Specify minimum and detailed requirements expected from your vendor.

You're evaluating and selecting software to run your business, and that decision has long-term implications.

Establish stringent requirements by specifying the key attributes you're seeking from your vendor partner.

• ●
  Stability
• ●
  Long-term viability as an ongoing concern
• ●
  Customer care and focus
• ●
  Quality of people
• ●
  Capacity to grow with and support your business long-term

Specify the application requirements that are expected to be delivered by your vendor.

Each application is different. Understand the core attributes and capabilities of your application.

Leading applications do share some key attributes and capabilities. Refer to the graphic for representative examples.

Describe the expected user interface and navigation required.

An easy-to-use, intuitive system will save cost and time over the long term and result in higher user satisfaction and engagement.

A good experience will incentivize users to optimize their application use, leveraging all functionality to deliver value to your business.

Articulate expected reporting and analytic capabilities.

Often overlooked in evaluation projects are the vendor's reporting and analytic capabilities.

Invest sufficient effort to identify and document your organization's reporting and analytic needs.

As the following graphic depicts, it's more than just reporting.

Remember to specify the required options for distributing reports, such as print, PDF, device, web, and screen display.

Partner with your technology and security teams to define software application-related security and access requirements.

Also, your security team should provide you with a technical security questionnaire to include in your RFP. That questionnaire covers critical security topics such as:

• ●
  Network
• ●
  Anti-virus / Malware
• ●
  Technical Environment Change Control
• ●
  Hardware/System Software Patching
• ●
  Remote Access
• ●
  Physical Security
• ●
  Disaster Recovery

Your application may need to integrate with other existing applications and capabilities within your organization.

List each application and define its integration requirements and standards.

The application software you're evaluating and selecting operates on one or more technical platforms, such as hardware servers, database software, network software, and other technical-related software.

Partner with your IT team to include your organization's technical standards and requirements.

Request vendors to highlight areas of their solution that are inconsistent with your organization's technical standards. Those exceptions will require review by your internal IT partners.

Note: Solutions that are not in compliance with your organization's technical standards may result in:

• ●
  An additional cost of ownership that needs to be quantified in your selection decision.
• ●
  Potential security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
• ●
  Other unforeseen issues.

This area is critical to support your organization's long-term use and benefits of the application.

Specify your requirements and expectations for vendor application support, such as:

• ●
  24-hour, seven days/week, 365 days/year support, expressed as 24x7x365.
• ●
  Issue resolution, including a vendor's service desk process, how the vendor defines incident severity, and service level objectives for resolving critical issues.

Application Management and Support is more than just application support. Consider capabilities and services such as:

• ●
  On-going training & education.
• ●
  Application patches, releases, and upgrades.
• ●
  Application documentation and job performance aid.
• ●
  User conferences and groups sponsored by the vendor.

Ask the vendor to provide a catalog of their products and services with associated pricing.

That provides insight into the vendor's maturity, stability, and ability to weather an economic downturn.

Diversity of product and service is a crucial indicator of vendor long-term viability.

Identify any potential long-term requirements that your organization may require.

Even though those needs may not be required today, selecting a vendor who can support them may be a differentiating factor in your decision-making process.