ABSTRACT
Because software systems have a lifespan shorter than in the past and because new applications are constantly coming on the market, every —ve to six years data management groups will —nd themselves evaluating and choosing among vendor products. Evaluating and choosing among vendor products can be a simple process that takes a few weeks or a complex process that can take over a year. The steps are more or less the same, but the time and effort put into the process varies according to:
• The size and complexity of the desired system • The number of vendor products available • Company requirements for approval of a system • Timeline for implementation • Availability of resources, especially people
Even for the same complex system, such as full clinical data management packages, one company may commit a year and another a month to the vendor selection period. So it is really the last two points in the preceding list-the timeline and available resources-that ultimately decide how hard or long the process will be. Small companies with shorter timelines and fewer people with time to spare are often forced into a quick decision. Large companies, in contrast, often do take their time-generally because they can-but this is not always a wise choice. At all companies, the process of selecting a product begins by determining what is needed and then proceeds through several selection phases, reducing eligible candidates and increasing the level of detail knowledge obtained at each phase, until a decision is reached.
