#1 most overlooked criteria when selecting a new ERP solution

When selecting a new ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution, an essential component that needs to have been investigated and addressed, right from day one, is the selection of an implementation and support partner that’s the right fit for your business.

I have been working in the ERP software space across Australia and New Zealand for nearly 10 years. My experience covers collaborating with businesses ranging from start-ups all the way to true enterprise. I am confident in saying that I have a firm grasp on understanding buyer behaviour and the processes companies go through when selecting a new system.

The ERP and Financial / Accounting systems available in the market today are increasingly similar, compared to when I started selling NetSuite in early 2011. The NetSuite platform was the innovative market leader in SaaS ERP being the only true cloud ERP solution available. The landscape today has changed dramatically. There are more ERP providers in the market than ever before, and every ERP offering is available as a cloud offering.

Sure, they all have a few points of difference, but which are more important? Which ERP solution is the right fit for you?

Here are my top three Product Selection tips:

1.      Is the solution future proof for your business? Will it empower you to scale? For example, you may want to add payroll, build a website with the platform, add additional companies, or grow into a different geography.

2.      Are the reference customers relevant? Talk to customers already using the solution and get their feedback on how the software is being used on a day to day basis, and the efficiencies that have been gained. How did they get up to speed rapidly? What lessons did they learn?

3.      What is the pedigree of the ERP solution? How long has it been in your market? What is the roadmap for development and maintenance? How will that impact your business?

 Now that you have identified the right solution to take your business toward your desired future state and positive business outcomes. How are you going to get there? Which partner do you trust to take you on that journey?

Implementation Partner Selection Criteria to consider

·        How long has the partner been implementing the ERP solution in question?

·        Do they have experience working in a similar/ comparable industry to your organisation?

·        Do their staff have the experience, and the background?

·        Is there continuity between the people you deal with during the sales process, and the people you work with during the implementation and onboarding? Often organisations will sell you the experienced A-Team, but deliver with the less experienced B-team…that is to be avoided.

·        Will the Project Manager be involved from Day 0, all the way to Go-Live? They are in control of the implementation, and should be involved prior to the project starting, all the way to completion.

·        Is the support, training, and development team in-house? Or is there another partner? Ensure this is clear and understood prior to Go-Live, so BAU (Business As Usual) can commence without any hiccups and meet set expectations.

·        The Extra Mile - what additional value add features and services does the implementation partner do for their customers free of charge? For example, at Liberate I.T. we run monthly webinars, send out NetSuite update newsletters to our customers, and run bi-annual user group sessions in New Zealand and Australia.

·        Is the partner focused and agile? Pick a partner that focuses on a particular solution and has robust processes that free them up to be adaptive, agile and serve you better.  Some (not all) larger partners are not specialists, cover multiple solutions, and have generic processes that make them slow to respond and cumbersome. You do also run the risk of being one live customer out of many…

·        What does your Gutfeel tell you? Sometimes you just know deep down in the pit of your stomach if this is the right partner for you. It might be synergy between your team and theirs, it might just be the way they communicate with you. As “Old School” as it sounds, sometimes you just have to follow your gut, and it’s the entrepreneurial spirit in you to make that call.

 I hope the above information serves you well as you go through your ERP evaluation and selection in the future.

All the best

Steve Paea- Sales Manager- [email protected]