This post was originally published on EnergySavvy’s website. EnergySavvy is now Uplight.

Utilities today are evaluating any number of software options at any given time. With an overwhelming number of options and limited time, it can be tempting to expand existing, large horizontal software platforms to meet industry-specific needs. Not only is there increased pressure from IT to consolidate platforms, but it can also appear easier to go deeper with one system or vendor rather than signing a whole new contract.

Unfortunately, these projects don’t have a successful track record and have the potential to create a minefield of frustrating outcomes, millions of extra dollars spent, and time wasted. Said Charles McClellan of ZDNet, “[O]ne size of enterprise software doesn’t necessarily fit all potential customers. If you’re a healthcare provider, for example, you may want to deploy cloud services tailored for your particular line of business. And when it comes to mission-critical functionality, you’re going to require a specialist SaaS vendor with deep expertise in your field.”

While horizontal solutions have their place, they simply won’t work for utilities (or, in fact, companies in any industry) if there are highly specialized, vertical needs for data input, functions, output, analytics or even KPI measurement.

Read the full article in EnergyCentral to learn how to successfully navigate the minefield of utility software, and how to avoid a potential horizontal solution headache.