The corporate IT department spends a lot of time justifying the ROI it gets from its investments in hardware and data center, but it often neglects the software investments. Some 80% of commercial software functionality is untapped, against only about 20% that are actively used. What should you expect from your software investment and how to be sure to get the expected results?
Here are ten ways to maximize the return on your software investment.
1. Evaluate the use
Few IT departments take the time to do it, but if you look at the use of commercial software (evaluating their complete set of functions and features, and then determining which are used regularly), you can determine how much of the total solution your company actually uses. In many cases, the fault of your own business. There is a tendency to set the initial phase of the solution, then quickly set up consecutive features and functionality.
2. Make the contribution to the development of new features
The companies that actively maintain ongoing collaborative relationships with software vendors are more likely to have their enhancement requests. If your software company has a committee or a board of users, it is worthwhile to participate.
3. Check the scalability of your software
Too often, scalability is defined in computer circles as the ability of the hardware and software to grow in capacity and treatment. As for software, this scalability should be evaluated in terms of extending the agreement software capabilities with business needs. For example, if your goal is to migrate the entire sales force to taking orders and mobile communications, your control system software must be able to adapt to the needs of mobile security and mobile computing. Always ask to see the roadmap for technological expansion of a software company to make sure it is in line with that of your own business.
4. Make a solid support products and services
software solutions providers must have a strong Ethics and support services so that you have the assurance that your provider will be there to when you need it. This is why it is important to include service level agreements (SLAs) for services and support in all your contracts with commercial software.
5. Invest in easy-to-integrate software
Before making a final choice of software, you must assess which parts of the existing enterprise software the new solution will interact and what it will take to succeed the Integration with these parties. Once this analysis, simply ask what the Publisher API and other means of integration it provides.
6. Estimate the deployment time
How long will it take to deploy the new software and what effect (if any) this will he on the implementation of corporate strategies crucial?
7. Evaluate all options contracts
standard software contracts extend over a period of three or five years. Some are renewed annually. Never go beyond three years in a software contract, because a lot can change your business in this interval. If the editor tells you he has a five-year contract, modify it by adding an exit clause for your business at Cape three years.
8. Looking good training of users (and IT staff)
Most software vendors focus on their product development, but skimp on documentation, user manuals and training on these products. Your end users (and your IT staff) will not benefit from a solution to the extent that they are properly trained and comfortable to use. Avoid software companies that do not offer a solid education for their software. The use of online FAQ is not enough.
9. Measure the satisfaction of IT personnel and users
Your IT staff and your end users are they satisfied with the overall solution of the underlying expertise and the publisher’s staff support and services? In case of dissatisfaction, it is essential to meet the editor to remove the disputed points and ensure that you get the most out of your software investment.
10. Check the operational value
If the software does not create revenue opportunities, does not reduce costs, does not create operational efficiencies, does not reduce the risk or not making other tangible contributions to your business, it’s time to step back and assess precisely what the software does for you.
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