We’ve all heard the horror stories: Your company is developing at the speed of light, and your old, trusted technology is falling more and more behind. Finally, you muster the courage to look in the mirror and say: “It’s time. Time to pick out new software.”
After two minutes of brief research, you quickly find a platform. Its key features look good enough, and it’s the cheapest option. You share it with fellow employees and hope for the best.
But in a matter of months, business processes are slower than ever. And it’s starting to show — decreased finances, lack of employee satisfaction and more.
Finally, you throw in the towel. After dedicating time and valuable resources to this new platform, you must start from scratch once again.
Choosing software is a critical and unavoidable task for all growing companies. Whether streamlining recruiting practices, managing accounts and finance or coordinating numerous assignments, the right software can contribute to or take away from a company’s processes and overall competency. Business-Software.com is here to help you make the right decision and find success with any software you choose.
These are five common mistakes to avoid when searching for the best software.
Resisting change
Maybe you want to stick to the basics. This one platform worked when your company was just starting out, so why not use it now?
Well, maybe because you now have 500+ employees.
Doing market research on software can sound unappealing, compared to just picking a platform you’ve used before or heard good things about. However, if you just stick with “what you know” you may be missing an opportunity to access solutions that other software systems offer. Or worse — you could delay important business processes by attempting to integrate an unfit software solution.
Focusing too much on cost
If your only requirement for new software is “something cheap” then, well, you’ll get exactly what you pay for — not only in cost, but also in quality.
Software prices usually range depending on size of business and the number of features and customer services offered. While you have to keep an eye on your long-term budget when purchasing a new software system, making sure that system will provide the greatest long-term benefits for your company should always take precedent.
If you can’t afford the best solutions, it may be time to go back to the drawing board and weigh the pros and cons of purchasing new software in the first place.
Not focusing on growth
Sure, you purchased the perfect BI software for your 100-person company, but that headcount has doubled in the past six months and shows no signs of slowing down.
You can’t ignore company signs when purchasing new software systems. If you’re going through a period of change, the perfect solution today may be a disaster tomorrow. Pay attention to what kind of company each solution is geared towards, and speak with customer service agents to determine of that solution is the right one for you.
Choosing an unfit, well-known software brand
There is an obvious appeal to picking a brand name software — that name got its reputation for a reason. However, as a reminder of your high school days, just because something’s popular doesn’t necessarily mean it is right for you!
If you simply go with the brand name product without doing research on implementation and features, you may find a lack of functionality for the company’s specific wants and needs.
Even if that one product name is standing out above the rest, market research is necessary. Compare products that fit your requirements with our Product Finder.
Purchasing the mysterious software
In contrast to the above mistake, it can also be a gaffe to go for the unknown platform. If a software brand is unknown, there is a higher chance it will be less expensive and offer more hands-on customer service. However, these features may not be the overall solution you need in new software.
If you are tempted toward what this mystery software has to offer, do any and all research possible. Ask for the company’s case studies, request a free demo and trial period and study the contract for possible reason for suspicion or deal breakers.
A project on its own
This list is not meant to intimidate you, but only to prepare you for the required effort it takes to improve projects and daily tasks for your team or company. If you’re looking for new software, it means that your company is growing and must adopt new practices to balance out the expansion…which is a good thing!
Don’t be afraid to take on the responsibility, do all of the research possible and ask all of the necessary questions to find the best solution possible.
Photo courtesy of Pexels user Gratisography.