The cost of complexity (aka KISS)

Human beings seem to like making things complicated, but when it comes to business systems this can be bad news.

System reviews often start with a simple, but pressing, requirement eg.

• get a better idea of what sales are being worked on;
• what marketing works;
• store all information centrally.

Then best practice says you should:

1. list your requirements;
2. assess what is available to meet those requirements;
3. meet with a shortlist of vendors;
4. evaluate and make your decision;
5. implement.

I don't disagree with any of the above but the work involved must be in proportion. There are traps to fall into at each stage:

1. List your requirements - if you sit down with a blank sheet of paper you will almost certainly produce a lists of 'must haves', 'wants' & 'would likes'. It's worth understanding the three categories as the longer the list, the more complex & costly the finished system.
2. Assess what is available to meet the requirements - if stage 1 went well then you have a good solid list. If you spend too long looking at the options then you will generate a mountain of information that will take even longer to filter through. Three or four options should usually be enough and please consider your budget at this stage. If a system is too expensive then it probably isn't right for you.
3. Meet with a shortlist of vendors - it sounds silly but the most common trap here is to have a short list that isn't short. If you invite 15 vendors to the party then nobody gets what they need - least of all you.
4. Evaluate and make your decision - if there is an obvious choice then that's OK, you don't need to look to make it more complicated. If it's not obvious, then a team meeting, a white board and simple scoring system might do the trick. List your requirements and score each system as to how well it meets them - 1 = doesn't, 5 = completely. This will highlight where you need more info and may give you an answer. Please don't rely on the vendor to do this exercise as they may be biased!
5. Implement - This is where it is crucial to keep the list from stage 1 handy. Systems people call it 'project creep' - new requirements added along the way will cause sleepless nights as well as cost and time over runs. Set your goals, make sure everyone sticks to them and have some measurable objectives if possible.

There is always a reason why an IT project goes wrong and being over ambitious or complex is up there at the top of the list.

Understand the costs of CRM in the cloud

There has been a big shift towards cloud computing in the CRM world. The company that has benefited the most from this trend is Salesforce.com. They claim over 75,000 companies use their online CRM system and I don't doubt this for one minute. However, I wonder how many of these companies really know whether it is the right place for them. Companies can be guilty of having a heard mentality - "..they are there so it must be right for me..".

I'm a firm believer in cloud based systems but would only recommend going for an online CRM system if it meets with the client's specific requirements and budgetary constraints. This approach is essential if a company is going to understand the options and make an informed decision.

Many business managers (understandably) get confused by the terminology - pay per use, SaaS, cloud, web technology etc... The right way to start a review is to separate what you need from what / how you want to pay. If you decide that you need a web based system then consider the pay per use model but remember not all web based systems are pay per use. For SMEs this is often a question of cashflow rather than ROI as purchased systems usually work out more cost effective over the lifetime of a system.

It's also worth looking in detail at what is included in the monthly rental - salesforce have systems starting at £3 per user per month but their most popular system costs £85 / user / month. For a 5 user system that's £5100 per year! There is a reason why it's the most popular - it's the one that has the functionality that people need.

In summary - there's no shortcut. Understand what you need, consider the options and don't get caught out by the hype - cloud is good but it isn't always right.

Making existing IT work for you

Most indicators show that the economy has turned and that we are in the early stages of a recovery. Companies are thinking about investing again to make sure they are in the best possible position to capitalise on the upturn.

With reduced headcount in many companies, business software needs to work harder to make up the difference. This often leads to a search for replacement systems but managers need to make sure that there is a real compelling reason for a change.

I am advising my clients to document what they need from their systems and make sure that existing systems can not do it. It can cost more than three times as much to implement a new system as it does to upgrade or modify existing ones. Sometimes, all that is needed is a bit of training which is a real saving compared to the upheaval of implementing a new system.

However, if there are compelling reasons to change, then investment is required. Whether you upgrade or replace it should be turned into a really positive event.