Software Selection for Your Business

How to Choose the Right Software for Your BusinessA PRACTICAL GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE SOFTWARE SELECTION FOR SMEs

ONLINE WEBINAR: August 2010

www.softwareshortlist.com

Online Webinar: How to Choose the Right Software for Your Business

1. Why you need the right software for your business

2. Common problems in software selection

3. Our 5 step methodology for choosing software

4. Practical examples and case studies

5. Next steps

What to expect from today’s webinar…



Why do you need the right software for your business?

Increase sales

Improve customer service

Streamline processesEngage your workforce

Make better decisionsShare knowledge

Reduce costs



Common problems with SMB software selection

All too hard. Keep using

inefficient manual processes,

work-arounds & legacy systems

Defer or postpone. Good

intentions but never quite get

around to making a decision.

Leap of faith. No systematic

approach, rely on referral, google

search, or prior experience

Reinvent the wheel. Build a

custom solution despite 100+

alternatives on the market.



Risk of getting it wrong

Unsure where to start or how to go about it

Overwhelming number of options

Unfamiliar IT or software jargon

Don’t know how to evaluate properly

Worried about process of recommending to boss

Possibility of missing out on the best option

Typical concerns people face when choosing software



The software selection balancing act…

Complex & unwieldy

Very thorough methods

but too time consuming &

require specialist IT skills

Simplistic & shallow

Very easy to follow but

ignores critical steps and

may lead to poor decisions

Practical & effective

Helps SMBs consider the

key issues and make an

informed & timely decision



Our approach to software selection for SMBs

UNDERSTAND NEEDS

DEFINE REQUIREMENTS

IDENTIFYSOFTWARE

SHORTLIST OPTIONS

EVALUATE & DECIDE

1

2

3

4

5

Software must deliver real business outcomes. Start by understanding which outcomes you are looking for.

Translate your business needs identified above into specific software requirements.

Identify all available software options that are relevant to your requirements and should be considered

Filter the list of available options down to a manageable shortlist to consider in more detail

Investigate your shortlisted options in detail – including a trial or demo – and evaluate & compare to arrive at a final decision



Common mistakes:

IT as a solution looking for a problem

Solving the wrong problem

Unclear what success looks like

Can you answer the following?

What is the business need and why does it matter?

How will software help address this need?

What other changes (e.g. people or process) will be required?

What is your budget and timeframe?

Are there any historical, cultural or other issues to consider?

Step 1: Understand your business needs



Step 2: Define your software requirements

• Weiger’s 10 criteria for software requirements

• Some things we suggest thinking about:

– Scope: stand-alone system or integrated

– Platform: in-house vs hosted

– Features: what is must have vs nice to have?

– Benefits: e.g. ease of use vs scalability, etc

– Process: how it ties into business processes

Complete

Correct

Feasible

Necessary

Prioritized

Unambiguous

Verifiable

Consistent

Modifiable

Traceable



Step 3: Identify available software



PRODUCT X

PRODUCT Y

PRODUCT Z

Integrates with MYOB

Exports CSV files

Online access

<$1000

Multi-user

Step 4: Shortlist the best options



Step 5: Evaluate and decide



Example #1: Online database system for consulting firm

Re-brand app

(including logo in

header)

Unlimited applications (e.g.

Market Insights, etc)

Customise

quick links and page

layout

Add modules

to “section home pages”,

including rich

text, common

reports, etc

Generates a

likely reports automatically

Add and save

own reports

Define tabs for each

element of company framework

Useful “help tips” relevant to

the specific page or context

Good control over user

access and permissions

Publish own custom

help guides



Example #2: Website CMS for psychology test company



Example #3: Scanning solution for steel manufacturer

Work Order

Completions done on

terminals on

shop floor

Automatic

steel slitting lines

Slit coils bound

and labeled

Updates

back-end ERP system

in real time Barcode

labels printed automatically



• Some key lessons to remember:

o Your business drives your software choices (not vice versa)

o Relax. There are plenty of good options out there.

o Robust approach = relevant software = better results

• Now apply the framework to your business:

1. What are your business needs?

2. How can software help address these needs?

3. What solutions are available off-the-shelf?

4. Which products are worth having on your shortlist?

5. How do you evaluate and make your final decision?

Summary and next steps…



• How Software Shortlist can help– Learn more about this methodology with

our free ebook

– See what’s available on our extensive software directory

– Use our patent-pending online software comparison tool

– Speed up your evaluation process with independent software reviews

– Register with our “Get a Shortlist” service and we’ll connect you with relevant vendors and service providers

– Enquire about our independentSoftware selection consulting

Thanks for taking part in this webinar

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