5 ERP Selection Tips

There’s a lot riding on ERP implementations. These projects require effort and adjustments from people throughout your organization, as well as a significant financial investment. Once the solution goes live, your business could either gain comprehensive support and full-scale enterprise improvements, or a complex system that fails to live up to the vendor’s promises. No pressure, right?  

We know ERP selection is one of the most stressful parts of the implementation. To help you implement the right solution, we’ve put together this brief guide to ERP selection. Use the following five tips to get your software project off to a strong start.  

1. List Your ERP Requirements

You can’t begin your search if you don’t even know what you’re looking for. That’s why it’s essential to start your ERP selection with a clear, thorough list of software requirements. Map your current business processes, identifying pain points and determining how ERP can boost enterprise performance. Obtain input from decision makers across multiple departments, from daily users to the C-Suite. This will help you prioritize your ERP needs, so you can find the best fit for your organization.  

2. Calculate TCO

Though you don’t want to sacrifice the quality of your solution for a lower price tag, you should still accurately calculate total cost of ownership (TCO) to choose a cost-effective solution that delivers a strong return on your investment (ROI). Several considerations go into determining TCO, such as the number of users, complexity of the system, insurance, training and hosting environment. Make sure you’re diligently calculating projected costs, so you can create an accurate cost-benefit analysis and predict ROI.  

3. Evaluate Vendor Reliability

The point of investing in enterprise software is to drive improvements for years to come, but this can only be accomplished through a reliable vendor. Will your vendor continue to deliver long-term solutions and upgrades or fall apart within a few years? Does it include comprehensive modules to address your business needs or only the bare bones?  

As you conduct vendor research, find out the business’s history and specialties as well as it’s plans for future development. Additionally, ask for references to find out if the provider has successfully served other organizations in your industry. 

4. Schedule Software Demos

Once you’ve narrowed down your vendors, start scheduling software demos. Instead of settling for a cookie-cutter demo, provide an agenda to clarify which modules and features you’d like to see in action. You can also supply sample data to check if the system can handle your workload. Each ERP demo should focus on the same processes and modules. This consistency enables accurate comparisons to help you make the final decision.  

5. Document the Search

Keeping track of RFP responses, demos, cost breakdowns and more information about multiple ERP vendors can’t be done without organized documentation. Using scorecards, provide detailed evaluations of each system. Assign someone with the task of note-taking during demos, so you don’t forget how every solution performed. Additionally, write out business processes and software requirements, ensuring these points make it into your RFP. A thoughtful RFP will yield a thoughtful response from providers.  

Wrap Up

Using this methodical approach, your business can select a reliable software solution to drive future success. In over 20 years of consulting, we’ve seen countless manufacturers and distributors find the right fit in Epicor ERP. Epicor ERP includes user-friendly functions and comprehensive modules to fuel end-to-end business improvements. 

Count on the experts at Datix to help you take advantage of Epicor’s powerful platform. A certified Epicor partner, we execute a variety of projects and services from start to finish. Our consultants follow best practices and gain a full understanding of each client’s needs to deliver quality solutions that advance enterprise performance. 

Transform your business with software by selecting the premier consulting firm—contact Datix today!