Before I worked for Capterra, I worked for a small technology averse firm in the financial services industry. The company decided to look into buying software that would allow them to trade electronically, and they asked me to find the best option.
After a couple of meetings however, it was clear that the company’s management was not really ready to transition to a new software program. Some of the company’s key decision makers feared that using a software program instead of faxing printed trade sheets might actually make it easier for trades to be submitted incorrectly or accidentally to a broker. After I learned why the project was previously placed on hold, I reevaluated my short list to figure out which options best addressed those concerns.
You know to compare the costs and benefits of each software option, but you should also be ready to explain why it now makes sense to start using the new software. Assuming the technology is not brand new; determine why your business is not already using the software and make a point to explain how each option on your short list will address previous fears. Don’t let a fear of change overtake your company’s decision making process! Empower your business with a smart software choice by addressing those concerns in your short list analysis. And be prepared to revisit the business case for the software in question. Sometimes fears will remain so helping your boss to weigh them against all of the benefits that software will bring is the best way to arrive at the right decision. Better to not buy at all than buy and not use!
