Ever feel like Goose and Maverick from Top Gun: “I feel the need, the need for speed”? Impatience at senior levels, inability to invest that leaves you dangling with end of life or end of support products, and change taking place in “Internet Years” all combine to make speed the number one driver for many technology pursuits. At the other end of the spectrum, many suffer from painful procurement processes that demand 100 page RFPs, a minimum of six bidders, and timelines that seemingly drag on forever. Heaven forbid you get the double whammy demands of “Do it fast while using our rigorous procurement process!”
Either extreme poses unnecessary risks. Go too fast and you miss crucial information, bypass attractive options, or forego complete and competitive pricing. Get too complicated and you bury the truly essential in a sea of detail and delay realization of valuable business benefits. You can eliminate these risks and decrease pain by streamlining the requirements definition process and conducting targeted due diligence. Focus on what really matters and you’ll find the right (and complete) solution, approach, and price to deliver what your center needs.
A successful technology selection process includes the following steps:
- Identify criteria that will differentiate vendors and solutions
- Define requirements that focus on the specific needs of the center and IT for this project
- Determine appropriate vendors to consider based on high level requirements
- Document the requirements in appropriate vendor communication
- Evaluate options through targeted due diligence, using the criteria that matter to you, ensuring an apples to apples comparison
- Bring the team to consensus on the “best” vendor and solution
Refined processes can ensure you remain in control, while keeping things moving at a decent pace, and appeasing procurement or others who require formality.
Interested in learning more about our approach? Read the full article (Optimizing Technology Selection) now.