How to cope if your boss wants you to recommend software

Have you been given the task of finding, evaluating and recommending software for the small business where you work ?

It’s a great opportunity ahead of you but it also presents some risks and pitfalls that need watching.  The search process itself can also be a big hidden cost. Here are a few things you should be aware of before you jump into the process…

Deciding on software for small business

1. Owners or partners of a small business often delegate the software selection process to employees they see as more technically-savvy or more organised than most. Your job is to present a shortlist of recommended options, to help them make the final decision. Think of the task as a vote of confidence in you.
2. Employees made responsible for software selection often feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. There are so many products available, and you may not have been through a process like this before. That’s normal.
3. A sense of personal risk is often involved – this is a chance to prove yourself but conversely you don’t want to make a recommendation that backfires on you. You don’t want to be “that guy” who suggested buying the software everyone hates.
4. Research shows that owners of a business choose software differently than managers. [ref 1] For instance, managers often think the price and popularity of a package are critical … but business owners rate those amongst the least important! Research suggests owners tend to be more strategic, considering more factors and weighing them differently than managers do when evaluating software.

What does this mean for you?

Firstly, it means you should take the task seriously because the owners of the business certainly will.

You should also look for ways to educate yourself about good software selection practices and involve outside experts or information sources if possible. Adhering to a solid process gives the owner confidence, and can help you manage the many stakeholders involved.

You should also discuss what the important factors are with your boss and other stakeholders, and ensure that you are transparent in how you arrived at your recommendations. This focuses the discussion on the evaluation process (not just the end outcome) and not only does it help you choose software more intelligently, it also protects you from any perceived personal risk.

How Software Shortlist can help

Software Shortlist provides a “shortlist + compare” tool that can help you recommend software for your business. It steps you through a more robust software evaluation process than small businesses typically use, but it is still simple and easy to use for non-IT experts.

Software Shortlist also gives you the flexibility to adjust the weighting of different factors (e.g. price, ease of use, scalability). So if your boss turns out to have a different view on priorities you can easily adjust your shortlist accordingly. Plus, we’ve screened out products that aren’t up to scratch and have conducted independent reviews on each software product included in the comparison service. User reviews are available too to give you an additional, external perspective.

Go find that software

I hope this post helps you understand a bit more about the challenge and opportunity ahead of you in choosing software for your small business.

Why not let us know how it goes, and share your thoughts or experiences below so others can benefit too?

[ref 1]: P.Y.K Chau “Factors use in the selection of packaged software in small businesses: Views of owners and managers,”Information & Management 29 (1995) 71-78

Why small businesses need help choosing software

Having just spent the past week here in Silicon Valley, we’ve had plenty of practice describing what Software Shortlist is, the customer need it serves, and how we deliver value.  One thing that comes across loud and clear is that people understand the pain that small businesses face in choosing business software.

As a result, their questions were typically things like ‘will people pay enough to fund your service?’,  ’how do you create the content cost effectively?’, and ‘how will you reach your customers?’

After all that, it was interesting yesterday to see a question posted on a LinkedIn discussion group that really captures the essence of the customer need we solve:

Wanted: online CRM program
Our business uses both a desktop CRM program and an online email marketing software program. Time to get “one-does-all” online program I think so we can create and follow the opportunities pipeline better.

Have been trawling the Internet but one after the other promises a lot, but don’t really feel like having to do xxx free trials to find the one that would suit us best.

Is anyone using an online CRM program they can recommend to a small business?

In our view, this quote really captures the essence of why customers need a service like Software Shortlist. Now we just need to expand the range of software we cover so we can help more people like this…

Selecting software: the hidden cost for business

If you’re a small business looking for software, you probably set aside a rough budget to buy and operate it. But there is a significant hidden cost to software that you may not have considered…

Upfront and ongoing costs of your chosen software package are only part of the picture. There is a significant cost to the process of choosing software.

Imagine adding $30,000 to the cost of your timesheet system. That’s exactly what happened with one accounting firm we spoke with recently.

We often hear that small businesses spend 3 to 6 months choosing software. The person-hours consumed over this time are substantial, so software selection has a significant “real” cost (i.e. salary paid to those people) as well as an “opportunity cost” (i.e. cost of not doing other things because they were busy with this).

For example, we met with an accountant yesterday who told us his firm recently chose a combined timesheet / project management system. It took 6 months of calendar time to make the choice, with a reasonably senior person spending 60 hours working on it. Given a typical client charge out rate of $500 per hour, choosing software cost the firm a staggering $30,000 in opportunity cost. On salary costs alone,  they probably spent $3,000 paying staff to select software.

Choosing business software is an important decision. You don’t want to get it wrong. The challenge is how do you make the right decision on software, more quickly?

That’s where Software Shortlist comes in. By using our online comparison service, you can dramatically reduce the time required to find a shortlist of the most relevant software. The ultimate decision is still yours, but seeking our help can significantly reduce the ‘hidden cost’ of software selection. What’s your time worth?