An interesting comment yesterday caught my attention. A prospect described what he was looking for in a loan and lease software by describing it as "I want to be able to pick and choose what is included in the software, you know like à la carte". Well put.
It was a different way of describing that he did not want a bundled piece of software that comes prepackaged with the expected set of standard functions and features. It tells us that customers don't want to be forced into buying into functions and features that they don't want or have use for and that don't fit their needs. My experience has shown that each customer has unique ways of looking at the same feature but often with slight variations. Customers are demanding (as they should be) and want features and functionality that are exactly aligned to how they do things.
Being able to configure and model a solution to the exact needs of the customer is what ultimately breeds success because you are eliminating the need for compromise and workarounds to solve the problem. It is a "pull"rather than "push" technique that ensures that the focus is on understanding the workings and strategies of the finance business and applying a software solution that reflects that company model .
It is not feasible for a software company to force that business into a preset software mold, but to work with the customer to solve their problems using intelligent software solutions.
