Lesson 4	Software assessment by internal team research
Objective	Describe software assessment strategies that can be used internally.

Software Assessment by Internal Team Research

In many cases, information from various external sources does not provide you with a clear indication of the best software choices. In these cases, it is common to create a team responsible for researching and testing software options. Such teams may use a job such as the one in the table below, a Feature Checklist for a new DBMS (database management system). The checklist groups features into categories of Development, Security and Data Modeling, and includes a variety of features, such as Graphical User Interface (GUI) builder, security groups, and inheritance issues in data modeling.
The evaluation checklist is a job aid that can be tailored to meet project needs.

Considerations when choosing Database Management System

Here's how usability, reporting, security, functionality, support, integration, and scalability factor into the decision-making process when choosing a Database Management System (DBMS):

Usability:
- Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface (especially for non-technical staff) reduces training time and increases efficiency. Consider both administrative tasks and the ease of data entry and retrieval.
- Learning Curve: How quickly can database administrators, developers, and end-users get up to speed with the DBMS? Evaluate documentation, tutorials, and community resources.
Reporting:
- Built-in Tools: Does the DBMS have robust reporting and visualization capabilities, allowing for easy generation of reports, dashboards, and charts?
- Data Export: Can data be easily exported into formats suitable for further analysis or for use in external reporting/BI tools?
Security:
- Access Control: Granular control over user permissions, roles, and data access is vital for ensuring sensitive data is protected.
- Encryption: The ability to encrypt data both at rest (stored) and in transit (networked) is essential, especially for industries handling confidential information.
- Vulnerability Tracking: Does the vendor have a strong track record of identifying and quickly patching security vulnerabilities?
Functionality:
- Data Types: Can the DBMS handle all your data types (text, numbers, dates, images, etc.) and support complex relationships required by your data model?
- Query Language: Does the DBMS support a familiar query language (e.g., SQL variants), and does it offer advanced features like stored procedures or triggers?
Support:
- Vendor Support: Are reliable support options (technical assistance, troubleshooting) available, and do they align with your operational hours?
- Community: Vibrant forums, online resources, and accessible documentation indicate strong user adoption and help for problem-solving.
Integration:
- Compatibility: Does the DBMS play well with your other applications, programming languages, and data sources? Consider if it uses industry-standard interfaces.
- API Availability: Does it offer APIs or flexible import/export mechanisms to connect and exchange data with other systems?
Scalability:
- Growth Potential: Can the DBMS support increasing data volumes and user numbers without substantial performance degradation?
- Performance Optimization: Does it offer ways to optimize queries, indexing options, and other tuning mechanisms for large-scale datasets?

Important Considerations:

Priorities: The relative importance of each factor depends on your specific use case. Security might be paramount for a financial institution, while scalability is crucial for a rapidly growing e-commerce business.
Budget: Consider the total cost of ownership, including licensing, hardware, support, and potential customization.

Database and Group Management Features

Feature	Description
Opt-out/Opt-in (subscription) Management	Text messaging lists require updating to include new subscribers and delete subscribers who wish to opt-out and not receive future text messages. Different text messaging platforms may offer varying capabilities and options for the updating of recipient lists. Researchers may choose between an opt-out or an opt-in system based on their project goals, institutional policies, and institutional review board guidelines. Ability for Multiple Groups Most text messaging platforms offer unlimited recipient lists and the creation of multiple recipient groups to assist with messaging management. This feature requires minimal customizability.
End User Web Portal Access	Portal access for recipients allowing the ability to subscribe to text messaging campaigns or programs via a webpage with any standard browser. Integration with Other Information Systems Text messaging platforms generally have the ability to upload lists of names, cell phone numbers, and other data from outside programs such as Excel or Outlook. Some text messaging platforms can integrate with EHRs, but this is relatively new and is best discussed with the particular EHR vendors. Integration with programs such as Excel requires only minimal customization, while interface with EHRs requires a high degree of customization and security measures. Backup System
Integration with Other Information Systems	Text messaging platforms generally have the ability to upload lists of names, cell phone numbers, and other data from outside programs such as Excel or Outlook. Some text messaging platforms can integrate with EHRs, but this is relatively new and is best discussed with the particular EHR vendors. Integration with programs such as Excel requires only minimal customization, while interface with EHRs requires a high degree of customization and security measures.
Backup System	It is important to have a back-up system for stored data. Data may be backed up on a vendor server or on an internal server.
Master Account With Sub-Accounts	Some systems offer user accounts under a master account to allow for multiple projects or message administrators.

Which element is the most important?

Notice that this checklist provides weighting of the importance of each feature. This is important to help determine the product that most closely matches project needs. Each website development project will have different priorities and functionality. Some thought should be given to the emphasis on various features of a site before you work through this evaluation checklist. In some cases, there may be trade-offs between the weight given to various features, so weighting in the checklist will help as a decision-making tool.

Trial run

Testing can be an important part of the research process. For large software purchases, it is advisable to ask vendors to provide samples for a trial basis so that you can ensure that it is appropriate for client needs, and that it can be integrated successfully with existing systems. Some vendors provide software for free for a short trial, while others charge a fee for limited trial use. Paying a trial usage fee is usually worth the cost because it can save a great deal of time and money to discover early on if the software functions to the satisfaction of the team.

Ad Middleware

Question: How does the "weighting" feature of a checklist like the one above assist the team to select an application?
Answer: Weighting the importance of various features helps the team to think about which functionality is most important to a particular project, and will clarify which application is best suited overall for the project at hand.
In the next lesson, you will learn the differences between deployment vs. development software.