Package Evaluation

There is an increasing trend in IS/IT departments to steer away from internal systems development, in favour of purchasing systems solutions from software house. The success of this exercise is entirely dependent upon what is essentially a simple task - the comparison of potential packages against the stated requirements - yet one which has proved remarkably difficult to complete effectively. As the proportion of package solutions increases, so there is a greater need to be sure of selecting the best available option, and then to know where it fails to meet the requirement. This book proposes four techniques for evaluating packages. It will outline the issues which should be addressed, suggest a means for gathering and structuring the relevant information, and then detail the criteria for selecting or rejecting a package. The book finishes with an overview of the procurement and implementation processes.