Hard software

Work Study

ISSN: 0043-8022

Article publication date: 1 June 2000

436

Citation

(2000), "Hard software", Work Study, Vol. 49 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2000.07949caa.004

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited


Hard software

Hard software

Have you been through a major software purchasing exercise recently? I have just completed one and am half way through another. I am talking about software packages costing in the region of £250k to £500k. Obviously, when spending that amount of money, you want a thorough job - but the whole process is extremely wearying. This is because the suppliers want to give you the marketing message - not the facts. Digging behind the scenes - specifying the tender document in such a way that it forces them to answer your question, evaluating the product, arranging visits to reference sites - takes so much time and effort. Buying other products and services of the same value does not seem to be such a painful experience and I am sure software buying need not be. The industry (i.e. the suppliers) seem to have more control than the customers - and we (collectively) let it happen. Why?

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