Solution Explorers Blog

OK, you’ve taken a positive step forward and conducted a thorough, likely internal, Needs Analysis and from that you documented and prioritized some key System Requirements. Now what? There are just so many software systems on the market today. Where do I begin? What information resources are available to me? Also, how do I know which systems are relevant and viable on the market? Are there some things I can do to keep from getting pulled into an endless loop of research?

These are all good questions and worth your consideration. In fact, this may surprise you, but you’ve already answered some of these, and others not listed, by refusing to skip the Needs Analysis step. In other words, you’ve laid the foundation for success and established some guardrails to prevent veering too far off course; if off course at all. Congratulations btw.

Feel good about what you’ve accomplished already and move forward confidently. Like building a home, you can regularly refer back to your blueprint, the Needs Analysis and System Requirements details, as information begins accumulating. To find software that meets your unique business needs, below are a few common software search (aka Solution Exploration) approaches: (I’ll expand on solution exploring, and list additional steps and resources in later posts)

• Internet searches
• Inquire with like-kind businesses
• Submit online form requests for information (possibly in the form of an RFI)
• Trade publications
• Word-of-mouth referrals (often your Trusted Advisor, CPA)
• Direct source – i.e. systems used in prior employments

Have you used these resources before? Any others? These can all be good sources of information but let me share a few cautions. First, exploring software solutions via multiple resources takes a lot of TIME. Should you do this internally or outsource the task to a consultant (cost to benefit)? Another caution is the likelihood of gathering irrelevant information. For instance, if you call a like-kind entity they’ll tell you what they use but how useful is that really as it pertains to your unique business needs. Is their system outdated? Was it donated or deeply discounted? Have they added custom functionality to deal with out-of-the-box deficiencies?  Finally, understand that many sources – especially trade publications and online software search tools – give biased results based on participating and even in some cases member-based software vendors. All this to say…it can be a HASSLE to navigate through the software jungle and know who and what to trust. However, don’t get discouraged, because you took the time to start off effectively and that step alone will minimize irrelevant information sources while reducing your risk of considering and selecting the wrong system for your business.

In the next post – Part 2 of 5(b): Solution Exploration – I will actually share some online resources and steps that I take to help identify the right software system for a business. In the meantime, what steps have you or would you take to kick off a business software search project?