Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Questions To Ask Before You Jump on the Tech Bandwagon

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Questions To Ask Before You Jump on the Tech Bandwagon Rapidly advancing technology offers a terrific opportunity to take your business to the next level and infuse your companys culture with an innovative spirit. Every year unveils new software and apps with the potential tosimplify processes, streamline workflow, improve communication and increase employee and partner productivity andefficiency. However, just because a solution is new and shiny, doesnt mean that its right for your organization and cultureâ€"at this point in time or ever. As a business owner, you dont want to introduce too many programs that dont integrate with existing systems, dont map explicitly to your strategic and operational goals or dont make sense cost-wise. You also dont want to jump on the tech bandwagon so many times that you overwhelm your employees and run into user adoption problems. Purchasing software for your business should include a comprehensive analysis of your needs, as assessed by your fellow leaders, partners and vendors. Establish a concrete objective, detail the projects or tasks the new solution will address and determine your end users. Then, talk with stakeholders to land on an execution plan, deciding whether youll go with a single department pilot, a phased approach or a full-scale, simultaneous rollout. Your final step involves asking any one of the following provider-related questionsbeforebuying software. 1. What functionality does the software provide? Study the profile of the employee who will use the software. View experiential demos to ensure the technology aligns with how you run your business and how your stakeholders prefer to engage. Make sure the software is scalable in caseyour company grows quickly, and that it has strong reporting and measurement capabilities to provide you with the data you need in a useful format. 2. What are the implementation specifics? Speak to your prospective vendor about whether your existing IT infrastructure can support the new solution. Does the new software run on compatible platforms, and if not, how difficult will it be to integrate systems with minimal downtime? For more recommendations, head over to the AMEX Business site.