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Should You Use Auction Management Software?
As you probably
know, this guide
is published by
a company that
sells auction
software:
AuctionBase. With
that in mind…
Auction
management
software can be
an invaluable
tool for your
organization.
Good auction
software
packages will
track data about
your staff,
donors and
donations,
attendees,
finances,
packaging,
raffles and
games, and all
your sales. By
having all this
information
organized in a
computer, you’ll
always have
quick access to
information
about your
event’s
progress, and
you’ll make
short work out
of printing bid
sheets,
financial
reports, item
displays,
catalog
listings, and
other necessary
documents.
Finally, these
packages usually
include tools to
ease data entry
and smooth the
checkout process
at your event.
As wonderful as
this sounds,
this software
isn’t right for
all groups. Long
before auction
software
packages were
available,
groups were
using home
grown, on-paper
systems to keep
track of things.
Certainly, this
method is still
a valid one,
especially for
smaller groups
and events. Ask
yourself these
questions:
Is your
event large
enough to
make an
on-paper
system
impractical?
If you don’t
expect to
have many
items or
event
attendees,
you may be
as well off
to skip the
software.
You might
track donors
and guests
in an
address
book, and
print blank
donation
receipts and
bid sheets,
then fill
them in by
hand.
Will the
benefits of
an auction
management
package
outweigh the
initial
costs of the
application
and the
ongoing
support
costs of
running it?
The price of
auction
management
software
packages
ranges from
hundreds to
thousands of
dollars.
Many
companies
also require
that you pay
for ongoing
maintenance
and
technical
support.
Further, to
enjoy the
event-day
tools your
package may
provide, you
will likely
need
computers
for your
event. Many
groups have
to rent
these from
outside
businesses.
Consider
these
factors when
considering
various
packages.
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