Do you need a business case for replacing your current systems? We’ll build a defendable case to help your board (or boss) understand the benefits of changing systems, as well as temper expectations around a new solution.
Our Work Is Tailored to Your Needs
By defining your organization’s strategic priorities, we’ll help you find the right fit. Our objective approach to evaluating and ranking solutions gets to the heart of each system’s benefits and drawbacks, allowing you to make the best choice. Though every nonprofit has unique needs, here are some of the ways we could help you with your system selection journey.
Business Case Development
Requirements Development
Every organization should understand exactly what is required of their new system. We’ll dive into your organization’s functional, technical, and cultural needs, and document a comprehensive list of prioritized requirements.
Marketplace Review
We will provide a review of the software marketplace, including a short list of products we suggest your organization should evaluate, based on your priorities and requirements. We’ll also comment on excluded products to relay why a particular solution might be omitted.
RFP Development and Management
Your Request For Proposal (RFP) document includes information to help vendors assess their product fit. We’ll create a comprehensive RFP that includes your selection criteria and complete requirements list, and manage the submission process.
System Evaluation Tools
There is a great deal of information to evaluate in the selection process. We will utilize our tools to organize your criteria and help you make an unbiased decision.
Reference Checks
Once you’ve seen the demos and made your top choice, we’ll lead the reference check process, including developing questions, collecting responses, and comparing results. We may also provide non-vendor references with real-world experience using the system.
Staffing Model
A key factor in selecting a new system is understanding how the implementation and upkeep will impact your teams. We will provide a staffing model for your organization to support the implementation and operation of your new system, including roles and responsibilities.
Executive Briefing
Need help garnering buy-in from your board? At the end of the selection process, we provide a high-level strategic overview of the project, as well as a history of the rigorous process your organization undertook to make an informed, fact-based decision.
Change Management
Successful change management starts at the very beginning by listening to the concerns and ideas of staff. It is critical that your team knows their input counts and they buy into the process. We will guide you through each change management step to ensure a smooth transition to your new technology.
Demonstration Management
Demo Scenarios
In order to compare “apples to apples,” your vendor demos must follow the same agendas. We create scenarios that enable vendors to show exactly how their product meets your top priorities, and exposes areas where they might fall short.
Demo Oversight
We attend and manage the vendor demos, ensuring vendors stick to the script and don’t distract your team with their system’s shiny “bells and whistles.” We document questions and topics for follow-up to ensure you get the information you need.
Demo Scoresheet
We create scoresheets for each demo, based on the provided scenarios, to achieve a consistent and fair grading system. Scoresheets offer a quantitative method to compare solutions in a clear and logical format.
Blog:
We're Answering Your FAQs on System Selection
Selecting a new system is kind of like choosing a house—you want to make sure you get what you need, and aren’t distracted by the shiny features. To help with this, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions from our webinar, System Selection: Find the Right Solution for your Nonprofit.
It’s time to make the technical more personal.
Turn your technology investment into a powerful advantage. Our nonprofit consulting experts are here to show you how.