A model for the evaluation of computer software packages

The tremendous increase in recent years in the demand for, and availability of, computer software packages, has led researchers to investigate better ways of evaluating them for selection. The selection of software packages is confounded because criteria for evaluation are dependent on the system type. For example, decision support systems should be judged largely on the basis of subjective criteria, while transaction processing systems can be evaluated primarily on quantifiable factors. We discuss the use of a well-known model used in site selection, as a means to evaluate software packages according to subjective or objective factors. We illustrate application of the model with a small example.