# Define Success Early: How SMBs Can Set Clear Software Requirements and Outcomes | Capterra > Learn why defining requirements and outcomes early helps SMBs avoid costly software mistakes. Discover actionable steps and a checklist for smarter adoption. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/five-habits-successful-software-adopters-habit-1 --- # The 5 Habits of Successful Software Adopters: Habit 1: Define Requirements & Outcomes Early Written by: Molly Burke Molly BurkeAuthor Senior Specialist Analyst Experience I have been writing content for Capterra since April 2022. I cover technology trends in retail, hospitality, and custome... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/mburke/) and edited by: Caroline Rousseau Caroline RousseauEditor Senior Content Editor Experience As a senior content editor, and formerly as a content analyst, at Capterra, I have been crafting, writing, and refining rese... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/caroline-rousseau/) Published November 21, 2025 7 min read Table of Contents - [Why defining success matters in software adoption](#why-defining-success-matters-in-software-adoption) - [Steps to establish clear requirements](#steps-to-establish-clear-requirements) - [Cost of unclear requirements](#the-cost-of-unclear-requirements-drawn-out-decisions-ai-bias-flashy-sales-pitches-and-overlooked-integration-needs) - [Defining requirements early saves you from future headaches](#defining-requirements-early-saves-you-from-future-headaches) According to Capterra’s 2026 Software Buying Trends Report, only 34% of software buyers successfully adopt new software. The remaining majority of buyers experience disruptions during the implementation phase, regret, or both. Successful software adopters practice five key habits that help them avoid disappointment: they define requirements, listen to experts, act decisively, negotiate their contract, and plan for implementation. To help buyers make better investment decisions, we’re looking closely at each of these five habits and how they enable success, from the beginning of the buyer journey through the implementation phase. This article covers the first habit: define requirements and outcomes early.  [Read the full 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to learn more about successful adoption strategies.](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buying-trends-2026/) ## Why defining success matters in software adoption Software buyers can be broadly categorized into two groups. One third (34%) of buyers are successful software adopters who find the right software for their needs. The remaining majority are unsuccessful, with 40% experiencing the worst outcomes: implementation and regret. These disappointed buyers face costly downtime and further spending to correct their bad investments. Successful adopters don’t leave the fate of their investment to chance. They set clear expectations before shopping for software, which speeds up selection, reduces the risk of overspending, and ensures the purchase aligns with business goals. The majority of successful adopters define their budget and must-have features (62%), as well as desired outcomes for their new software (54%), while less than half of disappointed buyers do the same.  ### Benefits of defining requirements early By identifying their needs and defining what success looks like, successful adopters smooth the path forward in the buyer journey and eventual rollout: - Knowing must-have features instantly narrows the pool of options at the beginning of their search - Forecasting desired outcomes, such as timelines for end-user training and return on investment (ROI), gives structure to product research - Understanding exactly what they need their new tool to do makes for meaningful experiences during product demos and free trials - Defining a budget puts helpful goalposts around contract negotiation The ability to quickly narrow your pool of options during the product research phase also wins you more time to engage deeply with a handful of vendors as you get closer to making a final purchase decision.   ## Steps to establish clear requirements Disappointed buyers ultimately recognize the need to define requirements early. When asked what they would change about how they buy software, 43% said they would include a needs assessment.  Defining requirements and outcomes is an important first step in a successful software adoption, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.  ### 1\. Start by involving stakeholders early Successful adopters typically form decision-making teams that include IT and executive leadership, rather than relying on a single decision-maker. This ensures alignment and accountability across the organization. Including stakeholders from IT in particular can help prevent integration, security, and data migration issues down the line.  ### 2\. Identify business objectives and desired outcomes Ask what challenges the software should solve and how success will be measured. Align these requirements with broader organizational goals, such as revenue targets or operational priorities. ### 3\. Consider external and internal challenges External forces include technological advancements—half of global respondents cite AI as the most significant factor shaping business goals—as well as macroeconomic pressures, such as inflation (54%), tariffs (42%), and interest rates. Internal obstacles often involve funding and business case approval, training bottlenecks, effective project management, cybersecurity, and scaling operations.  ### 4\. Set boundaries around the use of AI Many SMBs also face decisions about whether and how to adopt AI, and which use cases matter most. While most software these days comes with some form of AI enhancement, your business may not need to invest in the most expensive, cutting-edge solutions. Successful software adopters tend to take a balanced approach to AI, comfortable adopting proven AI technologies but staying away from unproven use cases that may not offer ROI.  Some requirements and outcomes may be harder to define, particularly if your business must adhere to complex compliance regulations or needs to adopt tools to support new initiatives. In that case, it can be helpful to consult industry experts and consider what competitors are using.  Defining requirements may not be an instantaneous process, but it’s a critical first step in preventing disruption and regret in the rollout of your new tool.  ### What to define before you buy Your specific requirements and outcomes will vary depending on your business. Here are some factors that every business should consider before they start their search: - **Total cost:** The overall cost of adoption includes not only the sticker price but also any additional fees for training, customer service, extra user seats, and future upgrades that you may need. Many tools offer discounted pricing for annual versus monthly payment, or custom pricing for large organizations.  - **Must-have features and functionality:** Your new software should come with the capabilities you need, so you don’t have to add additional tools to get work done. Defining necessary features helps you avoid distracting, flashy features that drive up the cost of adoption but don’t offer you meaningful functionality.  - **IT:** You should understand your needs around integrations, data storage, cybersecurity, compliance, customization options, and customer support. Decide whether IT support will be in-house or outsourced, and specify data security standards, hosting preferences, and access controls like single sign-on (SSO) and two-factor authentication (2FA). - **ROI timeline:** Most buyers expect a positive return within eight to nine months following adoption, and set corresponding expectations for revenue growth. With 82% of software buyers anticipating at least a 5% increase in company revenue over the next 18 months, any new software investment needs to pull its own weight.  ## The cost of unclear requirements: drawn-out decisions, AI bias, flashy sales pitches, and overlooked integration needs Skipping this step can completely derail your purchase. Without clear criteria, it’s harder to know how to start looking for products, easier to get distracted by tools you don’t need, and impossible to predict whether the new tool will mesh well with your existing tech stack. ### Analysis paralysis during product research Without defined requirements to give structure to your search, decision-making can drag on as teams compare irrelevant products or get distracted by flashy features that might not solve core problems. Even if you’re only able to define a few requirements—desired features, user seat count, or integrations—you’ll be better off than if you start your search without any guidelines.  ### AI bias and sales pitch promises If you don’t know what you’re looking for in a new tool, you may opt to take someone else’s word for it—and they may try to sell you products you don’t need.  This is reflected in the materials successful adopters consider when making their final purchase decision. When deciding what to buy, 54% of successful adopters consider contract terms, while just 26% factor in sales presentations. On the contrary, 42% of disappointed buyers still consider sales pitches as a main factor in their purchase decision. Deep-diving into the specific terms of your contract gives you an accurate picture of what you’ll get with your purchase, whereas sales pitches can overpromise on features and omit key details about the total cost of adoption. Without the hard details, you could walk away from the purchase with less functionality than you bargained for. Similarly, jettisoning decision-making to a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool can lead you to a suboptimal decision. GenAI is prone to regurgitating marketing copy, which can, like a sales pitch, be vague or misleading on overall cost and long-term value. Using GenAI to uncover good options for new software can be an effective first approach, but only if you input requirements that reflect your business’s true needs.   ### Overlooked critical needs Implementation disruptions often stem from vague requirements. Integration issues is the number one implementation disruption that leads buyers to regret. An easy way to prevent this situation is to identify the specific tools you’ll need your new software to integrate with before you even start your search for new products.  An impossible-to-overlook requirement is budget. But if price is your only search criterion, you risk overlooking other essential factors, such as security, compliance, and customer support. Ignoring critical needs puts you at risk of buying tools that will lead to future overspending to compensate for missing capabilities in these areas.  **Buyer tip:** Define success before you shop. A clear vision of goals and requirements is your best defense against regret. ## Defining requirements early saves you from future headaches Defining success makes it more likely to happen. Clear requirements and outcomes give structure to the entire buyer journey—from research and shortlisting to negotiation and implementation. This habit sets the stage for success, which involves faster decisions, smoother onboarding, and measurable ROI. Explore the full [Capterra 2026 Software Buying Trends Report](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buying-trends-2026/) for more insights and tools to guide your software purchase. ## Capterra's 2026 Software Buying Trends Report ### Download our 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to see how successful software adopters avoid disappointment and how your business can, too. * * * ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Authors [### Molly Burke](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/mburke/) Molly Burke is a senior analyst and writer for Capterra. She covers customer experience and marketing in the retail and restaurant industries, with a focus on how emerging technology is transforming the way everyday people shop. Her insights on generative AI, social media, and other tech trends have been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, BBC, CNBC, Forbes, and the Financial Times, among other publications. [### Caroline Rousseau](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/caroline-rousseau/) After three years of building surveys, analyzing data, and writing her own research, Caroline has been a senior content editor since 2022. Her previous experience as an analyst converged into a skill set that allows her to help her peers develop and produce compelling content about today’s business matters. ### RELATED READING - [AI vs Automation in Project Management: Where Each Actually Delivers Value](https://www.capterra.com/resources/ai-and-automation-in-project-management/) - [What’s Behind the Pricing Jump in Project Management Software Plans](https://www.capterra.com/resources/project-management-software-pricing/) - [What is a Job Requisition? 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Business sizes represented in the survey include: 1,676 small (5-249 full-time employees), 822 midsize  (250-999), and 887 enterprise (1,000+). The goal of this study was to understand the timelines, organizational challenges, research behaviors, and adoption processes of business software buyers. Respondents were screened to ensure their involvement in business software purchasing decisions. For the purposes of this report, successful software adopters are those who did not experience unexpected software implementation disruption or software purchase regret (n=1,147), while disappointed software buyers are defined as those who experienced both an unexpected disruption and purchase regret (n=1,368).