Enterprise software buyers agree that usability is just as important as feature offerings. If half of your company doesn’t use a software solution you’ve purchased, you’re compromising the benefits of your investment.

“Achieving Software Success” provides insight from software buyers and sellers on the drivers, expectations, and responsibilities for success in enterprise software implementation.

The biggest takeaway from the report is that “‘People issues’ rather than ‘technology issues’ are the greatest barriers to success.”

So how do you get your people to work with technology, increasing usability of enterprise software and capitalizing on your investment?


Role of Management

You can’t just install a new program and expect people to start using it. Processes need to be re-aligned. Because management owns the process, they have to initiate and embrace the changes in the organization needed to realize the most benefits from the software.

A software implementation can occur without a hitch on the IT side, but an organization that is stubborn to change will have a tough time incorporating the new technology into their daily processes. The increased revenue, decreased costs, and market differentiation the software was intended for in the first place will be lost without management adoption.


Role of the Vendor

Software buyers are looking to vendors to help with process alignment. The vendor’s expertise needs to go beyond how the software works, and address how it can be used most effectively within the daily operations of an organization. Buyers are looking for software companies that understand the day-to-day challenges of their business, and can address them accordingly.

Role of Technology

The complexities of the economy paired with quickly evolving technology mean that a complicated installation process is no longer acceptable. Companies don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to installing software delivered on a CD and maintaining their own hardware.

SaaS (software as a service) and web based software solutions have alleviated these issues by automatically delivering updates, and remotely hosting data. Increased accessibility provides users with a better experience, as the newest features and latest fixes are available without delay.

Technology doesn’t work without people. Successful software implementation requires dedication from management to integrate process with technology, a vendor with expertise in your business, and technology that is easily delivered and maintained.

this post originally appeared at www.sendouts.com.