Make a decision about which technology is right for your business

High effort

High impact

Once you’ve identified the business needs new technology could support, it’s time to research and choose something that’s right for your organisation. Testing and trialling different tools can be a long process but it’s worth it – putting the time in now will give you confidence in your investment and help to bring your digital tools together in a way that works well for everyone.

We’ve designed our action plans to be completed in the order of steps laid out and explained why each step is important
Customising your action plan lets you set your own completion dates, assign tasks to others and get notifications
Helpful tools are provided for certain steps while a tracking metric at the end will help you determine the long-term success of your effort
A downloadable PDF version of each action plan is available if you’d like to compete it offline

What's involved? Ways to use this action plan Measuring impact

Take advantage of free trials to test how tools will work in practice and see what suits employee needs

Impact: high

Why will this help?

Trialling a tool can throw up functionality problems or highlight missing features you didn’t know you needed. Free trials are a good way to put tools to the test and see what your team thinks of them before you commit financially.

Mapping employee needs for new technology

When you’re figuring out what tools your business needs, spend time talking to the people who know your business inside out – your employees.

Find the right technology by testing and learning quickly

To get value for money, it’s important to spend time researching and testing technology before making the leap – and not be afraid to replace anything if it’s not working out.

Identify which tools can integrate with your existing setup

Impact: medium

Why will this help?

Selecting tools and software packages that have the ability to integrate will prevent headaches down the line when you try to get everything working in harmony.

Create a list that prioritises your needs and ensure you choose a package that can handle at least the top three priorities

Impact: high

Why will this help?

The perfect solution can be hard to find, unless you’re willing to pay for something bespoke. A hierarchy of needs will help you choose the next best thing and make sure your core needs are addressed.

Do your research before investing in new tech

Ahead of any expensive and long-term investment, it’s vital for business leaders to research potential products and suppliers. Investing in new technology is no exception.

Think about whether you can grow the business alongside the tools you’re trialling to check that they will still meet your needs in a year’s time

Impact: high

Why will this help?

Business needs evolve and so should the technology that supports them. Think about how new technology will be affected by future growth – are you overly-reliant on a specific person or company to make any changes?

An introduction to making sure your technology is robust enough for growth

Technology is key to driving business efficiency and unlocking innovation – there’s no way to grow without getting it right. Our guide explains how to get started.

Creating a technology strategy for your business

Creating a technology strategy – rather than implementing tech ad-hoc – makes it more sustainable and creates opportunities for growth.

Make a decision about which technology is right for your business

Impact: high

Why will this help?

Testing how tools work in practice, plus considering employee needs and future growth should put you on the right track when it comes to making your decision.

Making an informed decision when choosing new technology

Researching new technology can be a minefield – here’s how to make an informed decision on what’s right for your business.

An introduction to assessing and choosing the right technology to improve business operations

The path to finding the best tools for your business can be a long and winding one. This is because there is no magical, one-size-fits-all package that can solve the problems and improve the processes of every team.

What can I do with this Action Plan?

Start this Action Plan

Add some extra information to this plan and we’ll help you get it done.

We’ve designed our action plans to be completed in the order of steps laid out and explained why each step is important
Customising your action plan lets you set your own completion dates, assign tasks to others and get notifications
Helpful tools are provided for certain steps while a tracking metric at the end will help you determine the long-term success of your effort
A downloadable PDF version of each action plan is available if you’d like to compete it offline

Download and print

Get a printable template for this Action Plan, fill it in with some target dates, and share it with your team. Pin it on the wall where everyone can see it.

Get the printable Action Plan

Learning Groups

We also run Learning Groups on these topics where you can join other leaders tackling the same challenges.

Find a Learning Group

How will I know if my action plan is working?

Defined set of requirements

Your clearly defined service requirements will have potentially narrowed down a solution(s) and/or supplier(s)

Why this metric?

With lots of services and options out there, it's important to be able to narrow down your options so that focused conversations can be had.

How do I use this going forward?

Your features checklist will be another important document, full of personalised information about your business, that will be vital for buying with confidence.