Software Selection & Implementation
Choose software that fits the work, then hold the vendor to what they committed.
A good fit if
- Too many software options and vendor pitches to compare
- Replacing older systems across operations, finance, or the field
- Standardizing on one platform across multiple locations
- Private equity groups rolling out the same systems across their companies
What we do
Confirm requirements
Weight must-haves and nice-to-haves with your team and set the vendor shortlist.
Run the evaluation
Keep every demo on your real workflows and score each vendor against the same requirements.
Recommend a decision
A written recommendation backed by the scorecard, with advisory support through contracting.
Oversee the vendor
Act as your advocate and project manager through the vendor-led implementation.
Every vendor scored the same way
Job cost by phase and cost code
- Weight
- Must have
- Vendor A
- Meets
- Vendor B
- Meets
Mobile time entry for field crews
- Weight
- Must have
- Vendor A
- Meets
- Vendor B
- Partial
AP approval routing by job
- Weight
- Must have
- Vendor A
- Partial
- Vendor B
- Meets
Equipment tracking
- Weight
- Nice to have
- Vendor A
- Not offered
- Vendor B
- Meets
| Requirement | Weight | Vendor A | Vendor B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job cost by phase and cost code | Must have | Meets | Meets |
| Mobile time entry for field crews | Must have | Meets | Partial |
| AP approval routing by job | Must have | Partial | Meets |
| Equipment tracking | Nice to have | Not offered | Meets |
Who does what during implementation
The vendor
- Hands-on configuration: chart of accounts, workflows, approval chains
- Migration of accounting data and larger datasets
- Resolving open items before the engagement closes
Automized
- Implementation plan, success criteria, and a regular meeting schedule
- Review of each configured process against the selection decisions
- Integration requirements and testing across systems
- Migration plan and validation criteria
- User acceptance testing with your team, go-live readiness, and support after go-live
How it works
Phase 1
Software selection
Typical engagement: 3–4 weeks
Requirements confirmation
Start from assessment findings, or build requirements from scratch, and finalize the shortlist.
Vendor demos and evaluation
Facilitate focused demos and independently score every vendor.
Recommendation and decision
Present the recommendation and facilitate the final discussion.
Project management
Weekly status meetings, request tracking, and status reports.
Phase 2, vendor-led
Software implementation
Typical engagement: 8–16+ weeks
Planning and kickoff
Set the plan and success criteria, and kick off with the vendor's team.
Configuration oversight
Validate each process the vendor configures against what was agreed.
Integration coordination
Document each connection point and coordinate testing between systems.
Data migration
Plan the migration, define validation criteria, and confirm the data loaded correctly.
Stabilization and go-live
Run readiness checks, separate bugs from training gaps, and close open items.
Not sure where this would start for you? Walk us through how the work moves today.
Get startedClient results
Software Selection & Implementation in practice
What you keep
- A scorecard and written recommendation you can take to your board
- An implementation plan with agreed success criteria
- Configuration checked against what you agreed to buy
- A go-live with clear ownership of every open issue
Where our role ends
- The vendor does the hands-on configuration. We review and validate it.
- We migrate smaller, non-accounting datasets (under 40,000 records) directly. The vendor migrates accounting data and larger datasets under our plan and validation.
- Support during contracting and negotiation is advisory.
Questions
Do we need an assessment first?
No. A Digital Operations Assessment informs your requirements and priorities, but we can build requirements from scratch if there wasn't one.
How long does it take?
Selection typically takes 3–4 weeks. The vendor-led implementation typically runs 8–16 weeks or more.
Who configures the new system?
The vendor. We review and validate each configured process against what was agreed during selection.
Can you help with the contract?
Yes. If needed, we provide advisory support during vendor contracting and negotiation.
Related services
Talk through your operations
Tell us what you're replacing and what's driving the decision. We'll suggest where to start.