For any start-up to work effectively, it requires a structured operational pattern and state-of-the-art technology. In the present times, when we are spoilt for choices and digital adoption is the need of the hour, choosing the right software is a critical decision.
While many ventures do opt for the trial and error method, roping in the incorrect software vendor would prove to be a wrong decision. It could lead to a lot of wastage as you would be spending your time, effort, and finances on setting up the solution.
Choosing the right software for your start-up
How to choose the right software is indeed a nightmare for many. However, it isn’t tough. The first question to be asked before onboarding the technological solutions is the motivation behind starting your venture. Answering this question will give you an initial line of thoughts, and then you could move ahead to the next set of questions that will help you narrow down to the appropriate selection. A software discovery platform like Software Suggest will go a long way in helping you find the right software. Websites like these help businesses and individuals compare various software based on their functionality, price and reviews. Suddenly the daunting task of finding software becomes a piece of cake.
The required specifications
Even in technologically advances times, software as a service solution is not pre-ready. Hence, any solution that you opt for is likely to fail. The only way out is to research and find the one that is as close to 100%. Once done with the scouting, you should consider a trial run. This is important because you would never be able to gauge the workability solely on the basis of the sales presentation. Trying out first hand is essential to analyse if the software is right or not.
Additionally, you as an entrepreneur should clearly be able to demarcate between the must-have list and nice to have a list. Not giving in to wishes and focusing on the requirements is important.
Trial run
A trial is indeed one of the best ways to gauge if the software is an apt choice for your venture or not. While the trial is different from full-time implementation, but trying the product for a period will help you understand its pros and cons.
Basis the feedback of your team and as per your logical thinking, you will be able to analyse and will be able to make a rational decision. This phase will also help you understand whether the customer service team is ready to resolve your queries and will cater to your troubles or not.
Relationship with vendor
Once you think of going ahead with a Saas solution, you should check if the firm’s customer support group is active or not. They should have positive feedback and should be pro-active to resolve the queries. They should ideally take a regular update and should be able to resolve queries within a short span of time.
Points to be considered before choosing the solution
Core features of the software– This is a key factor to be considered. While going with high-end techie solutions would lure you, choosing the one as per your work is essential. You should one whose features align with your working and customer needs.
Integrations with other software and solutions– Your solution should be capable enough to work with other software as well. Hence, you should always choose the one that can be combined and used complementarily for usage.
Learnability– The solution should be easy to grasp and use. We don’t wish to increase the hassles for the team as the sole aim to bring about solutions is to reduce their stress, and we wouldn’t wish to add to it.
Flexibility and customization– with the changing times, new challenges are faced. Hence, we need a solution that will be flexible enough to accommodate all the changes in the strategies to face the challenges.
Security– The solution you are choosing should have a strong security system as you will be handling sensitive data and there is no scope for leakage of information be it personal or confidential.
Customer support– The solution should have good customer support. They should be prompt enough to resolve the customer queries swiftly.
Price– The pricing of the solution should be affordable. Also, it should have value for money. Since you will be investing in it, the software should offer you all the desired services.
Summing Up
Once you have answers to all the above questions, you will be able to zero down on the apt software selection for your start-up. Along with researching at your end, scouting through customer reviews will also help you in making an informed decision.
Your sector, workload, and flow, mission, vision, and goals should all be considered when you pick the software solution. The decision of the solution is a deal maker or breaker for your start-up. Hence, it should be done post thinking through and analysing all the requirements and factors.
BY:-
Ankit Dudhwewala
Founder
CallHippo and SoftwareSuggest.com
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