Finding software can be a tricky process. Practice makes perfect and very few people buy software frequently enough to get really good at it. Luckily for you, at Capterra we help people find software every single day! We’ve learned a few things along the way and importantly, we’ve learned what pitfalls to sidestep. Here are the top 5 mistakes that software buyers make and how you can avoid them.
The AAFP Scientific Assembly was a great opportunity to talk with family physicians from around the world about their software needs. My colleagues and I learned a lot, and it wasn’t all about software.
Here are some of those lessons (in no particular order):
1. There is a generational gap in the doctor community. Young doctors coming out of their residency don’t have experience using paper charts and only know how to use software. Older doctors have trouble using software because they’re used to writing down everything they need to know about the patient.
2. Asking someone if they’re happy about their software really comes down to the adoption time. If you ask someone three months in, most will say they hate it. Ask them three years in, most will say they are happy with it.
3. Tax benefits for starting to use EMR software only really matter to small practices. Currently you get $44,000. To a small practice that is huge! To a hospital or practice with 5 or more doctors… that’s nothing. continue reading »
Are you and your software in an arranged marriage? Your hospital administrators (also known as your parents) decided this software (husband/wife) was the best fit for you and now it’s up to you to make it work.
This idea may seem a little “out-there,” but this is exactly the impression I got from hundreds of doctors that I had the opportunity to speak with at the AAFP Scientific Assembly in Orlando, Florida earlier this month. We were there to help doctors find the right software for their practices, but what we found was that a lot of doctors work for large hospital systems and really don’t have any say in the matter.
So what can they do to make this arranged marriage work? Here are some tips: continue reading »
The East Coast is bracing for Hurricane Irene. Everyone’s talking about evacuation plans, flooding, and threats to our homes, families and businesses. We’ve already watched Irene thrash through the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas and all we can do is hope that this beast changes course and that we won’t be next.
All the panicking and preparing got me thinking about threats to businesses and wondering why companies don’t worry about those threats in the same way. Our businesses are our livelihood and most companies go under within the first 3-5 years.
Think about this: business threats impact more people than any hurricane and, just like a hurricane, come with warning signs.
What can you do to make sure your business isn’t the next victim?
Imagine a hacker who was stood up by his date on a Saturday night—he’s bored and your website is an easy victim because you don’t have Network Security Software.
Or what if half of your employees decide to quit on Monday and join the circus? You’d have to hire a whole new group of people. Recruiting Software and Applicant Tracking Software sure could help.
And let’s not discount natural disasters (after an earthquake on Wednesday and a hurricane coming this weekend, I certainly wouldn’t). If your offices were flooded and all of your paperwork washed away, could you recover? Document Management would certainly make things easier.
Software can’t save you from everything, but it sure is a good start. When you head to the store later today to stockpile water and canned food, think about what you could be doing to protect your business too. And good luck weathering the storms—both kinds!
I didn’t learn anything about software selection or the power of software at the bus stop this morning.
I didn’t even make some connection between the bus doors opening a whole new world for the kids and the doors that software can open for your business.
But I did learn something as I walked my eldest son, Jack, across the street to the bus stop for his first day of kindergarten.
There I stood: the cheesy dad taking pictures, choking back pride and tears, wondering how we got here so fast.
Jack beamed.
Then the kids got on the bus and it drove away.
I learned, once again, how hard it is to let go… but how important it is for growth.
Hmmm…maybe I did learn something about software today.
Are you holding on to the past? Perhaps the time has come for you to let go and let your business flourish.
