Wading through software product offerings sometimes feels a little like this:
But it doesn’t have to. For over 25 years we have helped business decision makers evaluate software, specifically employee time tracking software, and want to share with you what we know helps businesses more effectively find the needle in the haystack. Avoiding the mistakes discussed below will save you hours of time, a lot of money, and the hassle of refunds.
Mistake #1: Not Speaking Directly with Customer Support Reps
I dislike talking with salespeople as much as the next person, but by talking to a potential vendor’s customer support reps you’ll get the most detailed information to compare to other vendors. Not only is it an opportunity to ask detailed questions about features and functionality, it gives you first-hand experience with the quality of their customer service.
As you speak with the customer support reps, prepare and ask specific questions like:
- I’m looking for _____ and ______ functions. Do you offer those?
- How often do you update your software?
- I have [situation] with my office setup and payroll process. Can you accommodate that and how would we go about doing that?
- How do I use _________ feature? (Check to see if the process is simple, easy to learn for you, and can fit in your workflow)
Take time with the representative to confirm information on their website such as how the software works, pricing, packaging, money-back guarantees, etc. that could be applicable to your company’s situation.
If there is a free trial available, download and use it. During the entire trial, test out their responsiveness to phone calls, emails, and live chats. Take advantage of the most important available resource, live people, to really get to know the vendor and their software.
Mistake #2: Losing Sight of True Priorities
With so many shiny features on the market, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters to you and your business if you don’t start out your search with a solid outline of what you need, especially if a vendor has a very charismatic salesperson. Before there’s a chance of being swept off your feet, take time to write out your priorities. Below are a few suggestions for organizing your focus.
Suggestion 1: Categorize all the features you need apart from what features would just be nice. Break down your lists into a table like the one below. Determine which features would be deal-breakers if they were missing, the features that would make one software a little better than another, and the bells and whistles that you don’t need but would be frosting on the cake if they came at the right price with all the most important features.
Suggestion 2: Have a solid, well-defined list of priorities sitting in front of you as you and evaluate software packages. It may look like the one below but with your primary priorities listed at the top.
- Improving the current process (e.g. save time on payroll or accuracy in timekeeping)
- Fit in the current workflow
- Ease of use/steepness of learning curve (e.g. will my least tech-savvy employees be able to learn this quickly?)
- Has features XYZ
- Provides nice visual metrics
- Provides real-time data
- Easy to access reports or other data
- Good support materials available
- Regular software updates to improve the program (but not make it harder to use)
- Pricing (e.g. one-time price preferred)
- Good customer support
Mistake #3: Inaccurate Assumption of Total Cost
Cost is another probable pitfall to choosing the wrong vendor. What looks cheap upfront with a low subscription fee listed per user may add up to be far more than you expected. In the same breath, what looks pricey up front might cost half of what you expected over time. Chart the total price for using each potential software vendor over the next 5 years. Find out how much you’ll pay upfront, annually, and the total lifetime costs.
Pricing questions for any software product:
- What are the upfront fees?
- Does software maintenance and support cost extra?
- Will I have to pay subscription fees per employee per month?
- Are there yearly renewal fees?
- Is the software package price one-time or recurring?
- Are there extra costs associated with canceling the service?
Questions of indirect costs and benefits:
- How long will it take to implement the program and will it need IT (a.k.a. Cost of third-party help)?
- Approximately how much time will the software save us on doing the task I am getting this software for (e.g. scheduling, running reports, processing payroll, etc.) and what is the hourly rate of the employees who will have time saved?
Conclusion
There is no such thing as TMI when vetting business software vendors for anything ranging from time clock software to project management software.
So, as you compare possible software solutions for any part of your business, use their customer service reps, set solid priorities, and organize the information you find about each potential vendor in a format that makes comparison simpler.