How much is too much?

15. October 2009 by admin.

There’s a debate about how many questions on functionality should be included in a typical Request for Information (RFI).  My view is that if there’s nothing special about your business then you can assume that, for example, one General Ledger’s pretty much the same as another.  But utility billing or tax billing systems?  That’s a relatively specialised beast, and one where not only are the current requirements pulled this way and that by regulators and government, but developments on the near horizon – smart meters for example – require a system that’s not only robust today but flexible enough for tomorrow.

And the flexibility’s not just built into the software – it’s built into the mindset of the people responsible for enhancing and extending the software.  That’s why the software vendor’s product development manager is such a key person and why in all the RFIs we manage, questions about that person and their industry experience play a central role.  What we look for is industry experience either directly as a revenue manager, preferably in multiple places, or as seasoned project manager with multiple, varying implementations to draw on - the more grey hair the better, in our view.

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