Digitalisation · Decision guide

The right software starts with the right questions.

Feature lists are easy to admire. What matters is whether a system makes your work easier. A practical method, from requirements to a tested data export.

By DLI Consulting 30 September 2026 3 min read

The demonstration was impressive: a clean interface, clear reports and plenty of features. Only after implementation does someone discover that an exception in the ordering process cannot be handled, a critical integration costs extra and the master data still needs cleaning.

Start with a different question: Which specific part of our work should improve after implementation? The method below provides a basis for your decision. It does not endorse any particular supplier.

01Describe the task before comparing suppliers

“We need a new CRM” already names a solution. “Enquiries get lost because nobody owns the next action” describes a problem. The two may be connected, but the first thing to fix might be a responsibility.

Describe one workflow from its trigger to its outcome. Who works on it? What information do they need? Where do people wait, enter data twice or correct errors? Ask the people doing the work every day, and record differences between locations or customer groups.

02Separate essential criteria from preferences

An essential criterion determines whether a system is a viable option at all. A preference helps distinguish viable options. Combining them can allow a high overall score to hide a critical gap.

Essential: The tested core process works, required data can be transferred and necessary permissions can be configured.
Preference: A view saves clicks, a report is available out of the box or the team prefers the interface.
Later: Features without a specific current need or a person responsible for using them.

Record the evidence for each essential criterion: tested in practice, confirmed in writing or still unresolved. “The supplier says it is possible” offers different assurance from a successful test. Keep unanswered questions visible rather than silently treating them as resolved.

03Test the same cases with every candidate

Give each candidate the same small test brief. Use appropriate test data and three cases: a normal transaction, a common exception and a correction. Realistic fictional records are a good starting point where information is sensitive.

Illustrative example, not a client case: A company tests an order with several delivery dates. It then changes an item and checks whether the change reaches warehouse planning and invoice preparation. This workflow reveals whether the systems actually work together.

Let the future users work in the system themselves. Observe where they need explanations. Record any customisation and who will pay for it, implement it and maintain it. A well-prepared demonstration cannot replace this practical test.

04Examine total cost and the exit route

Compare proposals over the same period using the same assumptions. Include implementation, data cleaning, migration, integrations, training, internal time and ongoing support alongside licence fees. Show separately what changes if user numbers or data volumes grow.

Ask what happens when you switch. Which records, attachments and relationships can you obtain, and in which formats? Who supports the export, what does it cost and how long do you have? Have a small export carried out. A CSV file alone does not demonstrate that the relationships needed to run your business will survive.

For cloud services, Germany’s BSI provides further guidance on secure use across the contractual lifecycle, including the end of the contract.¹ Whether a particular service meets your privacy, security and contractual requirements needs a separate assessment.

05Record a decision that will still make sense later

Summarise the selection on one page. This makes the reasoning and the conditions of your decision clear.

Objective: Which workflow should improve, and how?
Comparison: Which options did you consider, including improving the existing system?
Evidence: How did you test each essential criterion?
Cost: Which assumptions, internal effort and recurring costs are included?
Unresolved issues: What must be settled before ordering or implementation?
Adoption: Who owns data, training, acceptance and operation?

The next step is a limited pilot with defined success criteria. Once everyday users can complete an entire workflow and the handover to operations is prepared, you have a stronger basis for a wider rollout.

Our IT and digitalisation consulting supports this preparation. If standard software cannot meet the tested need, we compare it with a custom solution, including development and operating effort.