Factors to consider when purchasing travel industry software

User-friendliness -  This is probably the number one factor, otherwise it defeats the purpose of having the software if you cannot use it no matter how technological advanced it is. One of the reasons why you are buying the software is to ease your burden of doing work manually, but if the learning curve becomes the burden, then its not worth it. A lot of software is available that’s powerful and useful, but that fails in its ease of use.

What Constitutes User friendliness?
Good Graphic user interface, which is not too “busy”.
Ease of navigation. The user interface must be intuitive and self-explanatory
Easy to learn and use. Can anyone figure it out without the use of a manual?
Does it support your language/currency/taxes?

User-friendly software speeds up the learning process, therefore cuts the cost of training and lets employees focus on their job thereby increasing productivity.

Utility – Relevancy to your Needs
Irrespective of the features, the software you purchase either needs to solve a problem you are having. To determine the utility of software, first think about what services you need from your software. Then think about what you would like. For example, if you have been recording your financial accounts in hard copy books, you may decide you need software that allows you easily do your bookkeeping and accounts, but that you would like software, which does your point of sale. Software with utility provides all of what you need and much of what you like.

Always check system requirements before you buy any software, and make sure your system satisfies – or at least exceeds your minimum requirements.

Integration with other IT systems must be easy and reliable
If your software for instance deals with online bookings you’re your hotel, it must be able to be integrated into the Booking System, hotel inventory and accounting system. Most data is stored in the form of a database so find out which database the software uses and find out if its compatible with your other applications, which you already use.

Stability/Performance
Software is not subject to the same wear and tear that hardware is.  There are no environmental factors that cause software to break or moving parts that can physically deteriorate. The problem of software bugs is more than just an inconvenience and software users and there should never be an excuse for it.

You might have a useful and well-designed application, but if it has a tendency to crash often, it will probably frustrate you and drive you away from the computer – leaving you right back where you started:
Having some problem needing a solution, or even worse if you lose your data when your system crashes.
Find out if you can get a demo copy of the software to try it out first and test its stability.

Out of the Box or Bespoke
Bespoke software is a software application developed specifically to the custom requirements of your business. All businesses are not the same, their requirements therefore differ, hence the need sometimes to have software specifically developed for your business. It allows flexibility and can be modified according to the user requirements as and when needed. In most cases the software is user friendly because it does not have unnecessary features that are not needed. One major drawback, however is that there is over-dependency on the developer of the software and it comes at a price.

“Off the Shelf” or “out of the Box” software has a wide range of features for use by different users and is, in most cases cost effective mainly because the cost is spread across the number of users. However the one major disadvantage of this group of software is that you might not need most of the features and hence the learning curve might be a little bit steep.

Support
Does the company fully support their software?
Did the software come with a manual / Help files?
Does the company stand by their product?
Do they respond to e-mails in time?
Does the company have a toll free number, support person to talk to, or website.
Choose a reliable Vendor, who has experience in the travel industry, who will have years ahead to support you. You might want to ask for references so as to determine their reputation.

Price – Set a realistic budget first before you start shopping for a software solution. To get a rough idea speak to colleagues who have implemented similar software solutions. Your budget needs to consider other additional costs like training, Internet connection, licensing fees, and hardware upgrades/purchases.

Search for free alternatives. BY THIS, I DO NOT MEAN ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS! More often than not, the features of an expensive software package can be equaled by freeware. If you search around a little bit you can probably find a package that can almost match commercial software.

Appropriateness - What are the major inefficiencies in your business that can be eased by having the software in place? Identify areas where software technology can increase productivity. Look at features, which can help you in the short term and short term.

Aesthetics
As a software programmer I feel embarrassed that most of the software that is developed by most developers including myself suffer a lot in that area. Humans by nature we judge a book by its cover, which is to some extent justified because it might project to the developer’s commitment to the software project.
In today’s digital age, there is no reason for software to consist of a black and white screen of confusing text and buttons.

Not only should software visuals have an intuitive, user-friendly layout, but also pleasant graphics, with clear and useful text that supports the flow of the application. The better the experience you have when using the software, the more likely you are to use it, and the more benefit you will probably derive from it.

Security/Privacy – Any application you should pay for should have concrete evidence that your personal and business information is private, safe and confidential.

Find out the vendor’s privacy policy (which in most cases is cryptic), their encryption methods and research on the advantages and disadvantages.

Finally find out who owns the software source code intellectual license.
If your software has been custom developed, it is important that the parties agree what rights are being acquired and what rights retained. Copyright is the most important such right, but moral rights and database rights must also be considered.

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