How can you evaluate which software is best?

Assess your needs. Whether it's for a single department or the entire company, the software your business buys will certainly affect more than the person who decides what to buy.

To cover everyone's needs, it's important to solicit input on what the software should do - and should not do - from the people who will be using it.

If you're interested in a contact management application for your sales department, for example, understanding how your sales team maintains its professional relationships with vendors and clients will help you identify what to look for in the software.

Go for the multi-taskers. An important criterion is multi-functionality. An email program that has calendar and address book features will solve more than one problem for your office.

Don't overshoot. At the same time, don't let product marketing lead you to believe more is better. Fantastic (and expensive) bells and whistles may seem less fantastic when you discover your staff has no use for them.

Make sure it's easy to use. A highly equipped program may not boost productivity by much if employees find it difficult to use or require extensive training.

See how well the software fits the needs you've identified. Be sure to pay attention to the specifications provided by the publisher. Some publishers also offer free trials of certain titles, which allow you to actually test out the software before you buy.

Making the selection

Knowing your needs helps you identify the features that might set one program apart from another.

For example, some programs are geared towards large companies, while others are designed with a limited number of users in mind. Do you expect your company to grow rapidly over the next few years? Compare programs based on their ability to adapt to a growing company.

Some mail server programs, for example, can handle one office location or multiple remote sites across the country, all from the same set of software.

Another crucial factor when choosing between two similar programs is the service and maintenance that you can expect to receive from the vendor/publisher/manufacturer for the life of the product. Investigate which program gives you the best insurance policy should something go wrong.

Inquire about technical support, whether online or over the phone, service calls, and how future upgrades will affect the application.

Develop relationships

If you realize that your company will need different types of software at different stages of growth, it's important to maintain relationships with those companies that will help you make software purchasing decisions.

Consultants, third-party vendors, and software companies are all eager for repeat business, and often can offer better prices or make referrals in an effort to keep your company as a client.