Software Evaluation: Building Consensus and buy in thru Process
Monday, Oct 14 10:15 - 11:30
Presented by Catherine ScholzEvaluating new software is typically a fraught process. You have a committee of product ‘owners’ who have a variety of vested interests, not to mention the business clients who are in the system every day. Everyone involved has an opinion – some people may be afraid of change, even when they hate the existing software, others want to throw everything out, even that which may be of value. Others may be swayed by a slick sales pitch and the “shiny” factor, which can lead to making rash decisions. So how do you thread the needle and make everyone happy? With data. And process.
This session will provide you with tips and techniques on how to evaluate software and to bring along the people paralyzed by techno-fear while mitigating the influence of the “ooh, shiny!” reactions.
About
Catherine Scholz
Director of Data Applications and SystemsCatherine Scholz has been in the digital industry since the early '90s, starting life as a web designer and developer and earning a B.S. in Computer Science from Marquette University. She has a broad depth of experience, from developer to project manager to director, in industries from higher education to private corporations and marketing agencies. As the Director of Data Applications & Systems at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Scholz and her team are responsible for the ever-expanding suite of enterprise software that run university operations and the integrations between them.