“How do businesses typically approach the selection of vendors for people counting?”

People counting is a must-have system for many businesses as it brings proven strategic business value. However, selecting and implementing a people counting system can be a daunting task due to the bewildering array of features flaunted by different vendors.

Stage #1: Shortlist 5 Vendors

The initial step involves narrowing down potential vendors by searching for ‘people counting’ and selecting five based on specific criteria, such as:

1. Capability to support you in your country or region.
2. Experience in handling people counting solutions.
3. Willingness and ability to handle the size of your projects.
4. Capability to deliver the end-to-end solution from installation, configuration to maintenance.

At this stage, you may not have decided if you need consultation, installation service, or a support contract. Additionally, you may not be aware of the market rates for both the hardware and services. Therefore, your list of five choices may include system integrators, consultants, vendors, and installers.

Stage #2: Defining Requirements

Regardless of your specific needs, your company will require a system meeting fundamental criteria:

1. Accurate data for business decision-making.
2. Reliable hardware.
3. IT team maintenance feasibility.
4. Ease of use for your functional executives.
5. Extensibility to remain relevant for the next 15 years.
6. Competitive pricing.

What system would you need?

It is certainly a system that could bring maximum business value to your company over the long term at the lowest possible price.

What system is the CEO looking for?

To precisely define what your company needs, consider the CEO’s perspective. Imagine the CEO standing in front of you, seeking individuals who align with these guiding principles when purchasing an IT system:

1. De Facto Standard : Each IT market segment will eventually be dominated by one or two vendors. Minor vendors become stagnant and costly to maintain.
2. Strategic Business Value : Apart from providing metrics for better business insights, it should include a defined workflow to guide operational teams towards optimal efficiency.
3. Usefulness for the Next 15 Years : The system must make data accessible to as many relevant parties as possible. It should be customisable by defining business rules and employing low-code scripting.
4. Keep It Simple : Select functions that precisely serve your needs without unnecessary extras. Unused features can lead to inefficiency and unnecessary costs, so it’s essential to prioritise only what truly benefits your objectives.

Stage #3: Vendor Selection

When it comes to deciding on the right vendor for the company, customers should take the following considerations into account:

1. Functionalities : Ensuring the vendor satisfies the essential functions outlined in the bid
2. Pricing : Opting for the lowest total cost of ownership over a 5-year period, including support contract expenses
3. Support Contract : Choosing a vendor with a suitable support contract offering local field services

Stage #4: Pilot / Trial

Conducting a pilot trial is crucial. The trial should involve testing the hardware and software to ensure they meet expectations. This pilot should be fully functional and deployed on a smaller scale, such as in a few retail stores or an office building level.

The focus during the trial should be on evaluating the system’s ability to deliver strategic business values. Quantifying these values in terms of ROI is essential for presenting to top management.Ultimately, decision-makers should assess the business value produced during the trial to determine if the system should be rolled out company-wide.

Even if not rolled out, the pilot system should continue to serve the company as a fully functional standalone system, albeit limited in scope. It should still provide essential business insights into the overall business dynamics.

Conclusion

Selecting the right people counting system requires a methodical approach involving vendor shortlisting, defining criteria, careful vendor selection, and a comprehensive trial phase. Through this strategic process, businesses can identify the system that best aligns with their long-term objectives.