Searching for Solutions

Abstract

This chapter sets forth the strategy for obtaining bids from the best sources that match the requirements. There are challenges to determine what types of vendor and/or consulting firms need to be selected and what preliminary steps firms should exercise before asking for a formal bid. This section also addresses the types of searches that can be done, from hiring a third-party consulting firm, an independent contractor, to a more public forum. Levels of searches are also addressed, including having decision points where certain vendors get eliminated and narrowed to a final group of acceptable solutions. The section also covers the ways to contact potential solution firms and the procedures for doing the necessary due diligence of not only the product but also the firm itself. That is, too many firms may not be as dependable as its marketing materials suggest. Solutions also include hybrid approaches where both third-party and internally developed software can be integrated. New solutions today also require a broader scope, as some solutions may rely more on “big data” solutions as opposed to new process applications. Future application solutions must also address new global needs and security features to address the cybersecurity attacks experienced by companies over the past decade. Today, organizations are scrambling to configure strategies that can deal with the existing legacy systems that contain security exposures and replacing them with new products that can also meet government requirements, especially on those that have restrictions on the use of data.