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Buyer's Check List
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Needs Assessment
Before you can select a software system, make a list of the features and tools your company needs, not just for today, but also in the future.
- What is missing from your current software? Knowing what you wished your current system could do will help you determine what you want in a new system.
- Are you sure you know all the features available in your current system? Before making the expensive purchase for new software, review all the features available in your current system. Taking a training class to correctly learn all the tools available will be much less expensive than switching to a new system.
- Have you called your current vendor? Your vendor may recommend a new upgrade of a software application that can handle many of your requirements. If you are unhappy with your vendor, don’t switch software! Just change vendors.
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What You Should Consider
There are many items you should consider when comparing different software packages.
- Many times buying business software will feel like buying a new car - the price listed is the basic price and the more features you want, the more costly it will become. But remember, the sticker price is negotiable. Don’t let price be the first trait you use to mark-off possible software products from your list of possibilities!
- Don’t forget about any hardware constraints. Many times when you move to a bigger and better software product, you will need bigger and better hardware. Be sure to include the cost of new hardware in your overall budget.
- Software changes can literally make or break a business. Be sure to create a group of qualified employees, consultants, or committee members that can fully review the software products before making a final decision.
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Questions to Ask Your Reseller
Asking your reseller the correct questions when deciding between software products is key.
- Resellers will show you presentations of the software using standard "demonstration" data. Ask your reseller to show you some of the features using your own company’s data. That way you can get a better idea of how well suited the product is for your business.
- Does your reseller offer you top-of-the-line product support for both implementation and when a problem situation occurs? If not, where do you go for support? Your selected reseller should be able to offer you some type of support package.
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software comparison
buyers' checklist