The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a quantitative decision-making methodology that uses pair-wise comparisons to determine the importance of relative evaluation criteria and the relative strengths of decision alternatives. This document is a crash-course in AHP and is designed to help get you making difficult project decisions (particularly package software-related ones) quickly, confidentally and rationally.
Know the technical foundation on which you will be setting up your application package -- do a gap assessment of the existing and new technical environment.
A necessary step in both selecting and implementing a package is detailing the technical requirements required to run the application. Identify the hardware/software environment, interfacing systems, operational and backup procedures, and other key technical requirements.
This is not a typical request for information that goes on forever in boring text, putting you and your potential vendors in a coma. It is a useful matrix that succinctly itemizes nearly every criterion for selecting an application vendor.
Should you implement an application package? Will it meet your business objectives, deliver what you want, benefit your business and provide value in the process? Spell it out with this spreadsheet.
