Seven Ways To Make The Right Software Match For Your Business Friday, March 1, 2019 ess verified business software reviews from By Claire Alexander, GM at Capterra (NAPSA)—We'e all looking for the human users. Verified users provide invaluable ground-level perspective: They'll know if that spreadsheet app “right” match in our personaland pro- fessionallives. Wevisit online real estate marketplacesto help us make oneoflife’s actually saves time, or whether the interfaceis just too clunky. Want to know most importantchoices. We read online reviewsto choosethe perfect restaurant whether the software upgrades are as seamless as the vendor promises? Actual for a special occasion. Wesearch for online matches be- userswill know. 5. Evaluate the number and recen- cause we're unsure and confusedby the cy of reviews: Software evolves—that’s too-manyoptions outthere. Businesses have the same problem: Implementingthe right software can what makes it great. A product with According to Capterra, a business softhelp youclosetheskills gap within your 20 reviewsfrom thepast six monthsis ware review site, the average small to organization, makewiser budgetchoices probably more helpful than one with medium size business takesa little over and ultimately save your company 200 reviews that are two years old.If twoyearstofind theright software. valuable time and resources, says Claire you're looking for highly specialized This process requires a great deal of Alexander, GM at Capterra. software,realize therewill likely be few- effort and time because buying business software isn’t straightforward. It can be tricky, even when choosingthe everyday project managementtool. While mostof the time, any competent project managementtoolwill work, there can befactors such as budget, compatibility and specific use casesto consider. Tips for Finding The Right Match Implementingthe right software can help you close the skills gap within your organization, make wiser budget choices andultimately save your companyvaluable time andresources. However, even if the software is great, the wrongselection process can sink your business due to additional IT implementationcosts, training expenses andlost productivity during your ramp- upstage. You need to have a well-informed software match to make a great purchase decision. The secret to finding a gretting your purchase. Bear in mind that business software affects not only the direct end-userbutalso others, indi- rectly. Software preferred by one depart- er reviews for you to consider because the user base is smaller. That doesn't meanthe software isn’t right for you. 6. Look for trends: You've already identified your business goals, so look es, should beable to identify the prob- for reviews that mention the things on your punchlist. Does the producteffectively act uponthe specific tasks you've already decided were must-haves? If 2. Identify your priorities: Start move on. 7. Validate with a user persona: ment may impact another throughservice slow-downs. End users, as well as those whowill beaffected byits processlemsthat need to besolved, as well as contribute to purchasing requirements. with the specific problem you're trying to solve and stick to your plan. Determine whichfeatures are must-haves and whichare optional—otherwise, you may spenda lot of money fora platform that does a lot, but nothing as well as you needit to. 3. Start with a broad search, then drill down: Don't get overly specific right away. Rather than searching for many users have reported it doesn't, Lookat the reviewer's profile: Is that reviewerin the sameposition as you and is their use case (more orless) the same as yours? If someoneis in the same in- dustry as you, assign a higher value to their commentary. Once you become familiar with their profile, you can see whatsoftware they use. Perhaps there's a mentionofa typeofsoftware you might wantto considergetting, too. It’s importantto follow a disciplined processalong with consulting independent, validated user reviews to ensure software by brand name,search by catgood software match is simple: Gather egory. There may be software alternathe right requirements from your orga- tives you've never heardof that are less nization and then validate those needs expensive and better for youruse case. you make a wise purchase decision— against actual users’ experiences. Here's howto find theright software ‘Thatlesser-known software with an avid software must meet the needs ofall 4, Seek outreviews by verified soft- for your company’s particular needs: 1.Talk to your stakeholders: Your stakeholders, or you might end up re- user base may be precisely what you need. Explore your options andlook at all your alternatives. ware users: Look for the websites with and doit in a way that saves you time. In the long run,this approach will significantly decrease yourrisk ofsoftware purchaseregret, freeing you up to tackJe new opportunities with great, software-enabledcapabilities in hand. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20191107-134359-20191107-134357-86842.pdf.jpg --- FILES --- File: 20191107-134357-86842.pdf