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How to Choose From Hundreds of Enterprise Software Options

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The software that you use is one of the most critical components of any business. After all, even if you have a strong company culture and clear best practices, the way that you enact many aspects of your business’ operations has to do with the tools your employees use. Since software solutions are generally used day in and day out, it’s even more important to have the right platform to handle the task at hand.

All that being said, narrowing down the options is easier said than done. Whether you’re looking for payroll software or business intelligence platforms, the field of software is ever-growing and increasingly competitive. This means that you may have hundreds of options to consider when looking to upgrade and switch to a different software platform. As you weigh your enterprise software options, here are a few tips to keep in mind while evaluating different vendors.

Streamline your research process with the right guide.

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One of the quickest ways to help narrow the field is to take a look at various guides that can help you shorten your list. It’s a good idea to look at a guide that’s specific to the type of software you’re looking for since different niches are often endorsed by different research publications. After all, the highest ratings for general business software won’t be of much use to you if they don’t serve the particular purpose you’re looking for. Take, for example, the HRIS Guide: Choosing The Perfect HR Software. This guide is an incredible tool for looking at different HRIS, or human resources information system, platforms. From understanding what recruiting tools are available in an HRIS to helping you address broader issues like turnover and payroll solutions, and HRIS guide can help you understand what sorts of features you’re most likely to come across in different pieces of HR software. This is helpful for setting your expectations, since unfamiliar technology users may think that there are things HR software can do that just haven’t been developed yet.

Look to independent opinions for extra verification.

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Once you know what sorts of features there are in different pieces of software, it’s time to start narrowing the field. While the budget will obviously play a part in this process, it’s also worth seeking out the opinions of a reliable research organization in the field for their insight. An example of one such organization is Gartner Research Publications, which has developed what’s known as the magic quadrant. While the Gartner magic quadrant only represents the opinions of Gartner and isn’t a full-blown endorsement, the magic quadrant is still a powerful way of zeroing in on how a piece of software may be used within the context of the entire document. Ultimately, the magic quadrant and Gartner document help you to categorize master data management tools into a few different classifications. Data integration tools are classified as either challenger, leaders, niche players, or visionaries. Obviously, each of these categories has its own pros and cons, but knowing how the software and company are viewed by Gartner can help you really home in on what sorts of platforms may meet your needs.

Talk to your employees about their needs and experiences.

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While what HR technology or business intelligence software your company uses is often determined at the senior level, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t talk to your employees at lower levels of your company. In fact, if they’re the ones in the trenches, finding out what sorts of functionality they currently rely on and what advancements they could use could be crucial to a smooth rollout. Even new employees who are just learning a new system can provide useful information about how easy it is to be onboarded. All of this should be taken into consideration when considering a new software solution for your enterprise.