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Software evaluation

Methodical software selection for the right IT solution

Choosing the right IT solution or platform is one of the most important success factors for companies. In addition, they have to adapt their planning to changing value chains and market conditions faster and more flexibly than ever before. A professional, methodical approach to software evaluation is therefore essential.

Make or buy, cloud, hyperscaler, best-of-breed and bimodal IT are buzzwords, framework conditions and questions that decision-makers in companies need to consider as part of a differentiated software evaluation and the associated market exploration.

In our opinion, three further criteria are of central importance when evaluating software: the identification of value-added areas, the calculation of the costs incurred by the IT solution and the involvement of users.
These aspects contribute significantly to the success of the software evaluation and the decision in favor of a specific solution.
With the support of the experienced experts at PTA IT Consulting, you can implement the software analysis and selection for your company in a targeted and seamless manner.

Elementary: Recognize value-added areas and create a basis for software evaluation

Instead, a targeted software evaluation is always geared towards the processes that a company goes through. It is important to consider whether a company is planning to purchase an IT solution that covers standard accounting processes, for example, or whether it is looking for a solution in the area of business intelligence.
An absolutely fundamental question that must be clarified as part of the selection process is therefore a clear definition of the areas in which a company achieves its added value or competitive advantages.
Only when these areas have been identified is a targeted software evaluation possible.

Create clarity when evaluating software and calculate TCO precisely

Another key factor that must be considered as part of a software evaluation is the calculation of the total cost of ownership (TCO), i.e. the calculation of the full costs associated with an investment in a new IT solution. This applies regardless of whether the development of individual software or the implementation of standard software is being considered: The calculation of the TCO is a decisive decision-making basis for every software evaluation, regardless of whether it is a new CRM system, the introduction of process mining software or standard software for handling accounting.
For a software evaluation that is as complete as possible, the so-called opportunity costs, i.e. costs for support, maintenance, licenses or even power users, should always be included in this consideration.

Involve users in the software decision and create a high level of acceptance

A third and also very important criterion that companies should be aware of as part of a software evaluation is both the number of users and the way in which they are to work with a new IT solution. The design of an IT solution and the functionalities it provides are decisive factors in how high the acceptance of new software is among users. To avoid shadow IT or a lack of acceptance, we at PTA are committed to a user-centered methodology for software evaluation.

Low user acceptance is the most common reason why the introduction of new IT solutions fails.
The reason is obvious: if employees feel uncomfortable in a new software environment or cannot find their way around, they generally do not understand the purpose of the changeover. This is why we at PTA follow a multi-stage methodology as part of a software evaluation for our customers, in which we create a target system and cover the entire user level in the specialist departments, the IT department and controlling.

In a pairwise comparison, we ask these departments about a number of functional and non-functional criteria, for example, whether company size appears important to them on the provider side or whether market share plays a more significant role, whether the quality of support is a priority or whether greater value is placed on emergency concepts. In this way, we evaluate the degree of fulfillment that a new IT solution must provide from the user’s point of view.

After a detailed cost analysis and consideration of whether individual software or a standard solution better fulfills the criteria, the stakeholders determine the weighting of the functional and non-functional criteria as well as the budget.
Sustainability criteria can also be included in this sub-process of the software evaluation, for example as part of the implementation of the German Supply Chain Duty of Care Act (LkSG) and the associated requirements.

Identifying predetermined breaking points through event storming - for an even more comprehensive software evaluation

In some software evaluation projects, a process analysis makes the selection process considerably easier. This records the current status of processes in the company and compares this with a target status. Understanding a specific process flow doesn’t really sound like a big challenge.
After all, every user who goes through it many times a day should be familiar with it. So much for the theory.

In practice, however, many questions often arise in our many years of consulting in a wide variety of projects, even with simply structured processes. This is why we deliberately use event storming, a methodology that gives us a comprehensive and shared understanding of the processes we are putting to the test.

In this way, predetermined breaking points, silos and bottle necks in the process sequences can be reliably identified. These results provide valuable insights into how a new IT solution should ideally be designed and dimensioned in order to enable a company to achieve high added value.

How to: Software evaluation from PTA

Introducing and establishing a new IT solution or IT platform in your company doesn’t have to be a balancing act: Even if you as a stakeholder are convinced of the benefits of a particular IT solution, it will only be used efficiently if you achieve a high level of software acceptance within your team. Benefit from our unique method on the market and our many years of consulting expertise in software evaluation. Actively involve your users in the selection process. Use our event storming, create a common understanding of the central process flows in your organization and thus increase the acceptance of a new IT solution among the entire workforce.

Important questions on software evaluation

What are the most important steps in software evaluation?

Three steps in software evaluation are particularly crucial:

Identify the areas of added value: Recognize which areas of the company offer the greatest added value.
Calculate the Total Costs of Ownership (TCO): Calculate the full costs, including opportunity costs.
User involvement: Make sure that end users are involved in the evaluation process to ensure a high level of acceptance.

If these aspects are taken into account during software analysis and selection, a successful software evaluation can be expected.

Why is it so important to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) when evaluating software?

Calculating the TCO is crucial as it takes into account the total cost of an IT solution, including indirect costs such as support and maintenance.
This helps companies to make informed decisions and ensure that the software decision is for a solution that is economically viable in the long term.

How does user involvement contribute to successful software evaluation?

User involvement is of central importance to ensure a high level of acceptance of the new IT solution.
If users understand the software and feel comfortable with it, they are more willing to use the new solution effectively, which has a significant impact on the success of the implementation.

PTA IT-Beratung: Your partner for successful software evaluation

With the proven methodology of PTA IT consulting, you can ensure that your software evaluation is methodical and targeted.
Our experts support you in successfully implementing all the important steps – from identifying the areas of added value to calculating the total costs of ownership and integrating the users.
Even if you want to complement the software analysis with long-term, success-assuring services such as QA for your software (quality assurance), our experts are at your side.

Contact us now and take advantage of our expertise in software evaluation to make the best possible decision for your IT solution.

Software evaluation

Methodical software selection for the right IT solution

Elementary: Recognize value-added areas and create a basis for software evaluation

Create clarity when evaluating software and calculate TCO precisely

Involve users in the software decision and create a high level of acceptance

Identifying predetermined breaking points through event storming - for an even more comprehensive software evaluation

How to: Software evaluation from PTA

Important questions on software evaluation

What are the most important steps in software evaluation?

Why is it so important to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) when evaluating software?

How does user involvement contribute to successful software evaluation?

PTA IT-Beratung: Your partner for successful software evaluation

Have we sparked your interest?

Dr. Frank Gredel

Head of Business Development

Contact

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Software evaluation

Methodical software selection for the right IT solution

Elementary: Recognize value-added areas and create a basis for software evaluation

Create clarity when evaluating software and calculate TCO precisely

Involve users in the software decision and create a high level of acceptance

Identifying predetermined breaking points through event storming - for an even more comprehensive software evaluation

How to: Software evaluation from PTA

Important questions on software evaluation

What are the most important steps in software evaluation?

Why is it so important to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) when evaluating software?

How does user involvement contribute to successful software evaluation?

PTA IT-Beratung: Your partner for successful software evaluation

Have we sparked your interest?

Dr. Frank Gredel

Head of Business Development

Contact

Company

Service

Social

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