Choose Your Business Applications Using An Agile Software Selection Approach

This report provides a framework for selecting and acquiring business applications software and related services. Disruptive technologies (e.g., social, mobile, and cloud) and evolving customer-centric business models call for more Agile approaches to vendor selection. The days of lengthy requests for proposals (RFPs) and exhaustive function checklists are over. Application development and delivery (AD&D) pros need an effective approach for selecting business applications that takes into account changing deployment methods (e.g., software-as-a-service), a dynamic vendor landscape, and rapidly evolving software technology. This approach should engage business stakeholders and sourcing pros to optimize business process flexibility, preserve ownership cost transparency, and deliver sustainable value to the business. This report was originally published on December 20, 2012; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.