How can you conduct a successful ERP demo?

1 Define your goals and criteria

Before you request a demo from an ERP vendor, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will evaluate the system. You should identify your main pain points, needs, and priorities, and translate them into specific goals and criteria. For example, you may want to improve your inventory management, reduce your operational costs, or enhance your customer service. You should also consider your budget, timeline, and technical requirements. Having a well-defined set of goals and criteria will help you focus your demo on the most relevant features and functions, and avoid getting distracted by irrelevant or unnecessary details.

2 Prepare your data and scenarios

Another important step in preparing for an ERP demo is to gather and organize your data and scenarios. You should provide the vendor with some realistic data from your business, such as products, customers, orders, invoices, etc. This will allow them to customize the demo to your industry and context, and show you how the system handles your data and processes. You should also prepare some scenarios that reflect your typical or critical business situations, such as a rush order, a stock-out, or a customer complaint. These scenarios will help you test the system's capabilities, performance, and usability, and see how it solves your problems or supports your goals.

3 Involve your stakeholders and users

A successful ERP demo should involve not only the decision-makers, but also the stakeholders and users who will be affected by the system. You should invite representatives from different departments, functions, and levels of your organization, such as finance, sales, production, IT, etc. This will ensure that you get a comprehensive and balanced perspective on the system, and that you address the needs and concerns of all your stakeholders and users. You should also encourage them to participate actively in the demo, by asking questions, providing feedback, and sharing their opinions.

4 Compare and contrast different options

If you are considering more than one ERP vendor, you should try to compare and contrast their demos as objectively and systematically as possible. You should use the same goals and criteria, data and scenarios, and stakeholders and users for each demo, and schedule them close enough to avoid forgetting or confusing details. You should also take notes, record the demos, and solicit feedback from your team after each demo. This will help you analyze and compare the strengths and weaknesses of each system, and identify the best fit for your business.

5 Follow up and clarify any doubts

After the demo, you should follow up with the vendor and clarify any doubts or questions that you may have. You should also request a trial or a sandbox access to the system, so that you can explore it further and test it in your own environment. This will help you verify the system's functionality, reliability, and compatibility, and confirm your decision. You should also negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract, such as the price, the scope, the timeline, the support, and the warranty, and make sure that you are satisfied with the offer.

An ERP demo is a valuable opportunity to see how a software solution can improve your business. By following these tips, you can conduct a successful ERP demo that will help you choose the best ERP system for your needs.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?