with over 1,000 business software applications available, how do you select the right one for your...
DESCRIPTION
Dennis Keeling, Chief Executive, SoftComparison.ComEssential advice on: defining your requirements; understanding the different vendors in the business software marketplace; selecting the most suitable solution and common pitfalls to avoid.TRANSCRIPT
With over 1,000 applications to choose from – how can you select the right system?
Chief Executive
Business Software Intelligence Ltd.
Dennis Keeling
© Business Software Intelligence Ltd Slide 2October 09
Background
� 1983 - formed consultancy
� Developed means of evaluating business systems
� Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, US Journal of Acc ountancy, AccountancyAge
� BBC ‘The Software Show’, CNN, FT TV, Sky
� Author: Thesaurus of Business Software
� Consultant – software package selection
� Author: Corporate Financial Systems - Ovum
� Business Age:- ‘acknowledged as the world’s leading authority on b usiness & accounting systems’
� Founder, Chief Executive & President - BASDA,
� Business Application Software Developers Associatio n
� Formed Business Software Intelligence Ltd
� Created www.softcomparison.com - UK’s first software comparison web-site
Clients include:-
Argos, Audit Commission, UK Benefits Agency, British
Waterways, BUPA, BT, Eagle Star Insurance, Eaton, EBR D,
ECC, Eimskip, Equifax, ESB, IBM, Iceland Airways, K PMG,
Laporte, Land Securities, Logica, Microsoft, National Children's
Home, Ovum, Rhone Poulenc, RNLI, Toyota, Unipart,
Whitbread, Yorkshire Water
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Current Environment
� Tight financial control
� Limited IT budgets
� Complex legacy systems
� Business reorganisation
� Rationalisation in the software industry
� Move to web-based ‘cloud’ architectures
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Reasons for change
� Access to management information
� Reduction in head-count by replacing manual process es.
� Improved office efficiency – reduction in operating costs.
� Improved cash-flow – tighter credit control, reducti on in stock etc.
� eBusiness – eInvoicing, Purchase-to-Pay
� Web-site integration to back-office system
� Reorganisation – shared services.
� Competitive advantage – improved sales.
� Statutory – Legal, Regulation, Tax,
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Business software market - UK
� 1,000+ different business applications
� Large proportion in ‘ maintenance-mode ’
� Less than 100 enterprise-wide applications (ERP)
� Majority are specialist software providers - bolt-on s
� Many sell their applications directly
� 1,000+ software resellers
� Many selling ‘suites of applications’
- Access, Iris, MS Dynamics, Oracle, SAP, Sage etc
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Why buy specialist applications?
� Add new software without upgrading existing systems
� Leave existing software applications intact
� Leave legacy data intact
� Leave existing IT infrastructure intact
� Minimum disruption to existing systems
� Cost effective - positive ROI
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What systems exist?
� ‘Approved’ bolt-ons
� main legacy system supplier
� Internet search - Google
� Specialist software selection web-sites
� Accounting & Finance 365
� Evaluation Centre
� SoftComparison.com
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Specify your requirements
Basic - specialist requirements
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Simple comparison
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Integration requirements
� Packages to integrate with
� Accounting System
� Invoicing
� Fixed Assets
� HR System
� Web-site shopping cart
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Systems requirements
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Service requirements
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Sizing & Pricing
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Vertical Market Specialist Functionality
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Selection Process
� Prepare specification of requirements - 10 pages max
� Send Request For Information (RFI) to selected supp liers - 10 max
� Review their replies
� Select 2-3 as short-list - reject the others
� Review the software applications
� Select a preferred supplier
� Undertake detailed demonstrations
� Carry-out in-house testing
� Take up references
� Finalise the contract
Software Application Vendors
There are several ways of purchasing software:-
� PC Store – off the shelf products – poor support
� PC Dealer – specialist knowledge
� Reseller – specialist vertical market extensions
� Author – only implement own product
� Consultancy – configuration & implementation
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How to chose the right vendor
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Package selection criteria
Dennis Keeling’s Software Evaluation Criteria
� Software Author
� Product
� Functionality
� Look and Feel
� Flexibility
� Integration
� Cost
� Technology
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The Software Author
� Company Stability
� Length of time in business
� Steady growth,
� New products?
� Consolidator?
� UK based?
� Financial
� Turnover / profit
� Debt (customer problems)
� Analyst / credit agency reports
� Share price movement
� Existing Customers
� Similar to you? - size, location, type of
business
� full list of customers as references?
� Do the references speak highly of the
supplier?
� Have they had the sort of support you will
need?
� Google search
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The Product
� Product strategy?
� Development or Maintenance mode?
� Which Product are we talking about?
� Is current version stable or is it full of bugs?
� Is this version released?
� How many live users?
� Is this standard product or heavily configured?
� Frequency, ease of use and cost of upgrades
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Functionality / Flexibility
� Do other similar organisations use this?
� Range of modules, templates, portals
� Scalability - grow and change with your business?
� Can the package fulfil all the requirements?
� How much relies on configuration?
� What is the risk, cost and effort of required Packa ge customisation
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Usability / Integration
� Usability
� Does it have the right “look and feel”?
� Will data entry be an issue?
� Try it out with potential users.
� Integration
� How well will it integrate with existing applicatio ns?
� Who will undertake the integration?
� Reference site with similar configuration.
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Cost
� Not only Software licenses - but also:-
� Database
� Hardware & operating system
� other integral components - MS Office, Citrix etc.
� How easy and quick to implement?
� Implementation - Training, Consultancy, Configuratio n
� Ongoing Support & Maintenance - In-house team)
� Life Cycle Cost, including upgrades
� Cost per seat from ?
� Return on Investment (ROI)
Specification of Requirements
� Short overview of your specialist requirements
� - No more than 10 pages long
� - Scope of your project
� - Sizing – system - users
� - Timescales
� - Budget
� - send to 10 suppliers
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Free Detailed Specification
� Free Service – www.SoftComparison.Com
� - save your specific capability-grid requirements
� - edit your requirements
� - select up to 10 suitable suppliers
� - e-mail them a link to your specification for a quot ation
� Free personal service at Softworld
� – AF422 - SoftComparison.Com
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Summary
� 1,000 packages to choose from
� 1,000 suppliers to buy from
� As stressful as buying a house
� Buyer Beware
� Test before you buy
� You may need expert help to ensure your
company is making the right decision
� If at first you don’t succeed
- your successor will try again.
© Business Software Intelligence Ltd Slide 28October 09
Contacts
Dennis Keeling – Business Software Surveyor
Chief Executive
Business Software Intelligence Ltd
Tel: 01494 863344
E-mail: [email protected]
Software Comparison: www.softcomparison.com
© Business Software Intelligence Ltd Slide 29October 09