John Beichman Robert D. Obeiter, Ph.D. The CIS Selection Process: Cutting Through the Maze of Options Quickly Applied Energy Group, Inc. Consulting, Technology and Outsourcing Solutions for the Energy Industry

Assumption  Your Billing and CIS Don’t Work Anymore  FoxPro, or hardware or something key has been de-supported  Access really doesn’t scale  You have too much staff  Response times are bad  The market is changing  What’s Your Reason? Something Must Be Done But You Have Limited Resources & You Can’t Spend 12 to 18 Months Selecting Software

TOO BAD!  This Stuff Takes Time  Go Slow to Go Fast  Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Well  Pick a Cliché!

Spend Your Time on the Right Things Our Advice Define your business drivers Selecting and contracting for software is the least of your worries

I. Planning II. Selection Selection & Replacement Process

Define your business drivers Get people to agree Build a strong team Know why you are changing Know what you do now Know what you want to do/must do going forward Know your options (buy, build, outsource) Then you can look at software! Keys to Successful Projects

People: The human and organizational aspects of projects Process: Understanding your way of doing work Technology: What’s out there and what will work for you! It’s All About:

What flaws exist currently? What are the strengths & weaknesses of the in house team? Are the build, buy, outsource options understood? What are the concrete measurable goals of the project? Questions for the Stakeholders

Obsolete Technology Out of warranty Retired/Retiring key personnel Market Customer growth Expanded services Monthly billing Electricity, solid waste, gas Other City Council/Political Pressure Regulatory pressure You Must Know Why You Are Changing

“ Amorphous” Desire to Improve Detailed and Precise Desire to Improve Fear You Must Know Why You Are Changing (II)

Develop An Economic Rationale Know your current costs Labor IT Cost per bill Know your extrapolated costs Models for expected project costs exist for a baseline projection Cost Per: Bill rendered Payment processed Customer contact Intangibles Improved Service (How?) Happier Customers (In what way?) Happier Employees (Because?)

How Long Will This Take? Project Startup Business Case Development Buy Build Outsource Assessment Market Analysis (Consultants & Vendors) Consultant Selection

 Planning  Selection Selection & Replacement Process

One Way To Save Time Automate the functionality collection and matching process Speed up the RFP checklist Don’t write a book that your potential vendors have to respond to with a book you have to read and evaluate! Pick a consultant with the tools to help

CISAware TM Comes with default CIS functionality Allows you to organize and enter your company specific requirements Web-based, it is filled in online over the net by your team and vendors

CISAware TM You set weighting and the importance of specific functionality Default ranking and reports automates evaluation Saves paper too!