First, inquire about your data. What happens if you want to switch software? What happens if the vendor you do business with goes out of business? These are important questions to protect yourself in the long-term. This problem is often referred to as “vendor-lock in” where the customer has no choice but to stay with a vendor. Make sure you have an easy way out. The most important thing is being able to take your data back in something usable.

Second, inquire about reliability. The most economical software delivery model is offered as a hosted solution these days. Inquire about their data center’s security and redundancy. Ask questions like, “How often is my data backed up? What is your up-time guarantee?, What security measures are in place to protect my data?”.

Third, understand that no software solution will be perfect. Even a customized solution has it’s flaws. Instead of trying to find a solution that matches your current operations 1-to-1, keep an open mind that there might be a better way to do things. There will never be a silver bullet to your needs, and understanding this early-on will help you quickly adapt.

Vincent
MHelpdesk, Service Management Software