If events outside of your control cause you to pause software adoption, you can make the most of downtime by reassessing your business needs and preparing to re-engage the vendor when you’re ready.
After finding the perfect software for your business, all you want to do is move forward full steam ahead. But sometimes, things beyond your control happen that need to be addressed before you can purchase and implement new software.
If you are a small or midsize business leader who has previously gotten approval to buy new software but now must pause the software purchase, we’re here to help. Whatever your situation might be, it can be frustrating to put things on hold, but this time doesn’t have to be wasted.
In this article, we’ll talk about the three things you can do to ensure the time and effort you’ve put into the selection process doesn't go to waste whenever you get the green light to re-engage with vendors.
Tip 1: Continuously assess business technology needs
While it can be frustrating to put a software purchase on hold, this can be a good opportunity to take additional time to reflect on what your company needs from a platform. This will help you keep track of new needs if they arise during this pause period.
Use a prioritization table to organize software features as essential, conditional, and optional. Essential features are must-haves you can’t live without. Conditional features are those that would be nice to have but are not necessary. Optional features are ones that might be useful (if they are free), but they are not critical to your business needs.
For example, if you’re looking for project management software, you might consider a timeline view to be essential, resource management to be conditional, and customizable templates to be optional.
Feature | Description | Priority level |
Gantt/timeline view | Coordinates and illustrates a project’s benchmarks and dependencies. | Essential |
Resource management | Efficient and effective use of an organization’s human capital. | Conditional |
Customizable templates | Create, save, and re-purpose formatting to templates. | Optional |
You can use third-party review sites, such as Capterra, to see which software is rated most highly by real users. Our buyers guides, for example, can walk you through what benefits a type of software offers, highlight its most common features, and break down costs.
Tip 2: Refresh your negotiation team
As time lapses, keep your team engaged by conducting regular check-ins and re-evaluating software priorities. Use this time to hone in on areas that may have gotten less attention during the process before the pause.
Discuss areas such as evolving business needs, industry trends and predictions, legal/contracts, finance and accounting, IT, cybersecurity needs, and pending data compliance laws.
Keeping regular communication about key business operations ensures that any shifts in business needs are accounted for. This will make things more efficient when you resume negotiations with the vendor.
Tip 3: Stay in contact with the vendor
Just as you stay in contact with people within your organization, it is just as important to keep in touch with the software vendor.
During this holding period, communicate new needs to the vendor and stay updated on changes to their service. Ask the vendor periodically about changes to fees, subscription structures, maintenance and support, and training options. Below is a comprehensive list of items you’ll want to keep checking on with your vendor.
Software | Maintenance and support | Services and training |
•Fees: Short- and long-term •Type: License or subscription •Metric: Per user versus per month •Delivery: Cloud or on-premise •Integration: Additional fees for vendor assistance | •Warranty: Length of contract •Options: Customer service avenues and availability •Discounts: Options for reduced prices | •Methods: On-site, remote, or online •Payment: Timing of payment and travel fees |
If there are industry disruptions, this might affect software implementation, installations for on-premise systems, and training offerings. Discuss changes, if they arise, with your negotiation team during weekly meetings. When you’re ready to resume software adoption, you want to make sure the software still meets your needs and expectations.
While software adoption is on hold, keep communication open
During an unexpected pause, it can be easy to lose momentum, but just because your software purchase is on hold, doesn't mean communications should be put on hold too.
Keeping communications alive with your negotiation team and the software vendor is going to make sure everyone is ready and on the same page when it comes time to resume the software adoption process.
No matter the reason for postponement of your software adoption, these simple steps will help ensure you still get a great deal for your business. In the meantime, Capterra has a ton of additional resources to help you make the best move for your team.