I want to disrupt how many people choose business software, specifically applicant tracking systems. I want to show people how to choose, maintain and optimize their software investment by thinking of new ways to understand the process from start to post-purchase. In the many years I’ve worked with clients and prospects, I’ve learned much from them about buying habits, including misconceived perceptions that lead them down the wrong path.
Software ownership is not easy when you start off with a poorly developed strategy, so getting off on the right foot before the buying process and successfully carrying this strategy through post-purchase will garner results much more in-line with your actual business requirements.
What is too commonly practiced is that people start out believing they need to divest themselves of their current system and purchase a new one, and the exciting part is they probably don’t have a business case to do so. This belief is usually the result of one or more of the following factors:
Of all the factors listed, the lack of a needs analysis is the most critical and challenging because it’s the foundation upon which well-thought-out considerations and decisions should be made. Critical business decisions should always be solidly grounded in facts and evidence rather than supposition. Each company needs to understand how its processes, culture, location, hiring needs, and environment are unique and use this knowledge to evaluate software to fit its business goals critically.
When it comes to considerations and decisions, it’s essential to look at things that require a deeper dive into the workings of the software provider. This action does not mean sending a standard RFP to a laundry list of vendors (some of which will not be qualified) and asking them questions they’ve answered hundreds of times for other companies. Some vendors will basically “copy” their answers from previous RFPs and send you generic responses. This is not helpful and will not get you the information you need. Understanding the value of a new system to your unique business and how it will solve your problems is much more important than having a standardized checklist of questions that may not be pertinent to what you need and ultimately not serve you well.
I’ve had countless conversations with people in the 30+ years I’ve been in the HR software development space and quickly realized that people are overwhelmed by the options. Further, many need a proper understanding of the right software to meet their business needs. As a means to educate people, I’ve written a business guide that outlines the foundation of what you need to know and do pre- and post-purchase, in addition to what fundamentals make for a great working relationship with your software provider during your business partnership.
You can get your free copy by clicking Get My Free Guide Now.
I want you to know that I want you to continue to succeed.