Sun, May 20, 2007 21:28 EDT

The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted by: Michael Kavis in Best Practices

Topic: Partner/Vendor Management

Current Rating: Comments: 7

When evaluating software vendors, make sure that a Proof of Concept (POC) is part of your process. We just completed an intense vendor assessment between three BPMS (Business Process Management Suite) vendors. All three vendors have great products and plenty of successful customers. It wasn't until we entered the Proof of Concept phase when one of them separated from the pack.

In our POC we made the vendors start with a blank screen and build a sample process flow that we modeled on paper. We chose a model that exposed various features and functionalities of the BPMS tools. We where looking for ease of use, how quickly each vendor could complete the POC, and how the tools integrated with our existing .Net services.

What we found is that only one of the vendors could actually complete the POC in the one day event and that same vendor was the only one who could even figure out how to connect to our services. In fact, it was so easy for this vendor that we gave them additional services to connect to and they were able to accomplish that also.

The lesson learned here is you need to do more then just submit and analyze RFI's and RFP's. Vendor demos are not enough either. If we had not asked them to do a POC we would have selected a different vendor who could not easily integrate with our infrastructure. This would have raised our Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and reduced our ability to improve speed to market.

When it is all said and done, the proof is in the pudding!

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Mon, May 21, 2007 9:13 EDT

The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted by: tmmackay
Rating:

I've used the proof of concept during vendor selection, and I agree that it can be immensely revealing. I use the POC for internal projects we are considering, too.

Another semi-related item is that vendor demos should follow a script that you have written. This allows you to see how well each vendor's solution will perform those particular items you feel are most valuable. Don't let the vendors write their own scripts for the demo, and those that refuse to follow your script should be viewed with suspicion.

Thomas M. MacKay

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Tue, May 22, 2007 9:38 EDT

The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted by: Anonymous
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This is great feedback. Can you tell me which vendor you went with and who was in your short list? Thanks, Jeff

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Tue, May 22, 2007 18:05 EDT

The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted by: Michael Kavis
Rating:

Shoot me an email and I will share that information with you.

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Thu, May 24, 2007 21:29 EDT

The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted by: Diversity
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Do share if you offering it out.

Diversity

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Sat, May 26, 2007 15:27 EDT

The Proof is in the Pudding

Posted by: SE Guy
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You are absolutely correct, and when a well organised buyer asks for a POC, most vendors will be happy to give one. Make sure though that when you ask for a POC, you aren't just playing around. Vendors are happy to help you evaluate their products, but will try to make sure you do actually want to buy the best product. A good vendor will try to help you work out what should be tested in a POC. This article explains how many vendors like to run a POC.

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