Select cloud software quickly and successfully

Do you want to introduce cloud software quickly and successfully? With these 10 steps, you can select a software product quickly and efficiently:

1. Formulate the problem: Clearly formulate the problem that you want to solve by using the software. Concentrate on one main problem. Formulating a problem instead of a fixed goal makes your search for a solution more open-ended. At this point, check whether budget is available or can be allocated for solving your problem.

2. Identify software to solve your problem: Research a handful of products that address your problem and give you the impression at first glance that your problem can be solved profitably.

3. Vendor selection: Select a maximum of two providers for a test. Two providers are the perfect balance between the effort required for a test and retaining a certain amount of choice. A product demo, webinars, events or similar can make it easier to choose between the two providers. Additionally, look for ISO 27001 certification of the selected providers for simplified approval.

4. Get your IT on board: Inform your IT about the upcoming test and have IT confirm that the selected software can be used in principle. Do not carry out a comprehensive cloud security analysis at this point, but make sure that you are not testing the software for nothing.

5. Inform the works council: If you have a works council in your company, inform it of your plans at the latest before the test in order to obtain input for the selected software and take the next steps together.

6. Test the selected software: Test the software in a very limited area, e.g. on an assembly, a product or a machine. The test should be completed in two to a maximum of three weeks. A test consists of setting up the content (1 week), a test phase for the end users (1 week) and a final evaluation of the test (1 day). Try to actively involve a maximum of 5 people in the test.

7. Functional decision for a software: Following the test, you should make a functional decision depending on which software product best solves your problem. At this point, it also makes sense to inform the person responsible for the budget. Take the last 3 steps with a product.

8. Clarification of the license model and IT security check: Agree on the framework conditions and quantity structures for the license model and have your IT finally confirm the software.

9. Contract creation and negotiation: Involve your purchasing department at this point if this is relevant according to your company guidelines. As a rule, software companies have standardized contracts on the basis of which contract negotiations can be carried out quickly.