"The problem is all inside your head, she said to me. The answer is easy, if you take it logically." If Paul Simon would write a song now about software selection, the title could just as well be 50 Ways to leave your old system. "We have a problem. The answer is easy. We need a new system." Now, that's fast thinking. But really, why do you need a new system? Why do you buy a new application?

Not for every problem, the answer is a new information system. It's an open door, but make sure from the start, that you select software for the right reasons. At the end of the process, the selected vendor should be able to fulfill the need you wanted to be fulfilled in the first place. For your convenience and to help the vendors to be able to provide the right solution for you, you have to pay a lot of attention in the answer of the big WHY.

4.1 Business case

"Business case" as a word may be hype. But, the purpose for it, is timeless. It is in essence the description of the problem you want to fix, or the opportunity you want to take; it's cost for realization, and the benefits it will bring.

If you are a sucker for bullet lists… this are the components that make up your business case:

• Description; a short explanation of the problem to tackle or opportunity to grasp.
  
• Reasons; a description of the reasons why the problem should be fixed or the opportunity should be taken.
• Assumptions: all the things you assumed to make this business case consistent.
• Benefits; the benefits for your organization the fixed problem or the opportunity will bring.
• Costs; what will it cost to realize the entire operation?
• Investment analysis; time to break even, etc.

Seems like a lot of work. It is. And it should be. Spending money is easy. Spending money wisely is a hell of a job.

You should consider how much of your business case you will share with the vendors that will participate in the process; if you tell them nothing, they will not able to anticipate to your needs and expectations; if you tell them to much, your companies strategic information can be compromised.

We all use a car for the same purpose; to get from one point to another, without getting tired. Despite the uniform use of the car, there are a zillion different kind of looks to the automobile. All is appealing to different people. The Alfa Romeo driver goes for slick Italian design, and doesn't care parts coming of the car once in a while. The Volvo driver goes for safety first, and doesn't mind he's driving in a soapbox strapped with a big rubberband.

In technology you have different kind of buyers. This has nothing to do with the purpose of the technology, but everything with the personal preferences of the individual. A simple, but effective way to categorize the buyers of technology (including software), is the "The Technology Adoption Life Cycle" (I use the version discussed in "Inside the Tornado" by Geoffry A. Moore). In this life cycle buyers are categorized by the amount of people that adopt a certain technology, in respect to the time after introduction of the technology. In a graphical overview you get a bell shaped figure (see the illustration below).

People are categorized by the time they will buy a certain piece of technology.

Innovators (technology enthusiasts)

These are the people that love technology, just for the sake of technology. They will use the coolest and the newest of all. Most of them will be employed in technology itself; the techies. They adore technology, but bring no cash. They have no money, the are not important decision makers.

Early adopters (visionaries)

They will see the possibilities new technology can bring for their company. They view technology as a very important way to differentiate their business from their competitors. The are important within their own company, they bring money.

Early majority (pragmatists)

This is a large group that believes in evolution not revolution. They will consider technology only if it's proven. They will not go for some hot new stuff, which has no proven track record. They have large legacy systems that must be maintained to perform their company's day to day operation, and not introduce something that might jeopardize that.

Late majority (conservatists)

They will adapt technology only if it's completely a common property, and mostly if it's very widely used. They go for market leaders only. Pricing is not a very big issue. Because it's very reliable, stable and statusful, they will drive that BMW.

Laggards (skeptics)

They don't believe in technology at all. Forget them. If you even started reading this tutorial, you do not belong to them.

I personally belong to the pragmatists. And most people that will perform a selection process in the scope that's described in this book, will be. Keep in mind what you are. It will determine how you will conduct the process; what selection criteria you will emphasize what vendors you will select. Keep also in mind that this document is written with a bias towards the early majority.

So, you are going to select some software. I don't mean an action game for your kids, but I'm talking about a real life, heavy-duty business application. Actually, the hard part is deciding which system to acquire anyway. It's so hard, we even have a name for all the steps together: the software selection process or acquisition process if you like difficult words.

And people are making it difficult, trying to make it look like a science. Let me make one thing clear, right from the start: the actual judgment on the selection is difficult, the only thing that really can help you there is experience, the process itself is easy and straightforward.

In this guide I will describe the first part of the software selection process, and my own experiences with it. It is actually the first round, of the total of two rounds that will bring you to your final choice: the request for information. The second part will be described in a future volume 2 of The Microwave Way to Software Selection.

This is not THE only way to do a software selection process. However, it's simple, straightforward and effective: the microwave way.

2 The Steps

The software selection process is a two step trip: first you create a large list of candidate vendors (the long list) who you will send a request for further information. You select the best suited for you (the short list) and go with them in detail on your needs (request for proposal).

The steps covered in this tutorial are the ones to get to the short list.

* Define your needs

* Define your selection criteria

* Create the long list

* Create the request for information

* Evaluate the responses

* Create your short list

You see, nothing you can't handle!

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