I want to offer this advice to help guide you in the purchasing of our new accounting software. First form a technology advisory committee (TAC). This committee will oversee the project. This committee should be made up of people from each of the company’s major departments. This committee will help determine the software needs for each department.
The next step after the committee is established is to have each department prepare an analysis or walk thru of the jobs they perform. Diagrams and flowcharts would help illustrate each department’s analysis to the TAC.
This analysis should help you develop a requirements definition. A requirements definition will tell you what the business needs from the software. These items I have mentioned above will help the process go smoothly and ensure that no critical functions needed from the software are missed.
Once we have determined what we need the software to do and what level of software we need for our business, then the next step it so speak to our current vendor and seek out other vendors.
A few more items to consider when looking for new software is: is it user friendly, will it be compatible with our other software, and will this product grow with our company.
When you have found a package you think will fit our needs ask for referrals to call and speak to. This will enable you to speak directly with someone that is using the product currently.
Another item to consider is the cost of the product. We want to make sure that it is cost effective to purchase this product. Other items to consider is does the product include all the modules we need, is the price negotiable, and is maintenance and support provided in the cost.
We do not want to purchase a product that does not include all the modules we currently have and others we will need. Also we want to be sure long term maintenance and support is included in the price.
When you have chosen the product for us please