The classic approach to system selection as espoused by the major consulting firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, CAP etc, is for the client to pay for some very expensive consultants to come in and draw up a list of business requirements which they then turn into a User Requirements Specification (URS), to help with the selection process. In our opinion this is completely the wrong starting point.
Imagine knowing that you need a new car but know nothing about what options are available to you. Would you really want to draw up a list of requirements without knowing more about some of the options?
If you didn’t know that cars can come with air con, you would never make that a requirement and hence, would probably end up with a system that meets the needs defined in the URS, but doesn’t meet the actual needs of the business.
A Different Approach to System Selection
We always recommend that clients start a selection project with an education or research phase, where they can discover what capabilities are available to them through different vendors, such that when the URS is compiled, it accurately reflects the realistic needs of the business and takes into account what’s available in the market.
So why don’t the big consulting firms adopt this approach? Perhaps I am overly cynical, but maybe it is because our approach puts control in your hands – which is where it belongs. Having control over the system selection process means that you have the ability to challenge the decisions of your consulting partner and can ensure that the wider needs of the business are taken into account in the process – rather than just the project that is being planned and specified.
If you’d like to talk to a member of our team about how our approach to system selection and project governance can improve the outcome of your upcoming IT project, please contact us today.
