If you’ve read our previous blog, you will know how to define a list of your essential and desirable requirements and an accurate budget for your new software. The next step is choosing the right software for your business – and with over 60 systems in this market, you have your work cut out for you!
You could start the very time-consuming process by looking at the various software websites; then compiling a list of systems that look like they might suit you; organising a demo with each software vendor (these are usually 1-2 hours each); evaluating what you’ve seen against your requirements; asking each vendor for a proposal/quote, before finally deciding which one seems right for you.
There is an easier way
If you want to save hours of time investigating all of the systems, you can leverage our years of research and use our NDIS Software Finder. This intuitive self-service tool asks a number of questions about your organisation, its processes and software needs and then analyses your responses against our research database to identify the five best matched NDIS software systems. You will receive a customised report which contains detailed information about the best matched NDIS systems along with comprehensive advice for selecting and implementing the chosen software.
Have the time to do the research yourself?
If you have the time, you can follow these steps to find the right system:
- Research – Google search for software, read through social media groups to find out what systems are out there. Check out the websites to find out more about each system – review the information on features, costs and client reviews/testimonials and check YouTube for any online demos. Remember that websites are marketing tools and the software packages will all look amazing – they are supposed to!
- Demos – Choose the 2-3 systems you think look the best for your business needs and fit your budget and contact the software vendors to book a demo. Be clear with the vendor on your requirements and what your business needs. If you’ve used our NDIS Software Finder service, you will have your table of requirements ready – let the software vendor know exactly what you want to look at during your demo. Make sure you include all the right people in your team to join the demo – your management, your admins, your schedulers, your finance team etc. You should allocate at least 1.5 – 2 hours for each demo – these are detailed and complex systems and you want to make sure you see everything and have time for questions. If you run out of time, book an additional session – software vendors will generally give you as many demos as you need.
- Trials – People often want to do a free trial to be sure that the system is right for them, however free trials are usually a standard basic configuration with test data so it might not be suited to your organisation. Another potential issue is that you are trialling a system without any training – which can be quite challenging even for the most tech-savvy user. We recommend if you are still unsure about the system after your demo, write down all your questions and what you’d like to see and ask the software vendor to provide another demo addressing your queries.
- Client reviews – Try to get some reviews or testimonials from other users – the ones published on the vendor’s website will always be amazing, so try asking around your network or in online chat groups. It’s important to get unbiased and objective feedback on the software itself, its reliability and the service and support provided by the vendor. TechAbility offers a consultation service, in addition to our NDIS Software Finder, through which we can share insights from our existing clients who are using specific systems.
- Quotes – Get quotes from each of the demo systems, ensuring that the software vendor provides you with all costs including implementation, integrations, additional modules, add-ons like SMS and forms, data migration, training and, of course, the ongoing license costs and any potential discounts.
- Due diligence – It is important that you do your due diligence so there are no surprises. Ask the vendor for the software contract, terms of use, service level agreements, data security policies, information management policies, backup, and disaster recovery procedures. You should get your management or board to review any contracts and you may want to seek legal advice if you’re not clear on some of the terms.
- Contract – Once you’re happy with everything, you can sign the contract and you’re ready to go!
Need some support?
As you can see, choosing software is a very time-consuming process. As one of our clients said “I spent weeks trying to figure out which software would suit our needs…trialling dozens of them but to no avail…to say I was exasperated is an understatement, furious about wasting so much time and so frustrated thinking I would never find the right software. Finally we contacted Techability, and within hours we had three excellent options shortlisted.”
We are passionate about helping clients to find the right software that fits their unique business and enables them to work more efficiently, deliver a better customer experience and grow their business. We understand the key features, pricing and support offered by each system and whether these systems are aligned to the highest industry standards and regulatory requirements. We are not associated with any of the software vendors, so the information we provide is completely independent and unbiased.
Our intuitive self-service NDIS Software Finder which leverages our research database to produce a customised 15 page report, including the five software systems that are best suited to your organisation. We offer a NDIS Software Consultation service which provides you with 2 hours with a specialist software consultant to review the options and help you make the right software decision.
As always, you can contact us for a free 15 min consultation if you’re unsure where to start.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where we talk about how to implement software – covering project planning, project management, resources, timelines, training, managing expectations and more!