Enterprise collaboration vendors can look the same – distinguishing between functionality lists and specifications can be time-consuming. Vendors know this and customers know this. The big challenge for many companies is how to evaluate various vendors out there… and these are the key factors you should have in mind when making that decision:

Ease of use and integration

How easy and intuitive is the technology for everyone to use? What can you do to make implementation easier? Is your vendor willing to provide training and assistance, and do you have brand advocates within your business? Everyone in your company needs to be on-board, from the digital natives to the digital novices.

Features

Does it have the features and capabilities you need from this technology? What makes it different from other providers? Plan for the future: is there any functionality you would like to introduce at a later point, and is this possible with this vendor?

Technology and security

Do the technology and security specifications meet your needs? Does your business need a high level of security, and can you fit these processes into your collaboration needs easily? It will be your own IT team that handles your security needs – does this new collaboration strategy match up with your expectations when it comes to security?

Customisation

Has the vendor offered to customise the solution in the way that you need? Are there gaps that this technology could fill that you haven’t thought of?

The human approach

How does the vendor treat you? Do you get along with their team, and are your visions aligned? Do they understand your business on the level you need them to?

Aftercare

What options does the vendor offer around supporting your development and maintaining it in the face of future changes? Do you feel supported for future developments?

Price

How much does the technology cost, and what other charges are there? Does this include installation, compatibility with future products, a guarantee and extended warranty? Understand what it will cost now, in six months, in one year, in two years, and beyond two years.

To find out if Steljes and SMART are the smart choice for you, take a look at our case studies and check out SMART Technologies’ white paper on implementing collaboration:

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