Deciding what you need from home care software

Once you have made a business case for the software you need for your business, it is important to figure out which features or functions are most essential for your business operation.

When thinking about software, it’s easy to think that every requirement is essential. But it’s crucial to prioritise the functionality that will deliver the greatest and most immediate business benefits first.

This is because implementing software often takes time. Prioritising the roll-out of features ensures that you can continue providing the services your clients expect, with limited disruption to your business activity.

The MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method is a powerful technique for tracking priorities and ensuring that you clearly define what you expect from a project. It can help you to rank and classify what’s important to you to have a successful project.

  • Mo – Must have – Describes a requirement that must be in the final solution for the project to be considered a success
  • S – Should have – Represents a high-priority item that should be included in the solution if possible
  • Co – Could have – Describes a requirement which is considered to be desirable but not necessary
  • W – Won’t have – A requirement that stakeholders agree will not be implemented in a given release, but may come in the future

Must have

These are the minimum features that the project must have for it to succeed. Think about the specific features that are mandatory for the team and nonnegotiable requirements for your business.

Should have

These are important but not vital features. They may be painful to leave out, but the solution will still be viable. Without them, you may need workarounds or maintain existing solutions like spreadsheets or printed documents.

Could have

These are wanted or desirable, but less important features and will have less impact if left out (compared with a Should Have). These features are nice to have but are not necessary.

Won’t have

This category helps manage expectations and is a way to help prevent the scope of the project from creeping up. Remember, Won’t Haves are not completely off the table and can be revisited and prioritised in future versions of the software.

Want to read more about managing software implementation in a home care business? Check out our comprehensive project implementation page.