What to check before you install an app

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Six questions worth answering first. Installing an app is choosing a supplier, not enabling a feature.

One: who built it

Zendesk's own apps are maintained by Zendesk. Everything else depends on another company continuing to maintain it, and small apps are abandoned regularly.

Two: what data does it reach

Most apps see ticket content, which means what your customers wrote. On a regulated account this is a supplier assessment rather than a click.

Three: does it cost anything

Free to install often means charged separately by the developer. Find out before, not on an invoice, and remember that charge does not stop when you uninstall.

Four: does something built in already do this

A surprising share of apps duplicate a view, a macro, a trigger or a field. Those need no supplier, no access and no maintenance.

Ask this question before the others; it often ends the conversation.

Five: what happens if it stops working

If your process depends on it, an abandoned app becomes an outage. If it is a convenience, that is an inconvenience.

Knowing which you are installing changes how much diligence it deserves.

Six: who owns it here

Somebody has to notice when it breaks, renew it, and decide when it goes. An app with no owner is one nobody removes and nobody maintains.

Try it narrowly

One group, for a fortnight, with a decision date. Apps installed to try are the ones still there three years later.

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