Unlike vendors, with vested interests in selling their software, a Neutral Software Selection Advisor prioritizes the best solution (fit) for your needs. They consider a wider range of options without pushing a particular brand or product.

A Neutral Advisor partners with your organization to act as an objective guide throughout the process of selecting your ERP or point solution software – saving you time, money, and headaches in the long-run. The Neutral Advisor ensures you make an informed decision based on comprehensive analysis, not vendor sales pitches.  The Neutral Advisor also assists in the set-up of the project office, starts the process of change management early, and builds corporate buy-in of the project.

In short, a Neutral Advisor brings:

• Reduced Bias/Independent: Eliminates the risk of favoring specific vendors due to slick presentations, relationships, or commissions/kickbacks.
• Expertise and Efficiency: Leverages their knowledge of the software landscape for an efficient selection process.
• Objectivity: Provides a neutral perspective throughout the process, ensuring a clear and focused evaluation.
• Partnership: Collaborates with you to identify and understand your business workflows, challenges, pain points, and desired outcomes.
• Selection Criteria Development: With you, defines the essential features, functionalities, and budget considerations to create a clear roadmap for evaluating potential software solutions.
• Eliminates Selection and Implementation Redundancy: The effort placed on building your selection criteria can be utilized to jumpstart your actual implementation.

Pre-Selection Activities

Selecting the proper software is a larger task than many realize.  The Neutral Advisor can set up the project office, establish the necessary communication lines, and help form an effective and representative selection team.

Evaluation and Selection

The Neutral Advisor combines their broad understanding of the software landscape with a focus your goals and challenges, ensuring the chosen software genuinely addresses your requirements.  By considering a broader range of software, the Neutral Advisor can help craft a comprehensive solution that addresses all your business needs; this might even involve integrating different software products from various vendors to create a customized ERP.  They also identify solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing hardware, regardless of the vendors involved; this ensures you will not be replacing functional equipment just for the new software.

Neutral Advisor Evaluation:

• Vendor Research and Shortlisting: Leverages their market knowledge to research and shortlist a comprehensive pool of relevant software vendors based on your selection criteria, with no bias towards specific vendors.
• Request for Proposal (RFP) Development: Helps craft an objective RFP to accurately detail your needs and the evaluation process for vendors.
• Vendor Demos/Presentations: Facilitates product demonstrations from shortlisted vendors and ensures all receive equal time (and address your core specifications).
• Evaluation and Scoring: Creates a structured scoring system based on your defined criteria to objectively evaluate each vendor’s proposal against your needs.

System Selection and Implementation

Neutral Advisors can assist during the life of the implementation:

• Vendor Comparison and Recommendation: Guides analysis of vendor responses and scores, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each contender.
• Contract Negotiation: With their industry knowledge and understanding of market pricing, offers guidance and support during contract negotiations with the chosen vendor, ensuring you get the best possible terms. They may also identify cost-saving opportunities, like open-source alternatives and avoiding unnecessary features.
• Implementor Selection: Helps evaluate and select the correct implementor who understands your industry, business, and selected solution.
• Implementation Assistance: Some may offer additional services to help with implementation and configuration of the chosen software, plus help keep the implementor on task, focused on business objectives, meeting timeline and under cost projections.

To discuss what a Visionary Growth Advisor Neutral Advisor can do for you, please contact us at afkelly@visionarygrowth.us, 703.594.7277