9 Keys to Screening Construction Software References

By Sheldon Needle

Everyone recognizes that one of the main steps in due diligence for a Construction accounting or project management software purchase is asking for and contacting references for that product.

And yet, it can also be one of the most useless, or even misleading, items on the due diligence checklist. Why is this the case for a seemingly simple and straightforward activity? After all, all you need is a checklist of questions to ask about the product and how the vendor handles it, right?

I’m afraid it’s much more than that if you really want to dig deeply into what the software can or cannot do for your operation.

Here are nine critical issues to keep in mind when checking references for a new system for your General or Specialty Contractor operation:

1. Who are you talking to? – was that person intimately involved in the planning and project management? Are they familiar with the details of all the bumps and curves involved or at a higher level and unfamiliar with some of the knotty issues that came up and how the vendor may have helped or hurt them during training and implementation.
2. Ask all the pertinent questions, not just are you happy with the system? Cover such things as do you think the vendor was honest and forthright in their dealings with you. Did the final cost come anywhere near the initial projections from the salesperson? Was the final contract fair to both parties. Did you miss covering any important items?
3. Ask open ended questions, not yes/no’s. For example, rather than say “are you satisfied with the work in process report for that system, “ ask how do you feel about the work in process report?  You will learn much more from open ended questions than yes/no’s

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