Collective Wisdom from the Experts 151
- Prepare a vendor evaluation report, test cases, and test plan.
- Make sure the test case is completed and documented.
- Follow the test plan/cases before the contract is signed.
The gaps, and the plan by which these gaps will be bridged, should be under-
stood and approved by both companies. After this process is carefully followed
and documented, you will have very clear information by which to determine
which software should be purchased, the estimated time required for software
customization, and the actual associated costs. You will save money and time
in the long run.
It sounds as if a lot of time will be spent before the vendor is selected and the
contract is signed. Yes, but it is better to invest this time rather than waiting
until the software is in your hands to be installed. If too many incompatibilities
are discovered during testing—or, worst-case scenario, after the software is
already deployed to the final user—costs will skyrocket.
To recap, when your company decides to buy ready-made software, spend
more time identifying the real need and researching the functional and techni-
cal details of the software chosen before purchasing. Use this approach whether
the software provider is well known or new to you, and whether the software
is a low-impact desktop application or a more crucial server-side application
that could bring the company to its knees.