IAR Solutions ~ Selection

Review, Specification and Selection

Prior to embarking on an implementation you need to be sure that you have answered some fundamental questions. You need to be sure that you will be getting an adequate return on your investment without any interruption to business as usual processes. At a very high level you will need to be confident that you are sure of:

What do you need the new tool do do?
Will the new tool adequately replace existing systems?
How will the new tool deliver the expected enhancements?
What is the cost of the new tool?
What is the cost of implementation?
Does the new tool have any new data or technology requirements?
For these costs, how will the new tool deliver the value add you expect?

IAR Solutions business analysts can assist you in this process. As we come in to your organization and work with staff and management at all levels we can bring a neutral view to compiling answers to the many questions you are faced with. The initial business analysis study is translated into a requirements specification for the potential solution. Possible candidate systems can be measured against this requirements specification to determine whether they meet all of the 'must have' points, and what additional 'nice to have' features they provide. Going beyond the purely functional requirements the analysis should also consider the business process. How will new systems fit into your information technology architecture? Which tasks can or should be automated so that your staff can concentrate on adding value instead of repeatedly carrying out routine tasks?

New systems may also require additional data be fed into them. The solution analysis needs to cover this and ensure that you either already own appropriate data sources and if not, what are the cost implications of meeting the data requirements. The best performance and risk systems in the world are only as good as the data fed into them. The increasing demand for more sophisticated analytics often requires more detailed input data.

Looking beyond the objective measures of a solutions suitability you will also want to consider the more subjective aspects. Your relationship with the system vendor will probably not end on the day the system is installed. You will need to be comfortable that the vendor can provide appropriate ongoing support and system updates. Ideally you never need assistance from the vendor's support teams, but if you do, do they understand your business? Do the support staff understand the business of performance measurement, performance appraisal and risk management?

Our familiarity with the solutions adopted by the clients that we have worked with over the years allows us to bring an outside perspective to your situation. Whether you are considering a solution from an outside vendor or custom development by in house resources, our focus on the project can help you to avoid creep in scope or unwanted bloat. We are ready to work with you from the early specification stages right through to selection, implementation and eventual retirement of legacy systems.