Software Comparison Strategy
With a comprehensive understanding of nephrology EMR software features, the next step involves delving into your business requirements and thoroughly evaluating product vendors. This step is crucial to selecting a solution that perfectly aligns with your specific needs.
Take a look at the below-mentioned points to learn what you must factor in before making the final decision:
Determine Your Business Requirements
Thoroughly understand your business requirements to avoid making regrettable decisions. Instead of relying on uninformed decisions, conduct needs analysis sessions with your internal teams to make knowledgeable and evidence-based decisions.
You can approach this assessment activity in two phases:
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Quantitative: Evaluate your organization's critical problems to identify which departments require a new solution to address their current issues. Pinpoint how many users will need access to the system to make a well-informed decision.
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Qualitative: Engage your department heads and other system users in internal discussions to curate a list of essential features. This will help you select a product that perfectly aligns with your team's needs.
Shortlist Software Vendors
Having a long list of potential vendors can make things confusing for you. Since you can’t communicate with a dozen product merchants simultaneously, the best way to approach a successful buying decision is by narrowing your list to a handful of vendors.
Jot down your functionality requirements as clearly as you can to filter out the vendors with products that don't serve your needs ideally. This process should bring your list to a maximum of five names.
Need help with your software purchase journey? Use our Lean Selection methodology to ease your product evaluation worries.
Cost & Pricing Considerations
Gaining insights into how vendors structure their product pricing and being aware of any additional charges that may arise during or after the purchase process can assist you in anticipating and preparing for unforeseen expenses.
Peruse the following points to learn about vendors’ software pricing strategies:
Deployment
It's crucial to learn about the total cost of ownership as it substantially influences how you should plan and budget for your purchase requirements.
On-premise models require higher upfront investments for implementation, security and licensing fees. They’re customizable and can be cost-effective in the long run. You may require some extra IT resources for maintenance needs, but this deployment type is highly suitable for those looking to expand.
Cloud-based deployment, on the other hand, is comparatively inexpensive upfront due to low entry costs through recurring subscription pricing, but subscriptions add up over time.
Your choice of deployment entirely depends on your business goals and long-term growth strategies. However, asking vendors for demos and trial sessions in the initial stage can get you a fair idea of what might work better for you.
Add-On Costs
Not all vendors will disclose these add-on service costs initially. They may inform you about these charges after your investment to deprive you of the option of backing out.
However, since these costs can significantly raise the total cost of ownership, understanding them ahead of time will give you more knowledge of a product and its expenses.
These additional costs usually involve:
- Installation
- Implementation
- Updates
- Data migration
- Integration
- Customization
- Training
Curious about some affordable or free EMR platforms? Our article — Best Affordable and Free EMR/EHR Software Systems — has all the information you need to know!
