A Selection is an evaluation process guided by unbiased experts who have experience with the various application vendors. We use a systematic approach to help you find the best-fit application and implementation partner for your needs.
More importantly, we strive to align your expectations with what the software vendor and implementation partner can deliver. In our experience, the best measure of a successful selection is whether you still believe you chose the right software a year or two after you’ve completed the rollout. This judgement is based upon your initial expectations.
Every year we conduct numerous selection projects. Thus, we frequently evaluate the application market leaders such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Infor, Epicor, Workday, Ultimate, ADP, Ceridian, Insite, Hybris, etc. However, we refrain from providing configuration or development services for any of these solutions in order to maintain our objectivity.
Your strategic plan for the year includes selecting a new application for ERP, CRM, Ecommerce, etc. But you’re having trouble getting started. It’s difficult to field questions like:
We answer these questions for you. We answer the critical ones, like budget, scope, and vendor shortlist within the first few weeks, so you don’t risk getting everyone excited about a tool that’s not affordable.
Using our proprietary methodology, we deliver documentation for the entire due diligence process, which sometimes includes: budget estimates, goals, requirements, process maps, vendor shortlist, RFPs, demonstration scripts, demo notes and scorecards, technical findings, reference findings, implementation specifications, vendor bids, negotiated prices, ROI business case, and contract markups.
The process is thorough yet practical. We focus primarily on the critical and unique needs to quickly determine the top two candidates for a more comprehensive demonstration and fit gap analysis. We establish realistic expectations and facilitate team consensus.
Your staff is busy, but there is a deadline to meet. IT Directions uses a leveraged approach to make best use of your valuable time. This is evident before kickoff, when we recount the internal team member time requirements with a detailed description of their specific duties.
We have a reputation for establishing a rapid yet realistic schedule. We lead so many selections that it is honed down to a science. It enables us to establish the entire meeting schedule at kickoff complete each milestone as planned.
On-time projects are one reason why our engagements also finish on-budget. The entire process is designed to make efficient use of your team’s valuable time.
The best way to handle a problem is to prevent it from materializing in the first place. The purpose of our actions during the selection are in pursuit of proactive problem-solving during the implementation and eventual use in-production.
For example, we complete implementation scoping prior to finalizing contracts, which is typically delayed until phase 1 implementation planning. In this way you proactively overcome future obstacles, or at a minimum the forewarning helps to reset expectations.
Change management is incorporated throughout the evaluation and voting process. Addressing change at the outset aids with team and user adoption.
Feedback from the vendors we evaluate speaks to our competence within the consulting community. Some of the things they’ve told us include: “We have raised the bar on how to properly and professional manage an application evaluation,” and “Our Client has the benefit of having thought this through to the Nth degree and that makes for a more successful implementation all around.”
ITDirections was engaged by a very large ($4B revenue and 7,000 team members) global health distribution and services company. The company was composed of three unique business units with 15 distribution centers.
ITDirections was engaged by a privately-held distributor of process control and automation solutions, with revenue approximately $200M and over 250 employees in 16 locations. Their business also included engineering, assembly, manufacturing, technical support, vendor managed inventory, and logistics services.
ITDirections was engaged by a very large ($4B revenue and 7,000 team members) global health distribution and services company. The company is composed of three unique business units with 15 distribution centers.