In Part I of this series we looked at the need to define software requirements before vetting vendors. In Part II we will look at other areas which should come under consideration prior to purchasing an Enterprise-Class Software.
Other things to consider in evaluating Enterprise-Class Software include:
- What percent of the company's revenue is directly attributable to the software under consideration? Why is this important, you ask? Big revenue generators will get more support overall. If the company is bleeding money and needs to improve its margins, low-hanging, low-revenue producers will most likely be cut. Where will that leave you? Which leads to point #2.
- How financially sound is the company? Where can you find this kind of information?
- Is software development and support a "side-business" for the vendor, or primary line of business?
- Does the company hold industry-recognized certifications for SOX and quality assurance? Is this evidenced by the existence of an IT Governance Board within the company? What Best Practices does the company employ relative to software development and support? Has the company published any new Best Practices?
- What is the company's track record for complete outages and/or failures?
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