Getting the Expected Benefits from a Software Investment

There are many reasons to implement new software in today’s business environment:

• Survival – you may have grown large enough that your existing software can no longer keep pace with critical functions like taking orders, managing inventory, or billing customers.
• Regulatory compliance – various agencies, such as tax authorities, customs, and auditors, place demands on businesses for accurate reporting that are burdensome to provide manually.
• Customer demands – today’s customers are looking for instant, 24/7 access to product information, order status, and even self-service. Online ordering and fulfillment have become the norm for dealing with such a technically savvy customer base.
• Management information – to make informed decisions about marketing strategy, product development, professional services, and business investments, you must have accurate information.

Once you decide it’s time for a new software system, you need to consider the software investment. Selecting the right software system is critical to ensuring a worthwhile return on investment (ROI).

Before you start the implementation process, you need to document project objectives and business requirements. This could include deciding which reports you want generated, which processes you’d like automated, what internet ordering capabilities you want available to your customers, or a variety of other business goals. By creating this software “wish list,” you establish milestones to achieve.

Tracking the milestones throughout the project will provide the project team and management with an accurate view of the success of the project. When utilizing outside consultants as resources for the project, ensure that they are likewise focused on the project deliverables and achieving the milestones. Also, be sure you’re reporting negative issues or challenges in addition to positive progress.

As you implement the software, you’ll find that other positive outcomes – ones that weren’t part of the original project plan – occur. An effort to simplify accounting methods, for example, could also result in providing analytical data that’s valuable to the marketing department. Document these outcomes as well, as they’re benefits that will increase the ROI of the project above and beyond the original estimate.

There are other steps you should take during an IT project or system implementation to ensure the expected returns:

• Know your project budget and create a plan to stick to it
• Create deadlines to keep the project on track
• Create performance indicators to measure results against expectations
• Assume there will be unexpected deviations from the project plan

Southeast Computer Solutions has the software and project management expertise that helps businesses like yours achieve successful implementations on time and on budget. Contact us to learn how we can benefit your company with software selection, implementation, and ongoing support.

About Southeast Computer Solutions

Southeast Computer Solutions is based in Miami, Florida, and has additional operations in Mexico. For over 30 years, we have positively impacted the success of small and mid-sized businesses with effective business management implementations that improve our clients’ operations. We listen, we are accessible, and we care. Learn more by visiting our website or calling 305-556-4697.