What is important to companies when it comes to new technology? The most frequently mentioned
decision criteria are:
- the price of the software
- the availability of products or features that actually meet requirements without further development
- the support after the purchase
- the versatility and flexibility of the solution ('future-ready')
In our own customer surveys and discussions, however, we repeatedly find that for service companies the
user-friendliness (such as fewest clicks and transparent outcomes) is almost more important than price. This makes sense because they know how important a good digital user experience is for customers and employees.
And those who purchase software that is not very user-friendly end up suffering from indirect additional costs, for example due to faulty operation and frustrated users.
BEGIN YOUR BUSINESS SOFTWARE RESEARCH
Those involved in software procurement do more intensive research today than even a few years ago. According to
Trustradius the average buyer of business software now uses around different
7 sources of information, to lead towards engaging to vendor. The most important sources include:
NO END TO MARKET GROWTH AND SOFTWARE OPTIONS
Evaluations from
Statista show that investments in business software are increasing year on year. For the year 2022, analysts expect total business software sales in the UK to reach
8,437 million Pounds/10,062 million Euros.
Investments will continue to increase: The estimated annual growth rate for the B2B software market is 8.18%. For 2026, the analysts therefore forecast a market volume in the UK of around
10,9 million Pounds/13,7 million Euros.
CRM AND ERP SOLUTIONS ARE MOST IN DEMAND
What stands out when comparing the different software segments:
customer orientation is again at the top of the list. Companies invest most heavily in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. In second place comes ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). The other investments primarily concern business intelligence solutions, content management and the
Supply Chain Management.
SOFTWARE FOR FIELD SERVICE IS ALSO BOOMING
Also the market for
Field Service Management Software (FSM) is one of the growth fields. Market observers see Germany as one of the key markets in this segment (more on this and the
FSM market here).
This fits in with the value that companies place on customer orientation today: An
intelligent solution for deployment and route planning of the field service not only complements the leading CRM or ERP system. With numerous features and real-time optimisation of dispatching and scheduling, it ensures that customer satisfaction increases.
YOUR WAY TO THE RIGHT BUSINESS SOFTWARE
The path to new business software is lengthy, but does not need to be difficult. By placing regular sense-checks, and by soliciting trusted opinions from third-parties, it can be successful. In the end your company will clearly benefit from the added value of digital tools.
We have outlined the key features of today's business software buying process for you in our
E-Books. You will also find some of the most important questions you need to answer when assessing and selecting business software. Our compact guides will help you in particular when looking for tools for deployment and route/tour planning. They are transferable to other areas.
(Sources: Linkedin: B2B Technology Buying Survey – EMEA Report, 2021; Trustradius: The 2021 B2B Buying Disconnect, 2020; Statista 2021)