What part does the software price play in the overall evaluation?
There are two schools of thought regarding evaluation of price. One approach is to take it into account as part of the product. Price gets a weight in the overall evaluation. For example, price could get a 40% weighting and the overall functionality of the software could get a 60% weighting. In other words, price is evaluated at the same time as the product. The other method is to evaluate price after everything else has been done. The team has done all of its work, and then the project manager passes out the pricing matrix. This may simply decide it. Members who were on the fence are swayed considerably when all of the costs related to acquiring, customizing, and implementing the software are summarized. I personally prefer this method because it is less mathematical, more intuitive, gives more room to ask questions, and more room to interpret. Its more human and gives rise to terrific discussions and team interplay. Additionally, price carries a huge bias. Getting the price informati
