Selection Management for Systems and Services

A fast, simple and robust process for selection Selecting a new system or service can be a crucial business decision, but small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) often lack experience of the selection process. Formal procurement usually involves days, weeks or even months producing a specification, followed by a tender and selection process, but this may not always be appropriate for the smaller organisation, and is rarely practical for SMEs that do not have (or need) a full-time procurement expert. Selection Management for Systems and Services offers a simplified, tried and tested process based on a standard set of steps, from defining the original requirements right through to selection and implementation. The process is robust enough to maintain a reasonable level of due diligence, and its flexibility allows it to be tailored to suit each organisation's specific needs. Although primarily aimed at selecting IT systems or services, the processes and techniques described in this book are generic and can be adapted to the selection of non-IT services or products.
Jacquie Wakeford has nearly 25 years' experience in IT, which has been gained in various roles across a number of sectors, including the post of Head of ICT at a national charity. For the last five years, she has been running Miriona Ltd, an independent IT management consultancy whose client assignments frequently involve assistance with system and service selection.