It's fun to sit on the other side of the table once in a while. nFold has been involved in several software evaluation projects as an impartial advisor. In the course of these evaluations, nFold has developed a method for comparing and evaluating different software solutions. For your interest, here are a few lessons learned the hard way.

Know the Need

Take some time to define your requirements on paper, even to the extent of knowing in advance how you will evaluate responses. This will not only encourage suppliers to make their responses more relevant to your needs, but will also make it easier for you to compare different solutions. nFold recommends that you include a summary sheet in your requirements document, for suppliers to complete. For example, you can include a cost summary format that will help you compare responses.

Widen the Net

Internet research and the grapevine are good ways to find potential suppliers. The first supplier to mind is not always the best to meet your needs. Sometimes, it pays to broaden your mind a little, to consider longer term solutions.

Pick up the Phone

We are all so tempted to rely on the convenience of email that we sometimes forget the good old-fashioned way. Chasing up on responses can waste valuable implementation time, so it's worthwhile to call each supplier in advance and get the name of the specific person who will respond to your request for information. The effect is remarkable. Supplier response rates went up from 5% to 50% when nFold applied this simple technique.

Do the Maths

We all know that the quoted cost of a solution is a fraction of the total cost to your company. When comparing solutions, it makes sense to look at a three year TCO for each solution. By making high level assumptions about deployment time & effort, and by looking at hidden costs such as extra hardware and software, you can quickly assess whether solutions are within your budget limitations, without having wasted too much time and energy on meetings and demos.

Seeing is Believing

The work really begins when you have narrowed the list down to a handful of suppliers able to meet your requirements without breaking the bank. It's now time to get up close and personal to understand the relative merits of each solution. After one or two demos and perhaps even a trial period, you will have confidence in the recommendation you make to the holder(s) of the purse strings.