Specifying and Purchasing IT

2. Performance

Understanding how you want your system to perform will help you (and your supplier) to refine your requirements.

2.1 Estimate the volume of work the system will need to handle, both now and over its expected working life. For example:

• How much data you will need to store.
• How many people need to access your customer database at once.

2.2 Establish who will be using the system. Considerations include:

• How many users there will be and where they are located.
• How well connected they need to be. Effective information sharing through a network or across the internet can increase efficiency significantly.

2.3 Consider whether speed will be an issue.

• Real-time systems, like those used in customer-facing activities, often need to respond quickly.
• Will you have any peaks in demand? For example, a relatively slow printer might be adequate for invoices - but not if you need a 100-page report in a hurry.

2.4 The biggest factor affecting system performance can be ease of use.

• Consider how computer-literate your employees are and what systems they are already experienced with.
• An easy basic system might be preferable to a complex system only experts understand.
• Employees will need appropriate training.

2.5 Reliability and security are of overriding importance for business-critical systems. Failures can cause huge disruption and even insolvency.

• It can be difficult or impossible to recover important records if they are lost.
• You may be legally required to ensure good security. For example, you must store and use all personal information in line with the Data Protection Act.
• Consider the consequences if a problem temporarily puts your system out of action.