Best tips devised by Mission Heal for selecting the right software for a NGO

How Software technology affects the growth and productivity of NGOs?

There has been a very fierce competition going on between different NGOs in India. Mission Heal and several other NGOs are looking to post great results with a great efficiency and performance for the welfare of the people. The administrative and managerial activities in an NGOs are highly dependent on advanced software applications which are customized according to the needs and requirements of the NGOs. Further, the software is also required in a number of other activities governed by NGOs such as:

• Financial Reporting
• eCommerce
• Resource Planning
• Operations
• Staff management
• Accounting
• Donor Relationship Management
• And many more…

Thousands are softwares are available in the market which can handle a lot of such needs. But considering the dynamics and needs of NGOs, such general software might not be compatible with the requirements. There are some special NGOS available in the market solely for the NGOs. Further, the NGOs also have an option to hire a software engineer to develop customized software just according to the needs of the NGO. Hiring a software engineer for developing a customized software program is very much feasible and suitable for the NGO. It doesn't cost too much and the benefit is enormous as all the management and other critical activities get in order with nothing much to worry about.

Things to consider when purchasing or developing software program for an NGO:

According to Mission Heal, the NGOs should consider the following tips while purchasing or developing a software application program to handle their operations:

1. Devising a long list of wants –Every NGO, whether existing in India or elsewhere does have a lot of positives and negatives. The software should be considered by referring to the needs of an NGO. The management or any individual of the NGO who is given the task of getting software for the NGO should analyze all the departments of the organization such as accounts, finance, reporting, operations and how they can be managed and operated much better by having a software program. It is a critical step which can make your decision very easy in the selection of a particular software program for the NGO.
2. Make a note of all the strengths of the software program and its vendor – The Mission Heal NGO believes that all the departments in an NGO are not of equal relevance. As an example, accounts department is a much important department of an NGO as compared to the security department. Therefore, while choosing a software, make sure that it is scalable according to the needs, reporting abilities of the program, vendor suitability and so on.
3. Choosing between a software vendor and a developer –If you can find a software vendor who has software perfectly suitable to your needs, then that will be a great thing as it will be cost effective. If not, then the only option is to hire a developer and ask him to build a software exactly according to the requirements given.

Source : articlesbase.com