Finding your perfect match

by. Michelle Harbinak Shapiro

Roses are red, violets are blue, time to choose a vendor. Do you have a clue?

Okay, obviously I’ll never face off in a freestyle rap battle with Eminem. But I do have experience rolling out new technologies in credit unions.

Recently, a colleague of mine compared technology vendor shopping with online dating. Funny, but she’s not far off. If you’re in the market for document management solutions, check out my tips to ensure you are bringing home a solid and dependable guy – I mean technology – and not one that oversold himself. I mean itself.

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One of the first steps in selecting a new technology vendor is identifying your credit union’s needs and doing some research to see what solutions might be a fit. A request for proposal (RFP) brings structure to the procurement decision and allows you to clearly identify the risks and benefits up front.

Think of this as completing your online dating profile. Be specific on what you are looking for with a vendor, just like you would with a romantic partner.

Minimizing your risk is paramount with any new solution. In your RFP, ask potential vendors how many installations they’ve performed, if they have any user groups, what they spend annually on R&D, what training is involved and what levels of support are offered.

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