4 criteria for selecting an ERP solution

Besides money, time and compatibility, there are also some other -not so obvious- parameters that influence the purchase of an ERP system. Read below for more details.

Business profile

Every business is different, and this applies even to businesses of the same industry. This uniqueness makes the process of selecting and deploying an ERP system even more difficult, proving at the same time the importance of using personalized practices, in order to ensure that the final decision will not lead to conflicts. Partnering with an experienced and trustworthy vendor will help you avoid this stressful process, as it will be the vendor that will come up with the solution that meets your business needs.

Research

Exactly as you would not buy a car before exploring your options, you should do the same thing when it comes to selecting an ERP vendor and a specific ERP solution. Quite often, businesses tend to select an ERP solution solely based on its name and/or reputation. But, there is a wide range of available options in the market and so, it is highly advisable that you do a thorough research before making a choice. This will help you save significant time and money that you would otherwise have to spend, if you invest in a solution that will end up creating more problems than it resolves.

Recommendations

When people speak of recommendations, they usually refer to hiring personnel and not to selecting an ERP vendor. But, by checking a vendor’s recommendations, not only do you learn more about their business, but you also find out more information regarding the proposed solution and the issues that may have come up during its deployment by other businesses. Make sure to ask for recommendations from businesses in the same industry as yours, with similar size and structure. Finding out the difficulties that other businesses faced, and learning what they wished they had done differently, if they had the chance, will make your choice much easier. Don’t neglect to also find out what were the things that satisfied them.

Useful features

While the primary concerns of ease-of-use and compatibility are important, another parameter that can help you select the right ERP solution has to do with individual features and functionalities that will simplify your daily tasks. For example, even the most fully-featured ERP system won’t be able to help you with your business operations, if you can’t communicate with your customers abroad. Having a multi-lingual option, or not, can be a determining factor. The same applies to other customization tools, such as remote location management, notification systems and the existence of a customization toolkit, for example.