Whenever anyone looks at purchasing a service, there’s a familiar saying:
“You can have this done well, quickly, or cheaply – pick two.”
In practice, the buying decision often comes down to which of these three matters least.
When you are buying software, there is another layer to consider. Any system has two sides: the product and the implementation. Each is just as important as the other and both should shape your decision.
Quick vs. Slow
Outside of raw system performance, the “quickly” part of this triangle usually refers to implementation. While there are a few pick-up-and-play options, anything beyond a very basic system will need some consultation and user training.
This can range from self-serve support with text or video guides to in-depth, business-analysis-led consultation.
Every organization is different. Therefore, a good implementation should include at least some consultation. That way the product, once configured, can meet your current needs and support your future plans.
Self-serve or shared-session training is often cheaper. However, it is never fully tailored. You may end up moving more slowly as your team figures things out on the job.
On the other hand, a fully configured, ready-to-use system will usually be more expensive. It is faster to get started with, but you often have less ownership. Because many decisions are made for you, you may rely more heavily on your supplier every time you want to change something.
Artifax takes a consultative approach that sits between the two. We carry out the business analysis with you, then train you to build and shape your own system. As a result, your setup meets your needs today and you stay empowered to change it over time.
Functionality
With software of any kind, “doing the job well” is a sliding scale. At one end you have true SaaS, pay-as-you-go tools that handle simple room bookings. At the other you have custom-built, enterprise-level systems that do almost everything.
How well a system works in real life depends heavily on how well it is implemented. You can buy the most comprehensive platform on the market. If no one knows how to use it, or it isn’t configured to give you the reports you need, it will not save you time. It also won’t deliver the benefits you bought it for.
Functionality is often the main focus of procurement or tender processes. Our view is that this can be the worst way to buy software. Scoring is usually very black and white: “can it do this?” or “can it not?”. However, how a system does something is often far more important than the simple yes/no.
Here are two common examples from venue management tenders.
Data-capture fields
Many systems let you create your own data-capture fields. A free-text field is flexible, because you can use it for almost anything. However, using more structured fields such as drop-down lists, numbers, check boxes, or dates gives you far better data quality and much more useful reporting.
On a simple “yes / no” question, both approaches would count as a “yes”. Even so, the second option is clearly stronger.
Pricing
Typing a price directly into a field is very fast. However, it leaves a lot of room for error. Asking the user to select a rate card and then calculating the price automatically can save time later and reduce mistakes.
This also supports richer reporting on revenue streams, discounts, and budget codes.
Again, both options would tick the “Can you capture prices to generate a quote?” box. One of them is simply a better way to work.
Price vs. Value
The mistake many people make when comparing systems is to look only at the cost, both the annual fee and the implementation charge. Instead, it is important to consider the overall value.
A simple first step is to ask why a supplier charges more or less than others.
- Do they hold data-security certifications such as ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials? If so, those take time and money to achieve and maintain. You can then ask: how much extra are we willing to pay to keep our data secure?
- Is their implementation cheaper because it is mostly self-service? Is there an extra charge if you want 1:1 consultation?
Because venue management systems are efficiency tools, you can often put a rough value on features. Ask how much time a specific capability will save you, and what that time is worth.
For example, imagine that System A costs $2,000 more per year than System B. However, it saves 20 hours every month by sending invoice data straight to your finance system and reducing errors. Is that worth the extra cost?
Now imagine it costs $3,000 more but also automates report distribution. You no longer rely on someone to create and send them manually. Does that change your view of “expensive”?
At this point, “price” becomes a value question: how much more is it worth to you to be able to do X?
It is also worth asking whether you are paying for something you do not need. For instance, 24/7 support sounds attractive. But if you use it once every three years, is it better to pay for it annually or on an as-needed basis?
Most software has an average lifespan of about seven years in an organization. Therefore, decisions made now should be considered against longer-term goals, not just the first year’s budget.
Bringing it all together – why “price” is not the whole story
Although the “fast, good, cheap” triangle sounds simple, its three sides often blend together in practice.
Doing something well can also make a process faster. Doing something badly can slow you down and increase your costs.
Saving money by skipping a feature may cost more over time if a process stays manual or generates frequent errors.
If it takes a full year to get your system up and running, was it really worth saving money on implementation while you were paying for software you could not use?
So, when you compare options, do not just look at the price. Consider the value.
Budgets are real, and the bottom line matters. However, price should never be viewed in isolation.
Talk to us
If you would like to explore how Artifax balances implementation, functionality, and value for your organization, talk to us. We are happy to walk through options and help you choose an approach that fits your goals and your budget.