Faster, better and almost for free. This is the promise many software companies make to potential clients during the sales process. But which elements should you pay attention to – in order to recognize a good software. We show you the 5 most important factors, that should not be neglected in your considerations.
1. What do your end users need
In order to find the right software for your company, it is essential to get a clear picture of required functionalities, existing problems and possible user needs in advance. Therefore you should – already before the actual start of the research – clarify the following questions in a conversation with the relevant parties:
- What exactly is the problem to be solved?
- Have the affected employees already been inquired about possible alternatives or do they have personal experience?
- What resources are available?
- Which legal regulations must be observed?
2. Costs
To keep an overview of usage fees in the long term, it is important to look at the composition of the software costs.
- Do additional functionalities have to be purchased?
- How about implementation costs?
- Is there a free test phase?
- What are the costs for operation, support or maintenance?
3. Usability & availability
An understandable and intuitive user interface is essential to keep the training efforts and expenses as low as possible. In addition, the software’s availability plays an important role not only for the users, but also for your IT department. You should therefore ask the vendor directly about the following issues:
- Is the in-house IT department needed for implementation and maintenance?
- Does a software or app need to be installed or is the software web-based?
- Which languages are available?
4. Integration
Hardly any company starts with the purchase of a spezialized software solution. Usually, there are already complex structures or other programs that are supposed to interact with the new system. The readiness of your employees to change should be also considered when analyzing your potential for future system integration. Therefore, it is advisable to clarify these questions with the relevant departments:
- What software applications are currently being used?
- Which interfaces does the software need to have?
- Which programs are our employees already familiar with?
5. Support& further information
Feel free to ask! If it’s about the implementation process or about reference customers – get your very own impression! Make sure that support is also available after the trial or introductory phase. Find out directly about possible training costs and ask for explanatory documents for your end users.