If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right? – Wrong!

Enterprise Resource Planning can be a huge benefit to your company, but it’s not one size fits all. ERP software is meant to make your life easier, but the wrong software can mean major headaches, wasted time, and a strained wallet. Here are six questions to ask yourself so you can make the right choice….the first time.

Step #1- Is ERP software really your answer?

Silly question since you have come this far in your research, but necessary.  You know you need something, are you sure its ERP and not some other form of software? you may be a good fit for ERP if you:

• Are experiencing a high level of growth
• Are experiencing ineffective business processes
• Have a fear of drowning in spreadsheets
• Have new integration requirements

  Sound familiar? You’re on the right track.

Note: these are some of the most popular reasons for adopting ERP, not the only ones

Step #2 what does your ERP system need to do for you?

Time to make a list! Get together with your marketing director, sales team, IT guys, etc. - anyone who will be using the system or anyone else who you feel is necessary to ERP success. Each user group in your company will have different needs and wants from the system. Make a list and rank those needs so you can search for an ERP system that meets as many of them as possible, covering the most important needs first. You are most likely not going to find something that covers every single thing on that list, but you can always integrate other solutions or have some custom development work done as needed.

Step #3 what are the Joneses up to?

See what you can find out about competitors and what they are using for their ERP needs. Are you in a niche industry? There may only be a few systems out there to meet your specific needs- maybe your competition found it already. If you have super secretive competitors, ask around and see what your peers use, they may be able to get you on the right path.

Step #4 Name your top 3

After all of your research is done and all of your questions have been asked and you feel like your brain is going to explode if you cram in any more ERP knowledge…it’s time to pick your top three. Choose the three most realistic options for your company in terms of functionality and cost.

Step #5 In depth research of the final 3

Now that you have the top candidates, really drill down and get into the nitty gritty details of each option. Set up demos for each system and use that demo to get as much information as you can; take notes, and go into the demo with a prepared list of questions or functions you would like to see. Then you can take all of that information, compare all of your options, and pick one…easier said than done, but you can do it!

Step #6 Vendor Selection

Selecting an ERP Vendor can be just as important as the software you choose; you almost have to go through this whole research process all over again, but it’s worth it if you pick the right ERP vendor. Research vendors, Google them, check out websites, ask your peers, do some industry research. Select the vendor whom you feel will get the project done- on schedule and on budget.

About e2b teknologies:

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Chardon, OH, e2b teknologies provides ERP, accounting applications, custom cloud-based software development services, AR collections management software, and calibration services through its three business units – e2b anytime apps, e2b enterprise, and e2b calibration. e2b enterprise develops custom cloud-based business applications and resells leading ERP accounting software, CRM, HRMS, and other enterprise business software applications from Sage Software, Epicor, Intacct, Sugar CRM, and other publishers. e2b anytime apps is the publisher of Anytime Collect, Anytime Assets, Anytime 500, and related Anytime brand products. e2b calibration is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration laboratory

Our goal is to provide customers with great products backed by world-class support, development services, and business consulting to help them achieve their goals – on-time, and on-budget. Contact us today for more information or to speak with one of our software experts.