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Research Pays Off in Hunt for New System
04/11/08
For some college stores, transitioning to a new point-of-sale system can be a painful process. Nick Karvia, director, Fullerton College Bookstore, Fullerton, CA, knows. He's gone through it twice.
But extensive research, although time-consuming, will help ensure stores end up with the system that's right for them. In his CAMEX education session, Navigating Your Way to a New Store Retail System, Karvia shared his tips for researching systems.
His foremost piece of advice is to "let the needs of your store drive the selection process, not the technology or past vendor relationships. What's going to make your store the most profitable, most efficient, and fits within the buying requirements for your store?" He cautioned against becoming wowed by bells and whistles you don't need, or automatically signing a vendor with whom you've worked in the past.
Research prior to a request for proposals (RFPs): Ask your employees for feedback on what they like and dislike about the current system. What features do they want in the new system? "Get your staff involved. If everyone has a part, they'll be more comfortable using the system later," Karvia advised.
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Contact other college stores for reviews of the systems they're using, including their providers' customer service. Visit stores to see firsthand how the systems function and inquire about response times for customer service calls. (You may want to delay visits until you have narrowed down the list of prospects.)
Check out vendors' web sites for basic information about their systems. Use that information to develop specific questions about each system's capabilities and available modules, including e-commerce, interoperability with other campus systems (for instance, registrar, finance, or campus card), and level of customization.
- With those questions in hand, contact companies for detailed information. Ask about the vendor's installation and training procedures and timelines, alternatives for acquiring systems (outright purchase versus a partnership with the wholesaler), and plans for software upgrades and revisions.
- "Ask vendors for references and call as many as possible," Karvia said. In calling or visiting current users, be sure to question them closely on how well the system performs each function in relation to the company's claims. "Does the system actually do what the vendor says it will?" Karvia asked.
Research after proposals are submitted: - After reviewing proposals, select vendors for demonstrations of their wares. "Insist on a live demo, not one on the web," Karvia said. "You can't properly evaluate a system unless you can see it and touch it."
- Involve as many employees in the live demonstration as possible, and include at least one information technology specialist.
- Take a lot of notes during the demonstration, rather than relying on your memory. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Make sure the system's key features work the way you expected.
- After the demo, compare notes with your staff and thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of the system. Contact vendors with follow-up questions. If you didn't explore references prior to the RFP, be sure to do that at this stage.
Karvia provided a basic outline for crafting an RFP: www.camex.org/handouts/4-05_NavigatingYourWay_RFPOutline.pdf.
He also put together a worksheet for comparing store systems: www.camex.org/handouts/4-05_NavigatingYourWay_SystemCompare.xls.
—Cindy Ruckman
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