This week, we’ll kick off our 2014 conference season by exhibiting at the 11th AACOM Annual Conference in Washington DC. With the theme “Osteopathic Medical Education: Keys to Success”, this year’s AACOM conference will address topics like best practices for curriculum development, innovative curricular models, teaching and learning milestone assessment, and leveraging technology in osteopathic medical education.
Conferences are a great time for institutions to evaluate potential solutions for inefficient processes, accreditation and industry changes, or upcoming initiatives because they provide a platform for you to meet with vendors and talk to your colleagues about their approaches to those same problems.
Whether you are shopping for a new system for your school or just looking to learn about the technology options out there, I’d like to share with you some of the “tough” questions we often get asked as exhibiting vendors. Try these the next time you speak to a vendor!
Tough Question #1: How do your sales reps and your sales process ensure that your system will meet our needs?
A vendor’s sales process is a key indicator of how well their software and services will eventually meet your needs. Dive into how their process works, and you’ll see what you can expect from that company down the road. Pay close attention to how they hand new sales over to their implementation team — this is a place where a lot of problems can arise.
Tough Question #2: How does your company incorporate their customers’ feedback into their software development process?
No software system will meet your needs 100% of the time, but the best companies consistently talk to their customers and ACT on the results of those conversations. Look for a structured process. If a company just wings it by saying “oh we talk to our customers all the time” — ask them how they ensure that they don’t just field customer complaints all of the time.
Tough Question #3: Tell me about some of the initiatives you have in place to improve your customers’ experience
Your experience with a software company is never just about the software. Yet, when you pose this question to a lot of vendors, you’ll only hear about which features are being worked on. The best companies are looking at all facets of the customer experience, not just product features. Ask about any initiatives around improving customer support, the company’s responsiveness, or even the company’s communications. A company that is focusing on improving its customer experience AND its software is the total package. Accept nothing less!
These questions should get you off to a good start with your technology vendor evaluation and selection process. For other tips on comparing an in house solution to a 3rd party tool, check out our Best Practices Guide on How to make better “buy or build” decisions when choosing administrative software.
Are you wondering about a better system for managing your curriculum, evaluations and other aspects of your program? Chat with our knowledgeable team at one of the many conferences we will be attending this year, or drop us a line at any time.