Modern enterprise software is highly complex, and it’s easy to go wrong. Selecting the right software is something many companies have difficulty doing.
Montreal, Canada (PRWEB) April 16, 2014
Carolina Pad, a family-owned and -operated office and school supplies design company based in North Carolina, USA, was experiencing business challenges due to independently operating departments and multiple software systems. They planned to solve these issues with a new software system, but almost created a much bigger problem in the process.
While Carolina Pad excels at its core business--selling its school supply products across the U.S., in part through big box retailers such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy, OfficeMax, and OfficeDepot--it discovered that it needed outside help in selecting a new enterprise software system after first trying to conduct a search on its own.
Carolina Pad decided to implement a new product lifecycle management (PLM) system to replace its patchwork of disparate systems. This would streamline the design and manufacture of its products, and provide a “single version of the truth” across the organization. But the company saw its software selection project stall in its tracks due to a lack of knowledge of PLM vendors and software features.
To get the process moving again, Carolina Pad sought professional guidance from TEC for a structured software evaluation and selection project. As Frank Crowley, the company’s IT director, says, “We needed a partner that was an expert in evaluation and selection who had no stake in the final system selection.”
TEC reports that up to 70% of software implementations fail to meet their business objectives. Selecting the wrong enterprise solution can be very costly in terms of lost revenue and opportunity. That’s why many companies hire experts to help provide more clarity and certainty in the software selection processes.
TEC brought a vast knowledge of PLM vendors and software evaluation techniques to the project that Carolina Pad did not have on its own. With TEC’s methodology and decision support system, TEC Advisor, Carolina Pad was able to clearly visualize what different vendors delivered against its requirements. TEC Advisor supplied the necessary quantifiable information to help Carolina Pad make an informed final decision.
Crowley adds that Carolina Pad’s PLM team was highly impressed with the smooth organization and detail involved in all phases of the selection process. “TEC’s project management support was quite valuable for keeping the project on track and interfacing with potential vendors. It’s among the best I’ve experienced in 15 years in the IT industry.”
Adds TEC VP of Selection Services, Lorne Goloff, “It’s no surprise to see more and more companies like Carolina Pad turning to experts like TEC for software selection assistance. Modern enterprise software is highly complex, and it’s easy to go wrong. Our proven methodology helps them select the right software, something many companies have difficulty doing.”
Read the full case study on Carolina Pad’s PLM selection project with TEC.
For more information about TEC's software evaluation and selection methodology, contact Evaluation Services at +1 514-954-3665, extension 404, or e-mail selectionservices(at)technologyevaluation(dot)com.
About Technology Evaluation Centers Inc. (TEC)
Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) is a software advisory firm helping private and public sector organizations around the world make informed enterprise software decisions—saving time, money, and heartache. The online Evaluation Centers, containing IT research and extensive software models that catalog vendors’ support for thousands of enterprise software features and functions, are the leading resources for IT decision makers around the world. By combining the online evaluation centers and providing onsite personalized advisory services, TEC has developed its offerings and solidified its unique position operating in the cross-section of the software consulting, analyst, and research markets.
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