Don't Skip Due Diligence—12 Questions to Assess a Software or Service
Reference calls are an excellent way to assess prospective software vendors before buying their product. Many providers are happy to connect you with existing customers in industries similar to yours. I’ve found these calls to be so valuable for learning nuanced details about a product before buying!
Here are some questions I typically ask on reference calls. You can also use this list to assess other types of service providers—just replace the word “software” with “service.”
How large is your business and what is your product?What is your background and role with this software?What business processes are you using the software for?How much time or money has the software saved your business?How long did it take you to implement this software at your business? (If they are able to share the cost of implementation and use, ask that as well. They may be able to share a cost range).How many people use the software? Are users internal or external, at multiple locations or one?How did you drive user adoption and training for the software?What were the biggest blockers you encountered/are encountering with the software implementation, adoption, or continued use?Who/how many people are responsible for administering the software?What has been your experience with the software provider’s implementation and support teams?Lessons learned—If you could do this implementation over again, what would you do differently?Do you have additional advice or lessons learned to share?
A reference call can get pretty long if you ask every one of these questions, so you might select a few or tailor your questions to the conversation.
What questions do you use to assess software or services? Please share in the comments below!