Things You Should Know: 25 Lessons I've Learned About Buying Content Technology and Services

by Deane Barker

Selecting content software and services can be a frustrating and perilous process. Written by a veteran of this process from all sides, this book presents unvarnished truths about the mistakes and traps in picking software and companies to implement it for you. Be prepared for an honest, unsparing, and occasionally funny look at the points in the process where things often go very wrong. Contents 1. There is usually a familiar roster of players 2. There is no “soulmate” for your project, and all that glitters will eventually lose its shine 3. Sometimes you just can’t estimate ROI on your project 4. Software usually has to fit into larger technology landscapes 5. Internal IT groups can be territorial for a variety of reasons 6. The relationship dynamics between the players are different 7. There can be a blurry line between software and services 8. Open-source software often has no representation 9. There’s sometimes tension between the vendor and their partner integrator 10. The most thorough selection processes are a funnel of deepening analysis 11. A vendor’s ecosystem should be evaluated as a core feature 12. A Request for Proposal can sometimes be abusive and this doesn’t help anyone 13. Know your budget target in advance and be prepared to share it 14. If you don’t know how to write an RFP, get help 15. Scenario-based demos are helpful, but can be restricting 16. Pay careful attention to how much vendors and integrators are willing to teach 17. It’s easy to get excited about something new and interesting 18. RFP responses are often a team effort of multiple providers, which can be confusing 19. If you have no CMS experience, get help for your evaluations 20. An adversarial relationship with your integrator is never helpful 21. The lure of “out-of-the-box” functionality is usually misplaced and illusory 22. Poor governance and vague ownership do far more damage than a lack of technology 23. Launch day is not the finish line, it’s the starting line 24. A lot of results you’re promised will require considerable effort from humans 25. Software is not your savior

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2020