you easily perform the daily operations

that you need to with the solution? • Do you see the software or technology

working well for you into the future, as your company grows and your needs evolve?

5. Select Best-Fit Product and Plan for Implementation

• You should now have enough in-depth information and insights necessary to make a thoroughly researched, unbiased selection• It is especially important to engage key stakeholders

in this decision process to:• Ensure “buy in”• Ensure that your organization’s employees will use and

feel positively about the given technology

• Once you select the most suitable solution, you can then start planning for successful implementation

Remember, the evaluation and selection process varies for each unique company,

project, and technology

• In some instances, you will want to employ a more thorough and intense process, whereas with other decisions, you may want to skip around and perform the whole process in just a couple of hours• What have been your experiences selecting new

technologies?

Conclusion

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