Executive resource / Technology decisions
Put the software to work before you commit.
Test a candidate against ordinary work, an important exception and the handoff into daily operation. Record what was demonstrated and what still needs an answer.
The method
Evaluate the work. Keep the evidence.
Use the same scenarios for each candidate—including a change to your current system. Complete a separate worksheet for each option.
- Define three consequential tasks. Include an ordinary day, an exception and the handoff to another team or system. Involve the people who perform and support the work.
- Set acceptance criteria before the demonstration. Make each one observable. Decide whether it is essential or desirable before seeing the result.
- Record what actually happened. Link the demonstration, trial record or test notes. A promised feature stays unverified until you have evidence.
- Resolve the operating commitment. Assign ownership for outstanding questions, then review implementation, continuing cost and applicable specialist checks.
Illustrative example · not a client result
A quote changes after approval.
A service business is evaluating a quote-to-order platform. The ordinary quote passes its trial. When an approved price changes, however, the old approval remains active. The team also has no evidence of recovery when the order-system handoff fails.
The next decision: resolve the failed approval control and demonstrate the recovery path before treating the essential scenarios as satisfied. The successful routine demonstration does not cancel either gap.
Your working evaluation
Three scenarios. One evidence record.
Work from a bounded business process. Keep sensitive data out of the worksheet and reference test evidence by a useful description or record ID.
Decision brief
Make the unresolved requirements visible.
The review below summarizes your entries. It does not independently verify them or provide an overall suitability score.
Define your candidate and scenarios to begin. Blank or untested items never count as passed.
| Scenario | Significance | Evidence status | Next check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary work | Essential | Not defined | Describe the task and acceptance criterion. |
| Consequential exception | Essential | Not defined | Describe the task and acceptance criterion. |
| Handoff and operation | Essential | Not defined | Describe the task and acceptance criterion. |
A documented pass means you selected “Pass” and completed the task, actor, starting conditions, criterion, evidence and owner fields. Review the strength of that evidence with the accountable people. This worksheet covers scenario fit; specialist reviews remain separate.
No next action recorded yet.
Use the brief
Take the next decision with the right people.
Review the essentials with intended users, the operational owner and the person accountable for the investment. Keep unresolved essentials explicit; assess any proposed workaround against the same business need.
Compare candidates using the same tasks, criteria and trial conditions. Record differences in manual effort, dependencies and ongoing ownership alongside the observed outcome. If you change a criterion, state why and apply it to every option.
Use the executive decision record to capture the choice, conditions and accountable owner. If implementation competes for scarce people, continue with the initiative-capacity comparison. If the underlying process is still unclear, start with the workflow baseline worksheet.
Keep the working record
Take it into the conversation.
Your branded PDF includes the entries, working assumptions and current result, ready to share or print. Use it to agree an owner and the evidence needed for the next decision.
From the worksheet to the work
Make the next technology decision clearer.
Bring your scenarios and unresolved requirements. We can help define the business need, compare options and plan a useful first release.
ASSURAS / EXECUTIVE RESOURCES
Software evaluation worksheet
A discussion aid based on the entries supplied. Illustrative examples are not client results.