I am sometimes guilty of overthinking things.  Being a Software-type, I am over-analytical in just about everything I do.  I weigh options, I seek advice, and usually I make my decision (after a while).  Whenever i see people looking to invest in software, I see a similar situation.  Now, being careful and analytical is very important, especially in a major investment like software, but more often than not, there are a few elements that get in the way of a good software selection process.  I thought I would throw out a few easy things to remember when entering into the software selection process.  This is a simplified list, but it does give a certain perspective to the whole endeavor.

The question of the day is "Can we all be Common?" More on that in a minute.

In a market where high-demand causes organizations to seek software systems that will fit into their complex business infrastructure, the pressure to find the right system often causes against to many. Couple that with the host of options out there, and the pressure builds. Often, organizations will "settle" on a system that has most of the functionality they need, but feel that uneasy feeling we all get when we don't get everything we want. That being said, I thought it best to lay out my "8 Simple Rules" on what to look for in a QMS (I have covered this in more detail here).

Anyone who knows me knows I am a Star Wars geek. I spend way more time than I care to admit obsessing about the Star Wars films, collecting random star wars toys, and musing about the “what ifs” in the Star Wars universe. The other day, it occurred to me, “What if The Empire had implemented a Quality Management System on the Death Star?” So I thought a bit on this, and here’s what I think might have helped The Empire in their endeavor to rule the galaxy if they only had put Quality Management as a strategic initiative.