Let me state this upfront: I am part of a terrific software company – we make great products that help customers do fantastic things. However, I hope no one ever makes a software decision to buy our software. No, that is not a typo. I mean it. DON’T MAKE A SOFTWARE DECISION, EVER!
There are many benefits to buying software that can help you accomplish your goals, ranging from workflow and process improvement, time/resource savings, improved profitability, specific problem solving, corporate governance, legal requirements, and a host of other reasons. The right software can be an incredible improvement to how you run your business.
EleVia Software, as an example, can directly impact cash flow, improve workflow, better manage field teams, and much more. Even though I am biased to some degree, it is truly impactful software that helps organizations better run their businesses.
Making Business Decisions
The reasons organizations purchase software vary widely, but instead of software decisions; they should make BUSINESS DECISIONS. What business impacts justify the exploration of a new software solution? Here are four considerations:
- Identifying why you need to do something different is the crucial first step to search for resolution. Are you taking time to evaluate and brainstorm where your organization could improve? Have you identified what you need to take your business to new heights?
- Is this an investment or an expense? Investments have long-term value and create financial and non-financial Return on Investment (ROI) to the organization. Expenses may be necessary, but they do not always have a real ROI (financial or non-financial). Financial ROI is often easy to identify. Non-financial ROI may be locked into the culture, employee retention, customer-facing advantages, and similar difficult-to-measure areas. If you can’t identify them and quantify them to some extent, it is hard to justify spending precious resources.
- Can you substantiate the ROI? Is there enough information, case histories, and clear analysis involved that your organization will be able to measure ROI after implementation? Have you measured what will happen if you don’t change versus if you do change – compared the costs, impacts, and ROI? Developing KPIs today that give a solid ‘before and after’ impact is a terrific scorecard. What happens if you do nothing?
- Will this decision help you grow your organization, grow profitability, better operate, and help you unleash the potential of your organization to achieve more?
Software additions and changes can have an incredible impact on your organization – but don’t make a software decision, make a business decision.
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