When purchasing software for your construction business, you must plan for the future. To make the best investment, choose your software based on where you see your company in five to 10 years, not where your company is now.
Between the purchase price, ongoing costs, annual support agreements and training costs, software can be costly. To ensure your purchase is well worth the money and that your new software gives you the best possible long-term return on investment, follow these steps to choosing the best software for your firm.
1. Establish “Must-Have” and “Nice-to-Have” Lists.
Create a list of features you’d like to have in your new software, and separate it into two categories—“must-have” and “nice-to-have.”
Your must-have list should be short and outline the features that are absolutely necessary for your business. The nice-to-have list can be much broader, but be sure to list features in order of importance. Below are general questions to ask yourself when making your lists:
- What are your reasons for buying it?
- Save time
- Enhance the service provided to clients
- Better manage operating costs
- Manage your total business more effectively
- Increase turnover without increasing employee or operating costs
- Have only one integrated software package
- Who is going to run and maintain it?
- What support is provided?
- In what format do you need to access the information produced by the software?
- Can I remotely access data?
- Who needs to access the software and the data produced by the software?
- How many people can access the data at once?
- What data storage devices are available?
- How much data needs to be stored?
- Will those needs change during the next 12, 24 or 36 months?
- Where will data be accessed? Locally? Remotely? Or both?
- How will data be accessible if a disaster occurs?
- Is there a backup source?
2. Clarify your budget.
Set a budget, and remember to allow for other expenses such as an upgrade to your additional hardware. Also consider: Will you be able to use the device out of the box? Or will it require customization? What are the maintenance expenses?
3. Reduce your options.
Now that you have your must-have and nice-to-have lists and a budget, you must reduce your options. Examine your product list, and eliminate items that lack important features. Determine two or three products that are a good fit for your company by looking for high-quality customer support, a brand with a solid track record and a broad user base.
4. Evaluate the options.
From the remaining options, determine which products deliver the most features from your nice-to-have list. Are there add-ons that you can purchase at a later date as you need them?
5. Choose your finalists.
Now that you have just a handful of products left to evaluate, it’s time to see them in action. If possible, book a demonstration. Here are some general questions to ask:
- Are there any ongoing costs?
- How simple is the software to set up?
- Does it come with hard-copy manuals?
- What industry associations is your company a member of?
- What operating system does it work with?
- How secure is my data?
6. Get Feedback from your team.
If you have staff who will be using the software, now is a great time to get their feedback. This will also benefit your business when it comes to implementing the new software—if you have asked for your staff’s feedback early on, they will be much more receptive to change.
7. Plan the transition.
To avoid issues and downtime, take time to plan the transition to the new software. The successful implementation of any software product depends almost entirely on the complete buy in from top-line management or business owners.
Time and effort spent in the early phases (particularly for orientation, initial training and data setup) invariably drive the success of the implementation and benefits you reap in the months and years that follow.
Steps for implementation success:
- Avoid implementing new software during your company’s busiest times.
- Allow for system redundancy to ensure that none of your data is lost during the transition.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for support.
- Find out if the software company offers an implementing service or guide.
8. Implement your new software using this framework:
- Installation
- Product orientation
- Initial training
- Plan usage & data setup
- First live projects
- Follow-up training
- Product implanted continuity
