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Solution Evaluation Phase

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Understand the proposed solutions in more detail before undertaking a trial
Plan Solution Evaluation Hold Kick Off Meeting Arrange Demonstrations Brief Vendors
Review Vendor Details Obtain Indicative Pricing Carry out Demonstrations Review Solution Impacts
Produce Solution Evaluation Shortlist Produce Solution Evaluation Report Produce Plan for Solution Decision Phase Solution Decision Gate

 

 
Ongoing Project Management
  • Successful vendors from RFP/RFQ/RFT
  • Responses from the above process
  • Request document
  • Produce demonstrations
  • Indicative pricing
  • Financial viability of vendors
  • Solution Evaluation Report
It is best to allow adequate time for the vendor to prepare for the demonstration. Typically you would allow two to three weeks for the demonstration to be arranged. While the preparation is going on, you can gather the other information. Allow a week or two after the demonstrations to complete the remaining work.
  • Project Manager
  • Sponsor
  • Business Analyst
  • Business Representatives
  • Technical Experts (where required)
  • Vendors
There is not much you can do to reduce the work in this phase. It is all essential if you are going to do a proper evaluation. If at the end of this phase you have only one solution, and are under pressure to meet a deadline, you might want to roll this and the next phase together.

The Vendor is usually keen to get in front of the people responsible for the selection. The vendor has an agenda which involves showing you what the vendor wants to show you and not showing you the weak points of the software. You need to take charge and make sure you see what you are interested in seeing.

While the demonstration is being organised, utilise the time to look at things like the vendor standard contract, pricing structure, what other costs may be involved, the financial viability of the vendors etc. All of these will come into the final decision, so you might as well get the review done while the project is awaiting the demonstration.

Usually when the package is reviewed, you will find each solution will have some impact on the project. The impact may be on business processes, implementation, customisation, training or a myriad of other aspects. After reviewing the packages, make sure to look at the impacts of each solution.

By the end of this phase we should be looking at one or at most, two packages. If you can see that one package is easily beating the opposition, you can reduce the effort in evaluation packages you know will not succeed, and become more focused on the one you can see will be successful.

Schedule Gantt Chart A draft Microsoft Project plan for the phase. It lists activities and elapsed timeframes. Times are very approximate and may be significantly shorter or longer.
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