I mentioned in a previous post that I believe conducting a project management software demonstration with the vendor AND conducting your own trial of the software both have merit and value. The software demonstration is a learning experience for both you and the vendor. The software trial allows you to get your hands dirty and see how the software really operates.



What do I mean by a software trial? I mean getting your hands on a copy of the project management software to use for yourself. That may be downloading it and installing it on your computer. More likely it means signing up for a trial account and using it off of the vendor's server(s) / data center.

As with the software demonstration, the software trial is not going to give you a lot of value unless you plan for it. A lot of people sign up for a software trial, login to their trial account, and then just poke around the software without any real plan. What's the point?

Here are some tips on getting the most value out of project management software trials.

1. Try and re-create your process.

Use this opportunity to try for yourself how you would execute your process in the software. If your process is to create a project with certain key information collected, and then resources are somehow made aware of task assignments, try to do that in the software. You may not be able to do it exactly if for no other reason than time, but you should be able to get a feel for how you would do it.

2. Don't hesitate to contact the vendor for help.

A good vendor will be glad to help you, and show you how to setup your process in the software. But please, don't abuse it - there are other people the vendor is working with, so be professional and courteous of the vendor's time.

3. Don't forget about reporting.

You are going to collect a lot of data. Reporting is often times the most overlooked function because people are focused on inputting data and executing processes. Regardless of the tool you choose, you will have a wealth of information to report on. Run some reports that are going to help you achieve your objectives.

4. Explore other areas.

You may (will) not use all of the benefits of the software. But it doesn't hurt to try them out anyway. That may give you some ideas on what to do down the road and be a part of your long-term objectives.

5. Get others to try it.

Remember, you will not be the only person using the software unless you are evaluating a stand-alone tool. So get other people to try it as well. See how easy it is for them to navigate and use. However, be careful. Don't just give them a login to the software and ask them to see what they think. First, they probably won't do it because you are not asking anything specific. Second, they are not going to know what to do. Follow your process again. If part of your process is for people to login, see their tasks, and mark them as complete, ask them to do that. If part of your process is to upload documents, ask them to do that. Give them a list of tasks that you would like them to accomplish, and solicit feedback from that.

6. Document the results.

Document the results in your comparison chart or other documentation. Otherwise, over time you will forget which system you liked and the systems will start to merge together.