BasicGov / BLOG

 The key to success for your SaaS implementation is to start from your desired outcome.  What is it that you want the system to do for you?  Are you clear about what you currently do, and when or how you do it now?  The clearer you are about your current and desired process the better outcome you’ll achieve.

Where to start? Concisely, thoroughly describe and document your current workflow. Understand that your processes may change slightly in order to take full advantage of the solution you’ve chosen. Be open to your vendor’s advice on how to streamline the process and accept that there may be gaps in what can be provided.  Expect a 80-20 solution: the system should automate the tasks that take up 80% of your time.  Focus on these tasks and understand that if you want 100% automation – you’ll likely have to pay for significant customization.  

 Once you’re through the “Business Analysis” portion of the installation, the real advantages of SaaS come into play. Saas is easier to configure.  No software installation and no IT headaches.  Time to rollout is reduced.  Users are up and running faster – and in a familiar “browser” environment.

In the SaaS software evaluation phase it is very important to spend the time that it takes to understand the current workflow as well as what efficiencies the city (or county or town) wants to achieve.

We recommend starting with an evaluation call.  Before the call, we, the software vendor, get familiar with the size of the city and the departments interested in the evaluation. On the call these are the types of evaluation questions that we go through:

1. Tell me about your role and responsibilities.
2. How do you currently run your work process?
3. What product are you currently using and why the interest in changing?
4. Give me an example of your typical application process from start to finish?
5. What could you manage better if you had the proper tools?
6. How much time do you think you spend on a “normal” task?
7. How do you communicate with other departments?
8. When a task is assigned to your co-worker and has been completed, how are you informed?
9. How do you keep track of evidence and documents?
10. How many steps does it take for you to create a report and how much time does that take?

Next step is demonstrating how the BasicGov SaaS software works and tailoring the demo to the city.