It’s a slow news day for Health & Human Services.
So, like any dutiful blogger, I dug and burned till I came up with a great topic: Five Factors for Optimal Software Selection, as shared by Joe Naughton Travers at Open Minds. I liked Joe’s five topics, which are actually the foundation of the list, and added my twist: • Functionality: Having helped many companies to implement software, I can say the key to success is more than just what the software does out of the box…meeting workflow demands in positions from the front desk to counselor to the CFO are key; how flexible is the product? • Company stability and reputation: Has the company made it past the first big “choke point”? Are you comfortable the company can weather a financial storm and not leave you out in the cold, looking for software support? • Vendor customer support and service: Talk with a few customers in addition to the vetted, strong supporters (who might have a marketing agreement with the vendor). • Implementation expertise: Implementing software is a partnership between you and the vendor…your businesses are getting married, and remember, the vendor is a polygamist. Devise a plan with the vendor to bring the software up quickly, one area at a time, starting with the area you can get running effectively first. This increases staff buy-in and keeps the excitement going about the ongoing implementation that can take from a few months to a few years. • Cost: Software’s Return On Investment can be measured. I use a tool that’s tailored to your exact situation to determine potential service delivery that can be added, throw in some marketing plans and come up with a goal. Joe advises a three to five year budget plan, which is what I’ve used and like. Software vendors will offer a significant product upgrade that includes technology they were unable to add to the platform you bought every five years or so. Oh, and by the way, they commonly charge big bucks for these upgrades. There are a boat-load of other factors that need to be considered when purchasing software. For the sake of business success, juggling these elements into a reasonable plan seems to be the approach most providers take. Contact Terry McLeod at info@ehrsio.com for help purchasing, replacing, or upgrading your current software.
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