On Demand Needs Strategy

CRM Blog posts CRM On-Demand is In Demand and lists all the benefits companies can get from hosted solutions like Salesforce.com and other subscription software.

The benefits they list include things like:

• Reducing large capital investments to manageable monthly subscription fees
• Flexible Pricing Licensing and Scalability
• Decrease in Hardware, Support and IT Support staff
• Elimination of costly upgrades
• Remote Management
• Faster and easier deployment
• Good Solution for Distributed Offices
• General ease of use
• Availability of good mobile solutions
• Security and Back-up services
• Online Training
• Significant third party add-ons and Web Services
• Integration Capabilities

Which are all very nice things to have.  But there are some things critical to successful implementations that are not mentioned here. 

The first thing I'd add is the need for strategic thinking that goes with the implementation.  It's one thing to buy a subscription software solution and use it out of the box, as the generic instructions provided might advise.  It's entirely another to assess the impact to current processes, workflows and plan for impact, improvements and change.  Beyond that, user adoption is not going to happen because you send out new login instructions. 

Thinking about how best to initiate the use of new software is something that requires time and the ability to think outside of your current situation.  Your company will be served if you can address the results of the changes that will happen when you start to utilize the new software.  If you are ready to handle the results as well as the original intent.  It's not quite as simple as it's X dollars per month, per user and off you go.

The second thing I'd add here is to consider, really seriously look at the flexibility available in any hosted model you choose.  There's a reason a lot of software is on-demand.  It's out of the box and that's the way it works.  The same way for everyone.  Unless, of course, you're prepared to take on a customization project or hire consultants to do so.  Which brings me back to number one.  Do the strategic thinking involved to make sure you know what effect the software will really have on your current processes and how you'll grow and evolve them as your company changes, if the software you choose doesn't automatically advance along with your needs.

The third thing to assess is the amount and availability of support the on-demand company is willing to provide and what they will charge you for it.  If you have a question, can you get it answered?  If you are thinking about a possible integration or Web service addition, will they discuss it with you or would that conversation about possibilities become a consulting contract?

I'm not saying any of those things are bad.  In fact, subscription software is a good thing.  It enables companies to try many different tools, it's faster by far than a custom-built solution and will probably delay obsolescence, maybe forever, if the company continues to evolve and upgrade it as the market and innovations become available.

These are just some additional areas I feel you should look at.  And then, go do your on-demand project and make it a smashing success.  How fast can you create beneficial change in online work tools at your company?