ERP software selection starts with you

Long before hitting the showroom to buy a car, one probably goes across every specification, option probably knowing the details of the vehicle better than the unfortunate salesperson

So why would not, then, apply the same level of rigor when buying an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to run the business.

With so much riding on an ERP selection, the amount of information that is on-line from whitepapers, case studies and demos, customer thinks that product selection could be narrowed down. But instead, what one often finds is the customer puts a consultant into an RFP process with the expectation that they will quickly learn the ropes and advise them the best solution. It is important to know that at the end of the day, the decision will always rest with the client.

Precise RFP

The problem isn’t that customers are casting the net too wide in the initial selection process. The issue is when they go to market with a complex RFP expecting detailed responses from all potential providers.

ERP selection should start with the customer should be about mapping key business processes. Customers should directly discuss with the provider to understand what their challenges are, get a feel for their business and the business processes.

Define the process

This is the part everyone dreads. Meetings, demos and research tend to generate more questions than answers. A team approach may help the process, but it could also slow things down. It’s best to decide who’s in on the decision making team before getting started. Consider the needs of the all the stakeholders and don’t let any group overshadow the needs of the rest of the organization.  Accounting / Finance, Distribution, Manufacturing, IT, Human Resources, Procurement, Sales, Marketing and Executive Management all have different views as to what they think is critical which can be accommodated.

Making the decision

Selecting an ERP partner is a long-term relationship. It takes work, there will be good times and bad, and done right it should last decades. Selection of the ERP should be largely self-driven where the customers need to readily browse through resources and get huge amounts of information. Customer should be around 70 percent ready from their own research of that ERP which they are going to select.