Part 1: Avoiding the Common Software Selection Pitfalls
I am sure almost everyone reading this has installed a software application that just didn’t go smoothly, or worse, never did go live and cost the company a serious amount of resources and money. We are brought in many times to try and provide insight during the selection process and/or to assist both the client and vendor during an implementation. We have seen almost everything that can happen with software selection, and we hope that this list will help you avoid some of the common mistakes companies often make.
By avoiding these common mistakes companies will be able to reduce the risks involved with selecting and implementing any business application whether it’s an order management system or ERP application, ecommerce platform, retail point of sale application or warehouse management systems.
1. Having the wrong expectations
Determine the options available and develop a strategic direction. Understand the type/tier of software that will best suit your company, understand at a high-level the capabilities and limitations. Make sure that you also develop preliminary budgets, don’t just assume what the cost might be.
2. Not Having the Right Project Team in Place
Success is driven by assembling a strong project team. Be sure to have executive sponsorship that supports the project from start to finish, and have team members from each of the functional areas. Be sure the project manager is capable of supporting the project, if not use an external resource to assist you. Don’t rely on IT to perform the project for you – it must be supported by all areas of the business utilizing the application.
3. Companies Fail to Develop Adequate Business Requirements
Avoid generic or basic requirement documents online or received from consultants. Interview each functional area that has a stake in the new application. Don’t re-create the existing system in the requirements, but address the functionality needed; not necessarily how it should be accomplished. Document interfaces to other applications necessary, including the data points and frequency data is passed.
4 & 5. Limiting the Search to 1 or 2 Vendors & Not conducting a Competitive Bid Process
These two really go together and are one of the more common problems we tend to see. Keep your options open, don’t settle on a solution prematurely. You need to have 2-3 vendors in order to negotiate the best functionality and services for the investment. No one vendor is perfect for all companies and no one vendor will fit a given company 100%. Perform the proper due diligence and make the best possible software selection.
The vendor landscape is always changing and new functionality is constantly being developed. Making sense of all the changes and directions vendors are going in can be daunting. Since 1984, we have assisted our clients with navigating through this process and successfully selecting and implementing software solutions that best fit their company. Let us know how we can assist you with your software project.
Brian Barry is a Senior Consultant with F. Curtis Barry & Company, a multichannel operations and fulfillment consulting firm with expertise in multichannel systems, warehouse, call center, inventory, and benchmarking; Learn more online at: http://www.fcbco.com.
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