Tool Selection

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Tool Selection Vendor Evaluation

• Cynthia Ross Pedersen
• Adeo Communications Corporation

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Innovative Thinking. Expert Delivery.
About Adeo Communications

• Web development firm since 1995
• Offices Toronto, Ottawa
• eBusiness focused
• Build bilingual Web sites (B2C), intranets and
  extranets (B2B)
• Recognized authority on user centric designs
• Clients challenged by scale, geography
  multi-audiences

• Services include
• Strategy
• Site Development
• Tool Selection
• Usability Testing
• Site Reviews
• Metrics

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Corporate Clients
About Adeo Communications

• Aecon
• Colgate Palmolive
• CIBC
• CIDA
• Dofasco
• EMCO
• Environment Canada
• Ford of Canada
• DFAIT
• Hay Group
• HRDC
• Inco

• Industry Canada
• JD Irving
• MM Meat Shops
• Nissan Canada
• Noranda Inc
• Norbord Industries Inc.
• Ontario Power Generation
• PWGSC
• RBC Royal Bank
• Shaw Industries
• Sprint

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Why you need a structured process
Tool Selection Vendor Evaluation

• Need tools or services
• Want to understand what is offered- its a
  learning opportunity
• Ensure you ask the right questions, get the real
  answers validate what is stated, be able to
  compare answers

• Streamline the process (structure, shorten the
  time, involve the right people)
• Gather consensus
• Reduce bias
• Make the best decision
• Justify decisions

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Current marketplace
Tool Selection Vendor Evaluation

• Hot areas
• Professional services
• Web vendors
• Security experts
• CMS, portal, KM, DM
• CRM
• Security
• App dev tools
• ASP for technologies you dont want to own
  (streaming, conferencing)

• Web is enterprise focused
• Buy over build
• Product market dynamics
• More maturity
• Feature sets are changing rapidly
• Mergers and acquisitions
• New Players
• Pricing mirrors the market
• Pent up demand
• A lot of unknowns

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The process

• Taking you step by step

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Process overview
Tool Selection Vendor Evaluation
Scope
Needs assessment Initial research
RFI
RFP or RFQ
Selection
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Phase 1 Scope
Scope
Needs assessment Initial research
What do you need? Risk assessment/business
impact Who is involved? How knowledgeable are
you? Timeframe Ballpark budget How extensive a
process? Do you need outside help?
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Think about
Phase 1 Scope

• What are your business goals
• What is the specific problem you need to solve
• Enterprise wide or departmental/divisional
• Does your org have the resources to support it
• People, money, process
• What systems are you looking to integrate with
• Box solution vs. developed
• Look at total cost of ownership

• Need to demonstrate benefits 3-4 months
• ROI to fund project less than 9 months
• Metrics for success

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Striking a balance between.
Content Management Tool Selection

• Enterprise wide solution
• Full feature set
• Many potential business benefits
• Long implementation times
• Scalability
• Complex
• Higher cost

• Solution oriented tools
• Limited feature set
• Specific business benefits
• Limited growth or scope
• Shorter implementation times
• Less complex due to limited feature set
• Lower cost

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Phase 2 Needs assessment initial research
Screening
Evaluation Criteria
Needs Assessment
Initial research
RFI
User requirements document Budget verification
Options internal external Existing
partners/products New partners/products
Must haves Nice to have Ranking Standard
evaluation items Prepare management presentation
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How to find products or people
Phase 2 Needs assessment initial research

• Inside your company
• Industry associations
• Suppliers, customers contacts
• Research firms
• Conferences
• Web
• Vendor sites
• Research sites
• Discussion groups

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Over 80 tools into 5 Categories
Example Content Management

• E-Commerce
• Manages content in and around catalogue or online
  stores very often part of a larger ecommerce
  suite.
• E-CRM
• Delivers user specific content, categorizing and
  tagging of content very often part of a larger
  CRM suite focusing on interactive communications,
  surveys and analytics

• Portal Search
• Manages content from various sources, systems and
  applications to provide a unified desktop view
  very often part of a larger portal suite
• Document Management
• Manages source documents and converts them into
  different formats on the fly
• Web Publishing
• Allows user friendly publishing and site
  maintenance. Common look and feel is ensured
  through templates

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Publishing Tools
Example Content Management

• Key Features
• Allowing non technical content authors to create,
  edit, review and approve content
• Workflow capabilities
• Version control
• Templates for common look and feel
• Maintenance features, such as automatic checks
  for broken links and orphan pages, page
  publishing and expiry features
• Some personalization features
• Site Administration and Security Features

• Examples
• RedDot Solutions
• Interwoven Teamsite
• Microsoft Commerce Server 2001
• Eprise
• Percussion Rhythmyx
• Ektron

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Phase 3 RFI
Criteria
Submissions
Validation
Evaluation Short list
Issue RFI
RFP/RFQ
Apply criteria Discuss among stakeholders Select
short listed vendors Review budget Adjust
requirements and criteria Prepare management
presentation
Key user requirements Directions for
vendors Vendor list Criteria (optional) Budget
(optional)
Presentation (optional)
References Evaluate software Review
submission Confirm with vendor
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Top 10 questions to ask a reference
Phase 3 RFI

• How were you involved with this vendor selection
  and project implementation?
• How was this vendor chosen?
• Who was the alternate choice?
• What product(s)/services did you buy/use?
• Was product/service provided what was promised?
• Describe the support provided.
• Did they deliver on time and on budget?
• Would you buy this product/hire them again?
• Give one concern about this vendor/product.

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Understand all the costs
Phase 3 RFI

• Allocate the proper resources
• 30 process
• 20 organizational issues
• 50 technology
• Systems upgrade in preparation
• Outsourced services ramp up time

• Software
• Software
• Support
• Annual costs
• Training
• Extra services
• Base vs. extras
• Different pricing license pricing models, such as
• Per server
• Per desktop
• Per contributor, editor, administrator
• Per site

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Phase 4 RFP or RFQ
Criteria
Issue RFP/Q
Submission
Validation
Evaluation
Selection
Detailed requirements Refined criteria To
selected vendors
Optional presentation
Customer references Pilot or Proof of Concept
Apply criteria Discuss among stakeholders Rank
vendors and make selection Prepare management
presentation Prepare for implementation
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Example RFP for Web site
Phase 4 RFP or RFQ

• Introduction
• Objectives and strategy
• Target Audience for this site
• Client Team, Stakeholders, Partners, Advisors
• Timeline, Budget
• Contact Information
• Contractual terms
• Contract Award
• Submission requirements

• Site requirements
• Existing Site
• Site Specification
• Overall Requirements
• Look and Feel
• Suggested Content
• Gateways to Company and Partner Sites
• Ongoing Maintenance
• Hosting Environment
• Submission processes

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Samples
Phase 4 RFP or RFQ

• Demo script
• Vendor evaluation form
• Selection analysis

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Decision Making Factors
Phase 4 RFP or RFQ

• Functionality
• User requirements
• Other bonuses
• Vendor
• Solid company
• Cultural fit
• Experience

• References
• Proof of concept
• Timelines
• Price Guarantees

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Lessons learned

• General recommendations

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Recommendations
Lessons learned

• Follow a structured process
• Get the right team
• Use the process to educate and foster ownership
• Focus on organizational needs not on software
  vendors marketing hype
• Understand the technical features of the product
• Address all aspects of integration

• Understand implementation process and long term
  maintenance requirements
• Ensure that vendors will facilitate not own the
  process
• Find vendors that fit into your organization
• Check references
• It doesnt happen without effort
• You may need outsiders for expertise or to guide

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Thank you

• Cindy Ross Pedersen, cindyrp_at_adeo.com
• My next sessions
• Whats new at the show, Friday 10am (show floor)
• Writing for the Web, Friday at 130pm