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Buying The Right Stuff

Not sure which computer system to buy for your church or ministry? The following steps will ensure you have a much better experience and will bring a higher likelihood of buying a system that truly serves your ministry needs.

It’s time to buy a new computer. Local stores sell them. Companies on the Internet sell them. A member of your board wants to build one for you. How can you decide which is the best option for you and your ministry?

Many clients ask us, as ministry consultants, which computer system to buy. Following are some of the factors we recommend considering when deciding which system is best for you and your ministry.

Ministries Are Unique

We hear from ministry computer users how difficult it is for them to cope with computers that crash. Ministry offices are more like publishers than any other type of office environment: There are constant deadlines to meet and rarely enough time to get it all done. Throw a few computer crashes each week into the mix, and team stress can go through the roof.

For this reason, more than any other, we recommend placing a high priority on buying proven systems. Surprisingly, however, not all name brands enjoy a reputation among corporate users for solid design.

Some Perspective, Please

When computers were young in their development, system crashes and downtime were common. They needed sterile environments and teams of specialists and programmers to keep them running.

Today’s computers are much easier to use and are more reliable. We have seen people who are completely unfamiliar with computers quickly master them and turn them into key tools for ministry.

Many computer programs today are well-written, making implementation and use fast and easy. Applications for ministry abound. Some have been so solidly written that you will rarely find a task that hasn’t already been provided for.

The computers available today are also relatively inexpensive. A current workstation that is fast and capable can be purchased for about $1,000.

How To Choose the Right System

Computer system dissatisfaction is usually caused by one of two things:

• A poor choice of equipment.
• Incorrectly selecting hardware, then software, and then hoping it will meet needs.

Following is what we have found to be the best approach to choosing the right system for your ministry.

1. Identify your needs. First identify the needs you want a computer to satisfy. These might include accounting, creating and printing letters and flyers, keeping track of members and their skills and/or contributions, etc.
2. Find the software that best meets those needs. Objectively research as many software packages as possible to determine which one best satisfies the needs you identified in step one. Go beyond looking at brochures and boxes. Ask for a full demonstration or a working copy to evaluate. Be sure to contact present and past users.
3. Choose the best computer hardware for the software. Ask the software company for computer specifications and recommendations. Ask satisfied users which hardware they are using and whether or not they would choose differently today.

Not All Computers Are Created Equal

New computers and chips are introduced all the time. If you get caught in the trap of needing to have the latest and the fastest computer around, next month you will be disappointed when the newest latest and fastest computer is introduced. Or, you will put off your decision indefinitely because you are concerned it will soon become obsolete. With computers, if you can buy it, it’s already obsolete.

Another trap computer buyers often fall into is overfocusing on the price of the hardware. Don’t choose a system based primarily on cost. Experienced computer users know that price has little to do with quality.

A study was conducted some years ago to discover what influenced computer buyers most. First-time buyers rated price as their number one priority (on a scale of 1 to 10), service as number four. Second-time buyers rated service number one, price number nine.

Our Recommendations

Locally built computers may not be best. Many local computer builders do little more than assemble parts they have purchased. They don’t have the funds necessary to do full research and development engineering.

Choose your computer from an established company with a national reputation. Our clients have had the best experience with Dell computers, so we negotiated a volume discount for those who call 800/MBS-DELL and say they are part of the MBS buying agreement. (We receive no income from this arrangement.)

Choose a computer close to the technological edge, but not on the edge. You want a computer that will be useful to you, but not a computer that is experimental. Leave the testing to those with the time to devote to reconfiguring unstable systems.

Buying a computer can be a little scary. Following these steps will help you have a much better experience and will bring a higher likelihood of buying a system that truly serves.

—Nick B. Nicholaou, Huntington, California, is president of Ministry Business Services, Inc., a team of management consultants specializing in ministry administration. You can reach Nick via e-mail: nick@mbsinc.com.