How do I contact publishers and integrators?

This is the crux of the matter: choosing a tool, and preferably one that will stand the test of time.

Consider that you've already completed two important steps:

  1. You've put together a selection of appropriate tools, by answering the few questions posed here.
  2. You've also mapped out your needs (in terms of issues and desiderata) and documented your current situation (IT equipment and team structure). Not an easy task... Perhaps you've used the Systemic Canvas we've provided for you?

Now that these two points have been completed, you're ready to call on the service providers. Here you'll find contact details for service providers who are close to you and/or speak your language. From there, it's very simple: you simply send them a copy of your Systemic Canvas (or any other document on which you have chosen to base your needs analysis).

At the same time, here's a list of things you might also want to think about:

  • set up the small committee that will attend the demos and formulate the final choice;
  • agree on the evaluation criteria that make sense to you and formalize them in a comparative grid (see example);
  • make sure you have a clear mandate for the choice you are about to make;
  • take stock of your organization's digital maturity (self-assessment here);
  • preemptively schedule as many 2-hour slots as there are speakers to consult (this will save you a lot of back and forth to find demo dates).

A few practical tips:

  • Impose a common structure on demos, to facilitate comparison between tools (see example);
  • Ask each speaker to devote 5 minutes to each of the issues (epics) you've identified;
  • Have your comparative grid ready for each demo, to facilitate your note-taking;
  • Record the demos and circulate them widely throughout your organization;
  • Anticipate who will continue to support the project once the choice of tool has been made.