Every business is seeking to make their operations smarter and more efficient. Across every industry, software has become a crucial driver of these outcomes, as we all rely on a variety of programs for creating visibility across business data and streamlining processes.
At the same time, the software landscape has become increasingly complex as the public cloud has spurred the rapid growth of Software as a Service – particularly in the ERP and enterprise management software market. According to Gartner, the public cloud services market is forecast to grow 6.3% in 2020 to total $257.9 billion.
With so many solutions to choose from, Think Water Darwin were looking for a unique solution to meet their needs for greater efficiency and visibility in managing their operations.
Think Water Darwin’s founder and managing director, Adam Stockwell has more than 20 years’ experience in designing, installing and managing irrigation projects for a wide array of customers. The Think Water Darwin team has the expertise to supply, install and service any irrigation, pumping and water management project for agriculture, commercial, industrial and residential application.
While Adam knew what he wanted from a solution, he also knew that switching from their established business management tool was a significant undertaking – which is why he wanted to seek the best possible advice.
“As a business owner, you can feel full of confidence and look for the information to match your viewpoint, but I’m always looking for ways to challenge my assumptions, which is why I enjoy working with experts like Area9. Rather than simply agreeing with the options I put forward, they were able to offer the frank advice I needed to get confidence I was selecting the right solution.”
Adam Stockwell – Think Water Darwin Managing
Although Think Water’s current solution was still operating at a relatively satisfactory level, they had outgrown their current toolset, and the support for features and bug fixing had dwindled after the product was sold to a new company.
An analytical approach to selecting the ideal application
As an existing Area9 customer for managed services and hosting, Think Water approached Area9 for advice and was advised of Area9 Enterprise’s Business Analysis capabilities. Think Water then engaged Area9 to assist with the review and replacement of their primary line of business tool, which was used to run nearly every aspect of their business.
Think Water had shortlisted possible applications that could replace their current solution, but they were unsure which application was the correct one for them, or how to move forward with their selection process.
Robert Thompson from Area9 Enterprise carried out an indepth analysis of Think Water, including its primary workflows and value-streams. This analysis took the following approach:
- All the key requirements the business had on its core software were identified and defined.
- The capabilities of the software on the shortlist were then reviewed against this requirement list.
- A front-runner was selected for further vetting.
- Multiple workshops, and meetings were undertaken with the vendor, Think Water and Area9 to thoroughly review the product.
- A trial copy of the product was also provided by the vendor and Area9 assisted Think Water with ensuring all requirements the business had were met or addressed in the new software.
Once the review was complete, Area9 Enterprise wrote a Business Software Analysis document describing all the business workflows, processes and requirements, and the results of the analysis. A recommendation was made, along with other business recommendations where appropriate.
“We looked at a few potential new solutions and Robert made a thorough investigation into each. Once we got to the program we have now, Robert did a deep dive into who the company was and their background. He also investigated their support before going into the back end of the program to learn how raw data was being structured and processed. By the time we’d decided on the solution, I had real confidence that this was the program I was looking for.”
Adam Stockwell – Think Water Darwin Managing Director
“We’re making the right decision by getting the experts in to get it right the first time. We don’t even want to consider the cost of getting it wrong as it’s about more than just technology, as this also influences our culture. Area9 have enabled me to talk with confidence to my team about the change, because it is quite a major transition. We’re looking forward to engaging Robert and the team at Area9 on other similar projects in the future.”
Adam Stockwell – Think Water Darwin Managing Director
Providing a secure foundation for long term confidence
Area9 Enterprise provided a structured method for Think Water to select a core line of business tool to run their company for years to come. This ensured the business was able to confidently select a product and avoid the significant negative impact to their business operations if an inappropriate tool been selected.
As the number of cloud and on-premise software solutions grows, this method of software selection is becoming increasingly popular with enterprise and government departments. However, Area9 Enterprise is proud to also deliver this service to SMEs and mid-market companies at an affordable price point.
Our advice is to ensure you understand your business requirements and workflows before changing your business software. Engaging Area9 to define your requirements and also identify what is currently working well in your existing software, you can confidently select new software solution(s) to meet those needs.