Drive Success: 5 Keys to Selecting the Right Business Application

Think back to the last time you bought a car. How did you determine it was the right car for you? Did you extensively research its features, longevity, customization options, and price? Did you take it on a test drive and compare it with other similar models?

Choosing the right applications for your business is just like buying a car. Business applications need to be carefully researched to ensure that they are the right fit and will drive your business forward. According to Gartner, worldwide IT spend on enterprise applications total more than $300 billion, so there are many options out there from which your company can choose.

From customer relationship management (CRM) to enterprise resource planning (ERP), there are many different applications for your company to utilize and many options within these categories. But how do you determine which ones will advance your company and lead to success? Below are 5 key questions to ask when selecting business software: 

1. Will it drive your goals and propel your business to the next level?

The first and most important factor to consider when selecting a business application is whether or not it will help your business achieve your goals and foster growth, improvement, and success. Are you looking to improve the customer journey with a CRM? Do you want advanced reporting with an ERP? Identifying your goals and determining the business objectives you want to support will narrow down your requirements, and help you determine the desired outcome of utilizing the software.

2. Is it easy for users to adopt?

As with any car purchase, it takes some time to get used to your new vehicle; the same can be said for choosing the right business application. User adoption is critical to factor in when deciding on the right solution. Is it easy to use? How much time and effort will it take for employees to learn and transition to this application? If you’re not familiar with it, there may be benefit in requesting a demo to try out the interface and test run with your employees.

3. Does it have the features and customization your business needs?

Every business has different needs and processes in place. For an application to drive your success, it needs to meet your requirements and have the flexibility to adapt to changes in processes and organizational management. Determine what tools are most important to your processes and whether or not the program needs to integrate with any of your existing systems. This information will help you decide how comprehensive your application needs to be.

4. Will it support your company today…and tomorrow?

Just as a shiny new sports car may be great when you’re single but less practical when you have kids, business growth is an essential consideration. After you decide on an application and spend the time implementing it into your company, you want to ensure you don’t outgrow it in one or two years. The solution you pick should be scalable to grow as your company grows.

5. Is it a smart investment?

As with any large purchase, a key factor is determining just how smart an investment it is for your business. Price is important, but it’s not the only consideration in deciding if the application is right for you. Other aspects to consider are return on investment (ROI), and the potential time and financial cost-savings. If a specific tool improves business processes and saves employees valuable time, then it may be a worthy investment.

Whether you are deciding on a CRM, ERP, or any other business application, it’s important to compare options and find out which works best for your business. Need assistance determining the right software for you? Contact us today and we will work with you to determine the best software to drive your business success.