Maximizing Your Management Software Investment: Six Questions You Need To Ask By Rich Morahan
1. Do you have the software that works for your market now?
Like almost everything else, software has a shelf life. As Alison Kiesa, sales and market- ing director of Syrasoft, says, “you need to fit your product to your business model.” your market and your business have surely both changed since you made that original purchase decision for your facility and for your software. Does your current package still meet the needs of the new model? If it does not, you may need to replace your ven- dor. Markus hecker, director of marketing and sales for Sitelink, says, “good tools are embedded in good software.” Purchasing an upgrade or new modules, or even learning more about existing capabilities may enable you to make your software do its part in building your business.
Software does much more than just enter and track customers on your books and handle your payables and receivables. If you are opening a new facility, don’t make soft- ware that fits your business an afterthought. Buildings are a relatively static choice. Once your buildings are in place, all you have to do is maintain them. your software choice, however, will affect your operations every minute of the day. It impacts your appeal to customers, your daily cash flow, your secu- rity, and your operations as much as any other product you buy. It’s hardly a casual add-on. review the major suppliers who have proven themselves in the market and pick a product that will meet your current needs with the capability to expand for the future. Look for a history of reliability, security, and flexibility. If you consider the rest of these questions, you’ll be on the way to making this decision work for you.
