Let me begin by describing technology in business processes at its bare bones basics.  Technology, as it relates to business process, is not complicated.  It is a simple formula: 

Ease of Use = Use = Revenue

Technology that is hard for the end users does not get utilized and is never implemented correctly into business processes.  Therefore, no revenue or productivity gains result.  In an expense sensitive environment, some people focus only on the cost of the technology / services.

Unfortunately, these cost sensitive buyers never dissect the revenue being generated by having the technology in the business process.  Asset flow estimates for several clients are significant as a result of the technology in the business processes (think in the B’s).  Given the cost of the technology, the ease of use of the technology and the asset flow gains, the costs are justified and an easy decision.  One of our clients had a vendor give them “the same service” for free as long as they purchased lots of other stuff from “said” vendor. 

Guess what.  The client went from 7,000 meetings annually to zero in under six months.  Free, unusable, clunky technology that no one uses is really expensive.  Don’t underestimate usability.  Ease of use is critical to the success of any technology and related business processes.