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  "Our Take"

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
8/28/06 - Bake Offs - More to Consider
Last week, I mentioned that a bake off - trialing two solutions before making a final decision - is not free. It has certain costs including staff, equipment and time. A few vendors chimed in that it can be costly for them too. And vendor costs ultimately end up back in the cost of the product.
 
Certain vendors may decide to "no bid" if the investment in a bake off is prohibitive given the overall price of the solution. One person wrote, "By making it more expensive for the vendor, you might well create a situation where you will not even see the best solution for you. This is especially true if the best solution is also a low cost solution."
 
Consider this scenario: "We have pulled out of bids even when we were on the short list when the customer sprung the bake-off requirement late in the process. The other two bidders participated and ultimately we won the business anyway." I'll talk about alternatives to full bake offs tomorrow.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
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