IT-Selection

A target-oriented arrangement of the own company software is important – particularly with medium-sized businesses.

What exactly do we mean by that?

Why should you give attention to your IT-selection in detail?

In consideration of the fact that 47 % of all software implementations in companies fail and 84 % still exceed the scheduled time and costs (source: Standish Group, 2001), it is obvious that it is necessary to deal with this issue in-depth.

While IT-turnover has mostly been generated through licenses in the past, there is a new trend towards the usage of maintenance and services. Considering the costs of the economic life over a time period of 7 years, it becomes clear that the software has been paid 2,5 – 4 times.

The business processes are the core and at the same time the fingerprint of your company. They serve as a basis for an individual IT-bid and should receive as much importance and consideration as they deserve as the heart of the company. For the long-term success of the company, the accurate IT-selection therefore is an essential element.

Does it fit?

Please take a moment to form an opinion about the following statements:

•  "IT-projects are the task of the IT manager. It is none of the management's business."
• "For us, there is only a limited number of alternatives and we already know them."
• "We have our own neutral consultant who helps us with the selection of software."
• "We buy a software and subsequently shape and reorganize our business processes according to it."
• "Software selection does not take much time. It is done very quickly."
• "ERP-systems "WAWI, PPS, CRM...) more or less all have the same functionalities."
• "Our requirements for a software are nothing special."
• "We have our IT-manager for the software selection."
• "Our employees know exactly which system they prefer."
• "We record our business processes casually – without a special project."

The listed statements above are typical faults when realizing IT-projects. The faults that are made most often are management faults as well as an underestimation of the project "It-selection" or an overestimation of the own abilities and resources. The reasons for this purpose are obvious:

Management faults

• The software selection does not receive enough management attention. However, the right selection of a company's software should be given top priority, since objective conflicts are possible.
• A well conducted market research is indispensable as well - even if there is only a limited number of already known alternatives at first glance. Most of the times, there is a better (cheaper) solution.
• If you have a neutral consultant, you should however try to get a clear view of the situation. Trust is good – control is better!
• Business Processes are not supposed to be adapted to the software. They are the basis for the definition of the functional requirements and should be the source for any decisions.

Underestimation of the project "IT-selection"

• A superficial examination of the software selection and a hastily jump to conclusions and decisions will afterwards be reflected in the costs. A subsequent adjustment of any kind will be very expensive
• Just as companies are very different, there are serious differences in ERP-systems.
• Even if you do not consider your own requirements and demands for a system as "not special", please keep in mind: The requirements result from your business processes. And it is the business processes that make a company distinctive. As a result of that, the requirements of every single company are special.

Overestimation of the own abilities and resources

• A company's software is being updated every 10 years on average. Thus, it is not possible for an IT-manager to possess the necessary method competence and market knowledge to select an IT-solution in consideration of all important aspects.
• If you act according to your employee's wants, there is an acute menace of an over-dimensioning in functionality as well as in price.
• The record of business processes needs special attention. Otherwise, an incomplete recordation is possible which leads to an insufficient use of available optimization potential.

We help you to protect your IT-projects through our systematic, structured and process-oriented approach.

The multiplicity and volume of information resulting from customer relations is constantly increasing. Without a straight-through information processing throughout the company, an efficient use of the factor of production man, machine, material will not be possible.

Resulting from your company-specific process structures, we help you to analyze your requirements for an IT-solution and support you when formulating the requirements specification. Based upon these specifications, we commonly select the right provider and subsequently make a well-founded decision for the customized solution that fits best your needs. Among necessary functional and technical requirements, aspects of economic efficiency play a very important role as well.

Among our expert knowledge regarding existing industry and sector-specific solutions, a close collaboration, a clear communication as well as a professional project management belong to the essential success factors.

Our approach for a successful support at the selection of an IT-solution:
- to some extent via partners -

• Visualization of te organizational structure and identification of weak spots
• Complete and understandable documentation of detailed requirements
• Definition of many small achievable sub-ordinate targets instead of one large main objective
• Extensive and intersectoral market research
• Extensive software evaluation among the following four factors:
  - Degree of performance of the most important / key factors
  - Costs, contain the price per user and additional costs for customizing and programming, intruduction
  - Technological level and guaranteed future
  - Background of the provider, e.g. size, experiences in particular sectors, manpower, prospects
• Audit of software contract as regards content and legal aspects
• Project-Controlling as a protection of intransparent and unexpected costs

Trust us!

We help you to prepare and realize the implementation of a new software.
We help you to get a general idea of the different solutions and alternatives.
We help you to formulate and present your requirements process-oriented.