When an association is considering making a large investment in technology, there are several factors that should be considered to ensure that the company is making the right decision. The obvious is selecting a technology that meets your business needs. Whether your business needs are based solely around feature and functionality, or improving efficiencies, enhancing member experiences, and increasing revenue with an existing solution; a thorough evaluation and documentation of the needs is mission critical.
When you have clearly identified your business needs it will be important to research and evaluate different software options to determine which solution meets the organizations needs. This evaluation typically involves in RFP’s, product demo, proposal submissions and sometimes trials. And like all associations the proposals must be aligned with the budget for final board approval if applicable.
There are certainly other considerations such as implementation costs, ongoing licensing fees, training, and maintenance and support. But what if the purchase is large enough to consider prototyping the software before committing to a large investment? Is it worth prototyping an enterprise application even if it’s off the shelf software? Let’s first review exactly what prototyping software means.
What is software prototyping?
Software prototyping is the process of creating a version of software to test its features, functionality, user interface, API’s and overall user experience. The prototype can be developed in a sandbox and used to gather feedback and improvements before the final version of the software is developed. A prototype can be created using a variety of tools and techniques such as wireframes and mockups. When the prototype is created, it should be tested and evaluated by users across the enterprise. Based upon feedback the protype can be refined to better meet the project goals and functional requirements.
The prototyping process may take several iterations and improvements before the implementation of the solution can start. Software prototyping gives the organization the ability to test the overall functionality, usability, and design before committing a large investment to the project.
Is it worth spending budget on a software prototype for off-the-shelf software, Salesforce managed packages and Salesforce custom solutions?
The short answer is maybe. If you are a small association or nonprofit with a simple CRM need, it may not be necessary. However, if you are an association that is going to implement an enterprise association management software solution or fundraising package (custom or managed package), it may save you time and money in the long run.
Salesforce Prototyping by Systems Rewired
Systems Rewired is a Salesforce consulting company focused on associations and nonprofits. We believe software prototyping can be a valuable step in the Salesforce implementation process and will recommend the option when applicable. A Salesforce prototype can is applicable for a variety of different applications, managed packages, and custom development. If you are interested in speaking with a Salesforce association consultant about a Salesforce prototype project, contact us today.