ERP Implementation: Critical Questions to Ask Before Buying and Implementing an ERP System

An ERP implementation is a HUGE project, it is an expensive project, and it will take up a great deal of time and energy, this we know is true.  So how do you make sure you are not wasting any of those precious assets? Ask a lot of questions! 

There are endless questions to be asked, and based on your industry you may have different questions in addition to the ones listed here, but these questions will get you well on your way to not only choosing the right ERP system for your company, but also the right vendor for your ERP implementation. Some of these questions may be uncomfortable for the vendor to answer- but don’t let them off the hook! Remember, this is an investment of not only considerable amounts of money, but also time, energy, and the success of your business!  No pressure, right?

Critical questions to ask before an ERP implementation:

What to ask yourself when shopping for an ERP system

• What business problem(s) are you trying to solve with this ERP system?

• Does the ERP solution align with your organization’s business processes?  Does it fit the way you work or will you have to change the way you work to fit the system? 
• Does the ERP system on-premise, on the cloud, or a hybrid?
• Does the ERP system integrate with your other business applications?
• Will the ERP system maximize other technology investments and tools? 
• What functionality will you NEED to have? 
• Are you paying for functionality and modules you will never use?
• Will the ERP system help you work toward your overall growth and revenue goals?
• Does the system have a mysterious cost model or a predictable one?

What to ask your vendor: questions to ask as you evaluate software vendors prior to ERP implementation

• Do they currently have customers in your industry/sector? 
• Will they give you contacts at those companies so you can call them as a reference? (If they won’t give you contacts—run!) When you ask for these contacts try and get a new customer and a customer who has been working with the vendor for a long time so you can get a feel for both situations.
• Have they ever failed implementations?
• What is included in the implementation price? Is the code included?
• When it comes to support you should have a few questions:
• Who, from their company, will you speak with about support issues?
• Will you always have the same support rep or will you be bounced around every time you call and have to explain yourself over and over again?
• How many support hours are included in the implementation? What is the cost for additional hours?
• On average- how many hours of support do your customers usually use annually?

• What is the REAL cost of the ERP system and ERP implementation? That includes, upfront cost, purchasing, licensing, training, maintenance, support, upgrades, etc
• Does the vendor appear to be stable? Are they going to go out of business in the next few years? Ask about their R&D and plans for growth and sustainability.
• What does the product roadmap look like? Will it be around for years to come?
• If they do go out of business will another company be able to support your ERP system? Will they make the source code available for this?
• Can they make the necessary modifications you need for the system?
• Get to know the company with questions about staff such as
• Who works for you? What are their roles?
• What is the experience level of your staff?
• Ask about make-up of employee, for example, you wouldn’t want to do business with a company that has 25 salesmen and only a handful of staff in charge of delivery and support of the system

• What are the vendor’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What does your relationship with the ERP developer look like?
• How many customers do you have using the software?
• How long do your customers stay with you as their ERP vendor?
• Why did you choose to represent ERP system X as opposed to others?
• Is there a trial period available?
• What is your return policy after a trial period?
• What is the typical time-frame for a project for a company my size?
• When it comes to upgrades—are these on my terms and schedule or are all users forced to upgrade at a given time?

This list should get you well on your way to finding the right ERP system and vendor for your ERP implementation and hopefully inspire you to ask even more! This is a huge project, don’t skimp on your research or assume that the big names or industry standards are right for you!

What else can we add to this list?  Please share in the comment sections!

About e2b teknologies:

e2b teknologies operates three business units – e2b anytime apps (www.e2banytime.com) e2b enterprise (www.e2benterprise.com) , and e2b calibration (www.e2bcal.com). 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, Anytime Commerce, and related Anytime brand products. E2b calibration is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration and repair laboratory providing a full scope of services (traceable to NIST) for most popular calibration, test, and measurement instruments.

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