Ascend

Finding the real customer sentiment and project delivery results for consulting firms to make a well-informed decision is critical.

Choosing the right Human Capital Management (HCM) software partner is critical to the success of your project, yet at Raven Intel we’ve found it, in many cases, is an afterthought. Customers spend months (or years!) evaluating the features and functions of the software, yet end up choosing an implementation partner because they recognized their provider’s name from some sort of advertisement seen at the airport or in an industry magazine, or simply because their software salesperson recommended a specific implementation firm bringing them directly to the front door. The capital investment made to implement software is just as large, if not more, as the software purchase, and the team you end up utilizing to deploy the chosen solution can make or break your project’s success.

Uncovering Real Customer Sentiment

Real-life customer experiences are perhaps the most indicative marker of a professional services consulting firm’s quality. Without these proof points, all the certifications, projects completed and awards in the world don’t matter. Speaking with a few references provided by the consulting firm or software vendor should be a part of the process, but this isn’t an objective approach–consulting firms or software vendors wouldn’t provide a negative reference. Independent peer reviews are the easiest way to gain confidence that a partner can deliver on their promises and hear the real-life stories of customers like you. Online review sites such as Trust Radius, G2, Software Advice and Raven Intel offer candid customer assessments and feedback regarding software vendors, solutions and consulting partners. Raven Intel, a peer review site for Enterprise Software consulting firms, has made that process easy (and free) for customers. Raven publishes real, vetted reviews from HCM customers about their previous projects and overall implementation experience.

Amplifying the voice of the past customer so the future customer can find the perfect partner.

Peer review sites ask customers a series of quantitative and qualitative questions about their software project and consulting partner, and that information is then published online for other organizations to benefit.

• Is the solution easy-to-use?
• How would you rate the product functionality?
• Did the project succeed?
• What was the team like? Did the team stay consistent throughout the project?
• Was the project delivered on-time? On-Budget?
• Was it scoped properly?

These type of questions are asked as the answers are a bellwether for other customers to learn from. At Raven Intel for instance, we verify every review that it was written by a real customer, who has gone through a project within the past 18 months. This trust is critical for us as we have thousands of customers who use this information to guide their decision process. (For more on Raven Intel’s methodology, click here.)

Customer Reviews an Absolute Necessity

Industry experts state that 90% of consumers read some sort of online review before ever visiting a business directly. And in the same way, 77% of B2B buyers conduct their own research before talking with any vendor sales representative or sending an initial request for information. In addition, statistics confirm that consumers who consulted online reviews during the software evaluation and selection process were ultimately more satisfied with their purchasing decision. “Considering all this information, there is no wonder that direct client reviews are an absolute necessity in the software acquisition process,” said Mike Maiorino, CEO of HRMS. “In addition to client success stories and video testimonials, it is critical to build an online footprint or presence via impartial customer reviews in order to remain competitive. As an example, to see what HRMS’ customer sentiment related to UltiPro consulting/implementation services looks like you can visit our Ultimate Software reviews on Raven Intel. “