Quiz: Which Systems Should Go Away After a Merger?

Often, the goals of a merger — to reduce costs or expand into new markets, say — drive the decision of which systems to keep. But even when such business cases do not exist, managers still rely on certain objective criteria to make their choices. Here are some examples of factors to consider.

Directions: Use one quiz per system or application. Rate how important each of the statements below is to your company’s technology goals, and fill in those values in the Importance column. Then, for the system you are assessing, rate how accurate each statement is in the Satisfaction column. Click the equal sign to subtotal each row, then click the Total button to add the subtotals. Compare these sums for the various systems you are assessing.*

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Importance: 0.1 (least important) to 1.0 (most important)
Satisfaction: 1 (unsatisfactory) to 10 (most satisfactory)

SYSTEM:IMPORTANCExSATISFACTION=TOTAL
The system offers all of the features and functions needed to run its processes effectively.x
It is based on open standards.x
It is Internet-enabled or supports Internet extensions.x
We can easily upgrade the system.x
The supplier provides satisfactory maintenance/support.x
The supplier has support staff near our current offices and in regions where we plan to expand.x
The maintenance structure is cost-effective.x
The system is secure.x
The interface is easy to use, and new staff will require minimal training.x
Its current or projected ROI is positive.x
       

* A higher score is better.

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