Skip to content 
Selecting the right software is a significant decision for any organization, requiring careful evaluation, alignment with strategic goals, and seamless implementation. One of the key players in this process is your Account Executive (AE), who serves as your guide, advocate, and strategic partner throughout the procurement journey. It’s important that you see them as your partner, not your foe, in this process.
Navigating the Procurement Process
The procurement of case management software often involves multiple stakeholders, budget considerations, and technical requirements. Your AE plays a crucial role in:
- Providing Product Expertise: Demonstrating how the software meets your requirements and answering detailed questions about functionality.
- Aligning with Stakeholders: Engaging decision-makers and end-users to ensure a smooth evaluation process.
- Supporting Budget Discussions: Helping organizations understand pricing structures, licensing, and potential ROI to justify investment.
Understanding Your Needs
Your AE begins by understanding your organization’s unique challenges, workflows, and goals. This information are the building blocks to your solution framework and follows you from first meeting through project kick-off to customer success. Take advantage of this process not only to transfer knowledge to your AE but as an opportunity for you and your team to evaluate your own internal processes. Through continuous discovery conversations, your AE will gather insights to ensure that the proposed solution aligns with your mission and operational needs – a quality AE will want to make sure that you’re a good match, too.
Your role in this discovery process is to share information. Do your homework – not just on the vendor and their products but on your own organization’s needs and processes.
- Gain buy-in and input from the appropriate leadership stakeholders – you don’t want to invest the time in finding the right solution if it only leads to a dead end with leadership
- Understand your organizational objectives and goals – will the solution you select be able to measure and illustrate your mission?
- Have defined programmatic metrics – it’s important to define metrics early to build the database around tracking them and making data-informed decisions to support them.
- Establish a prioritized list wants and needs – the goal is not to find a database unicorn but to find the solution that provides the most value to all stakeholders including those you serve. Consider:
- Workflow challenges and inefficiencies
- Key features and functionalities
- Compliance and reporting requirements
- Outline individuals that should be involved in the process – including key buying stakeholders early ensures you stay on timeline, everyone feels they add value and input into the decision, and at the end of the day it improves onboarding and successful database usage.
- Be informed of your budget and where the source of funding – the procurement process can take time only to be stalled if funding hasn’t been established Be prepared that there will be additional costs in year 1 for activation and configuration beyond annual license costs. Although budget doesn’t have to be shared with your AE on day 1, it’s important to be transparent when you’ve determined the solution that will provide your team the highest value.
- Have an accurate timeline – Just like your implementation project manager, your AE serves as the procurement project manager. The AE will keep the project on time to meet your deadlines. Work with your internal team and your AE to define a timeline that works for all parties involved in buying and in implementing your new solution.
No detail is too insignificant. Most importantly, the process should not be rushed. This discovery process is ongoing so if you don’t have all the information in the first meeting with your AE, that’s ok. You, not just your AE, have homework to do during this process, too, and it gives you an opportunity to find out additional information and include additional stakeholders to give you the confidence to make the best selection for your organization.
A Consultative Approach to Solution Design
Human services agencies don’t all work the same way, and a successful case management implementation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your AE collaborates with internal solution experts to leverage existing functionality and best practices to design a tailored solution that integrates seamlessly with your existing processes. This includes:
- Configuring Features to Fit Your Needs
- Ensuring Compliance with Regulations
- Planning for Future Scalability
Facilitating Contract and Licensing Agreements
Once your organization selects the software, your AE ensures a smooth contract process, providing clarity on licensing requirements, payment structures, and service agreements. They work closely with legal and procurement teams to address any concerns and expedite approvals.
Supporting a Successful Implementation
Even after contracts are signed, your AE remains engaged, ensuring a seamless transition to implementation. They serve as a bridge between your team and the implementation specialists, helping to:
- Set Expectations for Timelines and Milestones
- Address Any Questions or Adjustments
- Ensure Continued Success
A Trusted Partner in Your Success
With the right Account Executive by your side, the procurement of case management software becomes a well-structured, transparent, and strategic process that positions your organization for long-term success.
Choosing the right case management vendor is about more than just software—it’s about finding a team that understands your needs, provides ongoing support, and ensures a smooth implementation. Your relationship with your Account Executive (AE) can offer key signals about the vendor’s overall quality and commitment to your success.
Here are some signs that indicate you’re working with a strong, reliable vendor:
Responsiveness and Communication
A great vendor values your time and inquiries. Your AE should be:
- Prompt in responding to questions and providing detailed, clear answers.
- Proactive in keeping you informed about next steps, potential challenges, and available resources.
- Transparent about timelines, pricing, and expectations throughout the process.
If your AE is consistently responsive and communicative, it’s a good sign the entire company prioritizes strong client relationships.
Deep Understanding of Your Needs
A quality vendor doesn’t push a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, your AE should:
- Take the time to learn about your organization’s goals, challenges, and workflows.
- Ask insightful questions to tailor the solution to your needs.
If they truly understand your mission, it’s likely their implementation and support teams will as well.
Honesty and Transparency
Trust is critical in procurement. Your AE should:
- Clearly explain product capabilities—and its limitations—without overpromising.
- Set realistic expectations for implementation, training, and ongoing support.
- Be clear about pricing, contract terms, and potential additional costs when presenting you with the proposal.
If they’re honest in sales conversations, you can expect the same integrity in future interactions.
Willingness to Collaborate: Strong Support & Resources
A reliable vendor ensures you have the tools to succeed and collaborates well with others. Pay attention to whether your AE:
Isn’t afraid to ask subject matter experts within the company to help answer your questions about product functionality, security, contracting, and processes.- Provides access to documentation, training materials, or demo environments.
- Work with you to address concerns and find solutions rather than deflecting issues.
- Clearly explains how ongoing support and issue resolution will work post-go-live.
- Advocate for your needs internally
A vendor that listens and problem-solves during the sales process will likely be a valuable long-term partner.
Your Account Executive is your advocate, working to ensure you get the best solution at the best value. The more openly you communicate your needs, priorities, and constraints, the better they can negotiate on your behalf and align resources to support your success. Don’t feel like you need to hold back or play games—transparency leads to better outcomes. But remember, their role is to move the process forward, so keeping them informed and responsive is key to making the most of their time and yours. A strong partnership with your AE leads to the best deal and the best long-term relationship.
