When selecting a software solution, the demo is a very important step. Business software demonstrations are one of the most important parts of evaluating whether the software meets your requirements and whether the vendor truly understands your needs. Unfortunately, for many companies, software demos do not provide the answers they were looking for. A few tips to help you:
1. Know what your goals are
Are you looking to replace your current, outdated software solution simply because it is no longer supported? With that as your motivation, selecting the best system for your organization will not be easy. You need a vision of what you want to achieve with the software. What are your goals as an organization? Not in terms of features and functionality, but in terms of strategic objectives. Perhaps you want to improve customer service by expanding the opportunities for your customers to contact you. Or you want to save time in the production process to get products to market faster. Keep those goals in mind when looking at a software demo.
2. Make sure all facilities are in place
If the setting and facilities of the demo are perfectly arranged, it will help to get the most out of the demo. Consider a demo room large enough to accommodate all the guests. It should be a comfortable space with good chairs and the right temperature, especially if the demo will take half a day or longer. You also need a high definition beamer or projector, or a top quality monitor to make sure all the details are visible to everyone. And you may need a reliable and fast Internet connection. Top-notch facilities help you focus and make the demo an enjoyable meeting.
3. Provide real data and use cases
You can look at test data in a demo, but isn't it great to look at your own data? Real customers, real products, real contracts, etc. are much more appealing and relevant for attendees to look at. Provide a demo script to the software vendor or use cases of processes within your organization and see how the system handles them. You can select some examples of situations that have occurred in your organization that have caused problems.
4. Involve management and end users
When it comes to software, who should be involved in the decision-making process? The IT department, finance, management, middle management, end users? You can't invite everyone to demos. Make sure that if the software has an impact on the entire company, as with ERP software, that management is involved. You are then dealing with a business project rather than a software project, and you need full support from management. But also listen to the end users, as they are the best judges of whether the system supports the processes as it should.
5. Evaluate after the demo
The demo is over, time to go home, right? Not quite. When the software vendor has left, do a brief evaluation with the entire group. The demo will still be fresh in their minds. Make sure everyone is heard and note what is said. Discuss all aspects, such as how the processes are supported, functionalities, technology, the user interface and implementation method.
6. Go for quality, not quantity
More is not always better. Carefully review the various options you can choose from and select a maximum of 3 to 5 vendors for a demo. It would be a waste of time and resources to invite all parties for a demo. Also, don't try to cover every process and feature in a demo; it could take days to go through the entire system. Focus on the most important processes.
April Potts is responsible for Marketing & Sales at Dysel North America and combines experience in marketing, at equipment dealers and with ERP software to help dealers drive their business forward.
