The success of selecting a vendor really comes down to one
thing: can they deliver? As you seek a vendor keep that in the forefront of
your mind at all times. Any cost savings
or operational efficiencies you generate can be quickly negated if your
organisation can't get what it really needs on time. Rarely as straightforward
as it sounds. The points below are what I categorise as key in terms of what
you need to consider when selecting a software vendor?
Good Fit
The software needs to not only meet your key business
requirements, but to be easily configurable to work within your environment. It
has to be a good fit and that needs to be recognised from the beginning.
Depending on the scenario, integration can take anywhere up to 50% of total
project time (have often seen instances of longer than this). With that in
mind, numerous real-life examples of the software working in a similar
environment is extremely helpful and reassuring.
Quality and Expertise
That is where the expertise comes in. If the vendor has an
experienced team they would have performed similar implementations numerous
times in similar environments and they will be in a position to avoid pitfalls
and make the process run as smoothly as possible. The quality of the team does
not only relate to their technical ability. If the vendor is treating their team
well, they will tend to retain them for longer which improves their experience
and specifically from your perspective ensures that you are dealing with the
same up-to-speed team members. How much wasted time and frustration results
from having to explain your requirements or issues to different individuals who
are being exposed to them or you for the first time.
Location, Language and Culture
As you seek the vendor for your organization, it’s vital to
keep in mind the location, language and culture of their workforce - and more
to the point, how it aligns with your organization. Communication issues
encompass both language and culture and when dealing with communication of
requirements, life is made a great deal easier when requirements that aren't
thrashed out to the most finite detail, are grasped implicitly. Cultural
sensitivities aside, the best vendor for your needs will have a team that can
easily communicate and work with your organization and that usually entails an
onshore workforce.
George Toursoulopoulos is a technology specialist and Director at Synetec, one of the UK’s leading providers of bespoke software solutions.
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