5 Things to Do Before You Begin Looking for New Software

The idea of rolling out new software that can make great improvements to your overall business and bottom line can be exciting. But too often, businesses jump right into the evaluation process before laying the right foundation, which leads to a very costly or failed project. Avoid this mistake by ensuring you have the below factors in place before you start talking with vendors:

1. Define the ROI

Work with your team and executive management to set clear expectations for your return on investment (ROI) with each software vendor you are considering, so they can help you understand how their solution can help you achieve these expectations. You will use these goals to help measure the health of an implementation project down the road.

2. Pull your resources together

Identify dedicated personnel and budget to ensure not only that the project can be taken to completion, but that it can be done in a timely manner and staff is properly trained. Having one key team member to represent each department will be helpful in ensuring the software selected is the best option for the entire business.

3. Identify a project champion

Your champion, also considered the internal project manager, should have the personnel, budget, support, and power to ensure that employees adhere to timelines, arrange training, and get things done. For investments that are so substantial, it is not uncommon for these team members to focus their efforts entirely on the software evaluation and implementation process.

4. Get stakeholder buy-in

For a successful implementation, you must have buy-in from stakeholders at all levels. This ensures you have continued support for the project and minimizes the potential for skepticism and roadblocks along the way.

5. Embrace (and communicate) change

One of the biggest reasons business management software projects fail is due to employees being reluctant to change. Invest time in helping them embrace the change, move out of their silos, and understand how the other departments work. If they have a clear understanding behind why there is a change, they will be more open to changing how things are done.

Looking for other tips for how you can kick off a successful software evaluation project? We’ve got you covered. Our Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right Business Management Solution will help you understand if it is the right time to replace your software, take the right steps to ensure your company is ready, build your budget, determine what to look for in your next software, and figure out if the cloud is right for you.

So what are you waiting for?