You’ve done your RFP, seen a few demos, and whittled down your list of software vendors to two or three. Now you’re ready for one of the final steps in the system selection process: the Site Visit.

Visiting other organizations that have already installed your finalist systems allows you to observe your candidates in a "real world" setting. It’s like seeing your fiancé at home with his or her family--you gain valuable insights as to how the system will behave after it’s installed.

Choosing the right site

While some would argue that the ideal site visit location is anywhere in Hawaii or Florida, organizations should more wisely choose a site that is similar in size and structure to their own, says Carl Plantholt, President of On-Line Consultant Software.

Plantholt advises selection committees to visit sites in their geographic region whenever possible. "Aside from reducing travel costs, it allows you to ask the users what they think of the vendor’s regional support team. If the corporate headquarters and support staff are across the country, you can ask whether the distance poses any problems."

Showcase sites: pros and cons

In most cases, vendors will provide you with a choice of at least two or three sites to visit. They may try to steer you to one particular site, commonly known as a "showcase site," which often receives special favors from the vendor in exchange for the inconvenience of frequent visitors.

"In some cases," adds Reyes "sites are managed by a vendor’s IT department. If so, assume allegiance."

Plantholt concurs that showcase sites should be viewed with a cautious eye. "You may go to the User Group later and find out the site’s wonderful experience was an exception." He adds, however, "Showcase sites shouldn’t be avoided entirely. It can be educational to see the software being used to its maximum potential. If you do go to a showcase site, make sure you also visit an average site."

Whom to invite

A vendor representative should also be present... with one caveat: "Don’t have the sales rep hover around you the whole day," says Plantholt. "Some involvement is good because the vendor can point things out the users may not tell you. But be sure to tell the vendor you want some ‘alone time’ so the users feel comfortable expressing their frank opinions."

In some cases, organizations prefer to keep vendors out of the picture entirely. During the University of Tennessee college library system selection, the project plan clearly spelled out, "All site visits will be made without representatives from the Proposer present."

Picking up the tab

Site visits can be pricey, especially if the site is not within driving distance. However, travel expenses can be negotiated with the vendor. Some vendors will offer to pay half or even the compete cost of airfare, hotels and meals for the site visit team. Final arrangements will likely depend on the vendors’ and buyers’ internal company policies.

"Be careful about accepting expensive hotel rooms and lavish meals from vendors," cautions Plantholt. "You don’t want the committee to judge a system by how great a time they had on the ‘road trip.’"

Plantholt recalls one IT director who regretted allowing a very large vendor to drive the site visit team in a stretch limousine that attracted a lot of attention. "All the committee and their envious co-workers could talk about was the limo ride."

Another large hardware vendor flew a CFO and IT director from a small town hospital across the country in its Lear Jet in an attempt to make an impression and curry favor.

Choreographing the visit

Like any successful event, advance planning is key to a successful site visit. Plantholt advises starting off the day in a group meeting to get an overview of the site from the vendor and site host representative. "Then divide into small groups by functional areas," he says. "Tell them you want to walk around, meet real users and see the system in action in different departments. You definitely don’t want to be in a conference room all day watching Powerpoint presentations."

"Give the vendor an agenda of items to cover," says Reyes, "and take no excuses. A great vendor will know their sites and have the account management relationship to assure a well-organized visit. If the vendor or site is not prepared, don’t go. It will be a waste of everyone's time."erve facial expressions, and listen for mixed messages, cynical comments and guarded language," says Plantholt. " Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up g

While the site visit will elicit many golden nuggets of information, team members should be cautious about accepting everything they hear. Consultant Gary Braley warns, "While the average user you meet during a site visit has some information about the capabilities of the system, he or she may be completely wrong on important aspects."

While users may know how they use the system, says Braley, they may not be aware of capabilities their organization chose not to install, new features the vendor is currently marketing, or the fact that a particular feature was custom developed for their organization and is not available to you or other users.

Along with the RFP, demos, reference checks and other screening methods, the site visit is an important piece of the puzzle in selecting a new computer system. Being prepared with good questions, keen observation skills and plenty of coffee will ensure your site visit experience is informative and rewarding.