“Something old” may be a cherished concept at weddings, but the same is not the case with IT project portfolio management. Let’s face it—the IT PPM market is competitive with an abundance of PPM vendors, all claiming to have the ideal solution. So, how can you develop a short-list of vendors and ultimately select the best solution for your organization?
First, don’t get overwhelmed. Your search may seem confusing at the outset, but once you develop a solid checklist of requirements for your organization and use industry analyst reviews to your advantage, you’ll find that your short-list quickly develops.
Second, keep in mind that the purpose of a PPM solution is to help stakeholders make better decisions. That means finding a solution that doesn’t simply provide large amounts of data, but can help you make sense of that data—without always needing an expert to do so.
Discovering the vendor that will meet your organizations requirements and do so with a focus on customer value is key. In the whitepaper, “Five Critical Questions to Ask Your PPM Vendor,” you’ll find a detailed checklist to follow when researching PPM vendors. For a sneak peek, the first three questions to ask each vendor are summarized below:
- Why should I choose this product? One size doesn’t fit all with PPM solutions—review product features, benefits, and integration capabilities to make sure the solution will work with your existing tools. Look to industry analyst reviews for additional support.
- Will this product improve decision making for stakeholders? Check with each vendor about their investment in user experience, and request a customized review of how their methods support your needs. Pro tip: you want user-friendly approaches that don’t require extensive training.
- How quickly will I be able to show time to value? Determine what your stakeholders call success, then select the vendor capable of getting you there. If you’re concerned about expenses, look for in-cloud rather than on-premises solutions, and have experts guide you to get started.
Ultimately, your PPM vendor should be one that helps your organization achieve its goals through improved decision making, user-friendly training programs, and constructing a solution based on customer needs and post-sale benefits. For the complete checklist, download “Five Critical Questions to Ask Your PPM Vendor,” and feel more comfortable ushering in a new approach to IT project portfolio management. I’d like to hear from you. What do you think of the checklist? Is there anything else you would ask? Share by leaving a comment below.
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