Tips for Purchasing
What should you look for in I&R Software?
Deciding which I&R
Software System to purchase for your organization is a difficult task,
considering the variety of software choices and the multitude of
features available in each system.
The software choice you make for your agency determines the quality of
your organization's services for many years to come. From service
referrals to the creation of directories and statistical reports, good
software makes all the difference in the world.
Software vendor's are always asked these questions:
- "Why should I choose your software over the other options?"
- "How does your software compare to this other vendor's system?"
- "Can you give me a comparison chart of the different systems?"
Brief History of I&R software
Unfortunately, there are no available up-to-date, independent,
comprehensive comparisons of the different I&R software systems.
Furthermore, a comparison is only valid for the tested versions of the
vendor's software at the time of the analysis. Some vendor's software
evolves rapidly while other's stay fairly static. *A comprehensive,
informative, ongoing analysis process is not in place in the I&R community.
How can an I&R organization looking for software make a good decision?
Let's start with the obvious . . .
1. Does the vendor have a large I&R software customer base?
There are only a few established I&R software vendors whose primary
customer base are Information & Referral organizations. *Most vendors
core software product ARE NOT Information and Referral.* Their core
products are HMIS, Workforce, Funding or some other human service
software. Be wary, these vendors have the least sophisticated I&R
systems.
2. Ask the major I&R organizations what they are using and why.
Many of the well known and established Information & Referral
organizations in the country have completed a comprehensive analysis
process when choosing their current system. Give them a call.
3. If you have narrowed it down to a couple of I&R software systems,
ask each vendors for a list of I&R organizations who have recently
converted from the other system to their system.
This will tell you a lot about the a vendor's system. If the vendor has
not converted customers from the other system to theirs, *Watch Out*.
4. If your I&R organization is in a particular field of I&R such as
Aging or 2-1-1, ask the vendor for a list of well known organizations
in the same field using their software.
If your organization is or is soon to become a 2-1-1 then find out what
software the established 2-1-1 organizations are using, such as the
United Way of Connecticut, United Way of Atlanta, or the United Way of
the Texas Gulf Coast.
5. Look at the technology behind the software - what is the
development platform and what database systems are used?
The software industry is a rapidly evolving environment, especially when
it relates to the operating systems on your computers. Unless the
software is written in a current development platform, you will be
buying instant obsolescence. For example, if you are considering a
FoxPro based system then you are considering a system that is 8 years
behind the technological curve.
6. How often does the vendor release a major update? Not just a
new version number but a major upgrade including a newer development
platform.
This relates to #4 as well. Is the vendor staying on top of the ever
changing software programming and operating systems environments that
take advantage of new technologies?
7. The choice of software will have a huge impact on the quality of
your I&R service. Be sure to involve the people who will be actually
using the software when making a final decision.
There seems to be an alarming trend that vendors are pitching the merits
of their software to upper level management and IT staff who have little
or no experience using I&R software. The best resource for selecting
a system is the group of people who use the software; Call Specialist
and Resource Maintenance staff. Be sure to involve them in the
decision making process.
8. Here is a commonsense tip that is relevant to all small niche
businesses, including software companies: If the vendor offers fancy
advertisement materials, has a big fancy office facility, and lots of
employees; remember, you will be paying for that overhead.
The I&R industry is unique because the customer base is primarily
non-profits, which means funding is limited compared to the for-profit
world. We as software vendors have a choice to make:* Do we invest in
our software or do we pay for fancy offices and promotional materials?
*(At RTM we invest in the software).
9. This is a WARNING! Vendors will only show you the good stuff
during a demo.
All vendors want you to buy their software. In order to convince you
that their software is best for your organization, they will stay away
from the areas in their software that are "less than optimal". *There
is no way a one or two hour demo is enough time to fully evaluate a
system.* Don't be fooled by the flash, study the functionality in depth.
Now let's look at the technical side of I&R software . . .
* * Note from Ed Toomey * * Software System Manager - RTM Designs
I would like to clarify that the following section is based on three
opinions:
- My opinion (Ed Toomey at RTM Designs)
- The opinion of the majority of our customer base
- The opinions from various people in the I&R industry
Besides being the head of the software development department at RTM
Designs, it is my job to fully understand the features and functions of
the competition's I&R software. With this knowledge we make sure our
products are the most advanced in the I&R industry.
Each link below represents an important topic regarding I&R software in
today's market. The first section under each topic is a an opinion
based on a summary of the three opinions listed above. The second
section will be a commentary of RTM Designs position.
