A wrongly chosen package drags on for years: expensive customisations, frustrated users, and a vendor you're locked into. The choice therefore deserves the same care as the implementation itself. Independent means: chosen on your requirements, not on the slickest demo or the loudest salesperson.
The six steps
- Sharp requirements. Start with what you really need (see also business analysis). Without clear requirements you compare apples and oranges.
- Longlist. Map which packages could qualify at all — broadly, without preference.
- Shortlist. Test the longlist against your must-haves and keep a handful.
- In-depth comparison. Demos on your scenarios, reference conversations, and attention to what hurts later: integrations, data migration, maintenance burden, and the exit scenario.
- Substantiated choice. Record the trade-off — including total cost of ownership, not just the licence price. For government this fits within the procurement rules.
- Good implementation. The choice is half the work; adoption is the other half. Involve key-users from the start and test thoroughly (FAT/GAT) before go-live.
Why independence matters
An implementation party that also supplies the package has an interest. That need not be a problem, but it colours the advice. An independent guide keeps control with you: your requirements, your interest, your pace — and a supplier who stays sharp because they know they are being compared.
The bottom line
Introducing software is a business project with a heavy IT component, not an IT project. Whoever structures the choice and takes the implementation seriously buys not a problem but a solution.
This article is general information, not legal or organisational advice for your specific situation.