Why Organizations Should Consider Software Prototyping
When an association is considering making a large investment in technology, it’s critical to evaluate the decision from multiple angles. While selecting a technology that meets the organization’s business needs is the obvious priority, there are many factors that can influence the success of the investment. These include assessing the scalability of the solution, how it integrates with existing systems, how it aligns with the association’s long-term goals, and whether it will provide the anticipated return on investment (ROI).
Understanding Business Needs
The first step in any technology selection process is to gain a clear understanding of your association’s business needs. These needs can range from improving operational efficiencies, enhancing member experiences, and increasing revenue, to addressing specific pain points in your current solution.
Take the time to thoroughly evaluate and document your current systems, challenges, and goals. This means gathering input from stakeholders across the organization—membership teams, event coordinators, finance departments, IT, and others—to ensure that you are accounting for all aspects of the organization’s workflows.
This business analysis will serve as the foundation for evaluating different software solutions. It’s not just about functionality and features; it’s about how the software will drive the organization forward and help achieve strategic goals, whether that’s increasing membership retention, improving communication with members, or growing event participation.
Research and Evaluation of Software Options
Once your needs are clearly defined, the next step is researching potential software solutions. This typically includes issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs), attending product demos, reviewing vendor proposals, and sometimes engaging in trial periods. A comprehensive evaluation process allows you to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions, ensuring that you select the one that best aligns with your requirements.
Key factors to consider during evaluation:
- Functionality and Features: Does the solution meet your core needs?
- Ease of Use: Will it be easy for your team to use and adopt?
- Scalability: Will it grow with your association as your needs change?
- Integration: How well will it integrate with your existing tools and systems?
- Cost: Does the solution fit within your budget, including not just the initial investment but also ongoing licensing fees, maintenance, and support costs?
Aligning proposals with the available budget is always essential, especially when board approval is required. Having a solid understanding of the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the software’s lifecycle will help avoid surprises later on.
Implementation Costs, Training, and Support
Beyond the initial software selection, there are other considerations to factor in, such as:
- Implementation Costs: The costs of configuring, customizing, and deploying the software. Even off-the-shelf solutions may require some level of customization to meet the association’s unique needs.
- Training: Proper training for staff is critical to successful software adoption. Consider how much training will be required and whether it will be part of the implementation package.
- Ongoing Maintenance and Support: Ensure that the vendor offers adequate support and service-level agreements (SLAs) to address any technical issues that may arise post-implementation.
These ongoing costs should be carefully reviewed as part of the evaluation process.
The Case for Prototyping Software Before Purchase
One of the questions that many associations face when considering a major software investment is whether it’s worth spending additional budget on prototyping the software before committing to a large investment. While this is not always necessary, especially for smaller associations with relatively simple needs, prototyping can be incredibly beneficial for larger associations or nonprofits looking to implement enterprise-level solutions, such as a robust Association Management System (AMS) or a customized Salesforce solution.
What is Software Prototyping?
Software prototyping is the process of creating a preliminary version of a software application to test key features, functionality, user interfaces, and user experiences. A prototype can be developed in a sandbox or testing environment, allowing stakeholders to interact with it and provide feedback before the final version is fully developed and implemented.
The prototyping process usually involves creating wireframes or mockups to visualize the software’s features and user interface. These early-stage versions of the software are not intended for full-scale production but rather to test concepts and gather critical feedback. Prototypes allow users to interact with a software application and provide valuable insights into potential issues and areas for improvement.
Benefits of Prototyping in the Decision-Making Process
- Test Functionality and Usability: Prototyping allows you to test core features and functionality before committing significant resources to full implementation. For example, if you’re evaluating a Salesforce-managed package or a custom Salesforce solution, a prototype gives you the opportunity to assess whether the solution meets your needs and expectations.
- Identify Potential Issues Early: Prototypes can help uncover gaps in functionality, user experience issues, or integration challenges early in the process. Addressing these issues before committing to a full-scale implementation can save your association time and money.
- Enhanced Stakeholder Buy-In: Prototypes give stakeholders across the organization an opportunity to interact with the solution and provide feedback. This increases engagement and buy-in from key decision-makers, as they are directly involved in shaping the final solution. It also ensures that the final system meets the needs of all departments.
- Minimize Risk: The prototyping phase reduces the risk of purchasing a software solution that ultimately does not meet the organization’s needs or is difficult to implement. It allows you to make an informed decision before committing to a major financial investment.
- Refine Requirements: Prototyping gives you a chance to refine and adjust the software requirements based on real-world feedback. As users test and interact with the prototype, their feedback can help you refine your business requirements, ensuring the final solution is a better fit for your needs.
Prototyping for Salesforce Solutions
Salesforce is a powerful platform, but when associations need a custom solution or are integrating third-party packages, prototyping can be an important step. Salesforce managed packages often require configuration and customization to align with an association’s specific needs, and the development of custom solutions can be a complex and costly process. By creating a Salesforce prototype, associations can:
- Evaluate Custom Solutions: Test custom functionality built on Salesforce and ensure that it aligns with your business processes.
- Evaluate Managed Packages: Test Salesforce-managed packages (e.g., those built for associations or nonprofits) to confirm that they meet your requirements and integrate well with your existing systems.
- Test Integration with Other Tools: Ensure that Salesforce integrates effectively with your AMS or other key systems (e.g., financial software, marketing tools) through APIs or connectors.
At Systems Rewired, we specialize in helping associations navigate the complex world of Salesforce implementations. Our team offers Salesforce prototyping as part of our consulting services, helping associations refine their requirements, test customizations, and ensure that they are making the right investment. We believe that prototyping can be a key step in ensuring the success of your Salesforce implementation, particularly when you are evaluating custom or managed packages.
Why Choose Systems Rewired for Salesforce Prototyping?
Systems Rewired is a Salesforce consulting firm with deep expertise in the association and nonprofit sectors. We understand that choosing and implementing a new software solution can be overwhelming, especially when it’s a major investment. Here’s why we recommend prototyping and how we can support your Salesforce project:
- Tailored Solutions for Associations: We have experience working with a variety of association management systems (AMS) and nonprofit solutions, including custom Salesforce solutions and managed packages. We understand the unique challenges faced by associations and nonprofits and tailor our approach to meet those needs.
- Expert Salesforce Knowledge: Our team is highly skilled in Salesforce development and implementation. We have the technical expertise to build and test prototypes, ensuring that the final solution meets your organization’s needs and integrates smoothly with your existing systems.
- Proven Methodology: We follow a structured and proven methodology for Salesforce prototyping. From initial discovery to testing and feedback collection, we ensure that the process is efficient and effective in meeting your project goals.
- Ongoing Support: After prototyping, we provide ongoing support to ensure that the final Salesforce solution is successfully implemented and optimized for your organization. Whether you need additional customizations, training, or post-implementation support, we are here to help.
Is Prototyping Worth It?
In short, if your association is considering a large-scale Salesforce implementation or AMS overhaul, prototyping can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. It gives you the ability to test solutions before fully committing to them, ensuring that your final choice will align with your organization’s needs.
If you’re ready to take the next step with Salesforce or another enterprise solution, contact Systems Rewired today to learn more about how prototyping can help guide your decision-making process and set your association up for success.