A no-nonsense guide to buying new software for your organisation

Maybe you’re no longer happy with your current system. Or your organisation is growing and the tools you use no longer fit what you need. Or you want to digitalise a process that’s currently done manually. Or – something many cultural organisations are grappling with right now – you want to reduce your dependence on American tech companies and switch to European alternatives. Whatever the reason, this step-by-step plan helps you make a well-considered choice efficiently.

Step 1: Map out what you need

Start with your mission and annual goals: what do you want to achieve? Translate this into your day-to-day work and look at the immediate reason for the switch: what problem do you want the software to solve? Also take stock of the current situation: how do you work with your existing system, and what’s working well or not? A short brainstorm session with the colleagues involved will help sharpen this up.

Then think about who the stakeholders are. Who within the organisation works with the current system, or will be affected by the purchase of a new one? Think about colleagues who use it daily, but also those with indirect involvement, and don’t forget visitors or external users.

Think about the timeline early on too. When would you ideally like to go live? What steps do you need to go through and how much time is realistic? You usually only know how long implementation really takes after signing the contract, but setting an ideal deadline, one you can adjust to reality if needed, helps prevent the process from dragging on indefinitely.

Step 2: Set your knock-out criteria and wishlist

Before you can compare systems, you need to know what your requirements are. We always distinguish between two levels.

The knock-out criteria are the hard requirements. If a system doesn’t meet these, it’s out immediately. Think about: the location of the servers (e.g. in the EU), integrations with tools you already use, or the ability to easily scale users up or down.

The wishlist contains features that would make the system better, but that you could manage without. For example, a built-in donation option for visitors, or a specific way of displaying projects.

Step 3: Build a benchmark

Using your criteria, compare systems through a benchmark: an overview of multiple tools side by side, based on your knock-out criteria and wishlist. This immediately shows which systems fall away and which ones are worth exploring further.

Need help? We have a number of benchmarks available for ticketing, CRM and planning software. We’re happy to share them. Request them for free by emailing info@to-mo.org.

Step 4: Write a user story

Write a user story: a description from the user’s perspective of what the ideal system looks like in practice. Write one or two, for example, one from the perspective of a director and one from a team member. This also comes in handy later when talking to suppliers.

Tip: AI chatbots such as le Chat are very good at writing user stories. You can give them your knock-out criteria and wishlist, along with a clear prompt explaining who will use the system and for what purpose. The output usually needs a few iterations – never trust an AI chatbot blindly – but it can help structure a user story that you then translate into your own words.

Step 5: Schedule three to five demos

Based on the benchmark, select a limited number of systems and request a demo. Three is usually enough, with up to five if needed. More demos means more time and, quickly, more confusion. Where possible, send suppliers your user story in advance so they can tailor the demo to your specific situation rather than giving a standard presentation.

Step 6: Make a decision and plan the implementation

After the demos, you’ll usually have a clear picture. Found the system that fits your organisation? Then it’s time to purchase and implement. If the demos haven’t given you a clear answer yet, it’s always possible to request a second demo from the same supplier, or to add a new one based on what your research has turned up.

A well-considered choice is, as always, half the battle. A clear picture of what you need, a structured comparison and a limited number of demos will help you avoid getting lost, and instead make a choice that fits your organisation, contributes to your shared goals, and makes daily work easier and more enjoyable for everyone on the team.

Image: Yutong Liu & Digit