Choice is a strange thing - when there is none, we all wish we had it. When there is choice abound, we tend to stick to what we know (or think we know). Too much choice of seemingly similar things, and we tend to paralyse like a deer in front of headlights. The choice for business applications proves to be exceptionally difficult for enterprises, small businesses, and startups alike. There are just so many applications, roughly achieving the same outcome. Jumping head-first into what might be a shallow pool is not the best strategy. Yet, the opposite side of that coin - taking inventory of all possible eventualities, and weighing all possible outcomes, is not much better - there simply is no perfect situation.
Analysis Paralysis
When is analysis too much? What is the balance between due diligence and indecisiveness? It is not that easy to tell, especially if you are the one faced with making the decision that could determine a significant part of the company's future. Analysis paralysis can be caused by multiple factors. Here are some common ones:
- Too many choices with minimal differentiating factors - when options have many differentiating factors, it is easy to choose the best fit. However, if the differentiation is small enough in a large pool of choices, then the analysis needed to determine the effect of the differentiation becomes tedious, if not somewhat impossible (small enough differences do not lend themselves for theoretical "if then" analysis - reality does not allow for single-variate analysis of subtle changes).
- The cost of the business applications and the implementation is high enough to take a second, third and umpteenth look at the entire package. This is where a business case usually is created. Unfortunately, business cases are tweaked to a decision you (or your vendor) wants to make. Especially with high cost solutions, the value realisation is distant enough and there are enough variables introduced during the project (i.e. change requests, overruns, de-scoping) and during use (i.e. adoption, new technological changes) that it is impossible to hold anyone to account for the business case
- How the company culture deals with accountability is another factor that can drive additional requests for analysis. There is safety in having a second opinion, but if you really need air-cover, nothing beats a committee. Whilst on paper it ticks all the boxes of due diligence, inclusive decision making, etc. In practice, especially when the committee gets too large, it leads to diluted accountability.
- Overwhelmed by detail - this hits almost all companies in the market for a new business application. Exactly what is important, and what is trivial in an application? When you are a builder, a baker, or a designer, you know the details of your profession, not necessarily the software applications that should support you in your business. It is like a car - most of us that drive one, don't necessarily understand how it works. Trying to understand all the details is essential to understand which ones matter, and which don't.
Extinction by Instinct
On the opposite side of the spectrum is Extinction by Instinct - jumping head first in the pool without checking the depth - the consequences can be disastrous. This happens more often than you would think:
- A decision has been made on the platform - so the business application is selected based on this platform (mostly valid in case of Oracle and Microsoft related solutions).
- A replacement of the previous version - i.e. an "upgrade" - whether or not an upgrade is even possible or economical in relation to a re-implementation.
- Name selection - choosing the application based on the brand (awareness or reputation).