If you are a student, this question will not bother you, because the faculty has already chosen it for you. However, in business practice, a dilemma arises as to what characteristics statistical software should meet in order to most efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the organization. Although many functionalities of various software packages are intertwined, none of them does everything.

The choice of a software package depends on several factors, such as:

  • the type of analysis for which the software is chosen,
  • the computer platform on which the software will run,
  • the technical level of the researcher in using the package,
  • cost, etc.

There are many solutions. When analyzing which software is right for someone's needs, you should start with a few questions.

Who in your organization will use statistical software?

Are they expert statisticians, relative novices, or some combination? Will data analysis be their primary job, or will it be just one of the employee's activities? What is their attitude toward technology?

Answers to these sub-questions will prevent you from buying overpriced and oversized packages that do everything but most of it will never be used, or from buying weak packages that cannot support business requirements.

How easy is the software to use?

The first software package you work with is always the hardest to learn. While transitioning between different graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is relatively straightforward due to shared design logic, moving from a GUI-based package to a command-line programming language represents a steep learning curve.

Data analysis is a very complex task, and many statistical packages inherently overcomplicate the process. While experienced statisticians prefer code for automation, modern graphical interfaces often accelerate workflow by automatically generating reproducible syntax sheets. On the other hand, a package intended primarily for expert use can seem intimidating to an inexperienced user.

What kind of support do users of a statistical package expect?

If users in your organization need help using a statistical package, how will they get it? Does your company have statisticians who can provide assistance to less expert users, or is that kind of help necessary from outside?

If outside help will be needed, it is necessary to check what kind of help is available on the market before purchasing. Support can refer to help with installation or help with using the program. Usually, software installation is simple, and this type of support is free, i.e. included in the software license. On the other hand, before purchasing, you should check whether the literature necessary for learning the software is available and at what price, i.e. online or offline courses for handling the software.

Where will users use the statistical package?

Will it be used only within the company or is it necessary for the software to be accessible remotely?

What are the possibilities for importing and exporting data from/to other programs?

Today, most statistical packages allow importing data from, or exporting data in, multiple formats. It is necessary to ensure that the package can accept data generated by programs used in the organization, and that the processing results can, if necessary, be transferred to another program so that their processing can be continued.

What is the quality of the output and its integration with document editors (e.g., Microsoft Word)?

Beyond static image resolution, organizations must evaluate whether the software supports vector graphic exports (such as SVG) and dynamic reporting tools like Quarto or R Markdown, and whether the results can be easily integrated into the document editors used in the organization.

Is the program purchased once, or is the license paid for annually?

When choosing a program, it is necessary to pay attention to the licensing method. It is common to pay for a license once, upon purchase, but there are also licensing schemes where the license needs to be renewed every year or every two years.

Do we need general-purpose software or a specialized statistical package?

Although it may seem tempting at first glance to buy general-purpose software, it is possible that it does not have ready-made procedures that are specific to the field of science or work that the organization needs. On the other hand, there are many specialized statistical packages that offer pre-adapted standard processing procedures and reporting that is tailored to the needs of the organization. Therefore, when making a decision about choosing software, one should be guided by the specific needs of the organization, and not by the overall ability of the software to satisfy as many statistical procedures as possible.