WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING AN ERP PLATFORM
Monday, May 25, 2015Global Administrator
Regardless of what size your business is, the ERP system that you select for your back office solution can have a significant impact on the success of your business. That being said, it is clear that the process of choosing the right ERP is very important and should not be taken lightly.
As a business owner or representative, there are many questions you will need to ask yourself when making this decision. We have narrowed these down to the main ones that you’ll need to answer before you decide which solution to go with.
What are your organizational objectives?
We have listed this one first because we’re firm believers in working backwards. It’s important to poll all of the departments in your organization in order to understand what your organization wants to achieve as a whole. Once these have been agreed upon, you’ll have a better idea of what to look for in an ERP solution.
What is your budget?
A budget will determine a starting point and weed out a lot of unattainable or unnecessary solutions. Your budget will be a clear indicator of where you need to start your search.
What are your training needs?
Once you have narrowed your search a bit more, take some time to work with the main departments who will be using the platform to determine how much training is required, and how it will be delivered. This exercise will help to determine the resources you will need, how much manpower will be taken up and the cost to the business. Take some time to consider the following:
- Who will need to be trained?
- Who will be your in house expert with the implementation? (They will need extra training)
- Consider the timeline and how long this training is estimated to take and how you plan to offset the work.
- How much will training cost you overall in time and money?
How much customization is needed?
A large amount of customization will certainly increase the cost of purchasing an ERP solution. Try to consider all options for an ERP. Some may be more suited for your needs at the base model and therefore, could be more cost efficient.
If your business needs more customization and this is an unavoidable expense, consider which options are most flexible.
Do you have references?
It should never be an issue for a company to provide references of past clients that adopted their ERP solution. It’s important to hear the good and the bad, because either or both can affect your decision. References provide you real opinions and experiences, not the sales pitch that you have heard thus far.
It’s a good idea to seek out companies that are similar to yours with regards to size, departments and budget so you can get an idea of some of the ups and downs you might face.
Still have questions about what to look for?
We would be happy to answer any questions we’re able to or refer you to one of our ERP partners to provide more detail.
Give us a call!