If your business is in the market for a new Enterprise Resource Planning (better known as ERP) solution, we at Premier Computing have a few thoughts that might help guide your decision. Over the years, we’ve completed more than 400 ERP implementations, and this post taps into our years of experience and hopefully will guide you on finding the right solution for your business.

Firstly, the “don’ts.”

  1. Don’t forget future processes (after the new system is installed) when you’re defining user requirements.
  2. Don’t depend on the vendor’s generic demo.
  3. Don’t disregard the importance of the customer support package you purchase with your solution.
  4. Don’t leave the choice in the hands of one person or one department.
  5. Don’t work with a vendor lacking prior experience of your specific industry.

Now, here are the “dos.”

  • Do your homework in order to know what you need. Begin with current business processes, then define and document them. Where are the existing pain points? Where do you excel? Now, ask yourself how processes will change after implementing a new solution. Document those possible changes. Once you have these written up, think of them as your requirements list to show vendors. You’re not looking for a solution to do what you’ve already done. You’re looking to optimize and excel in what you do.
  • Ask for demos. Every time you approach a vendor, the easy thing is to look for a demo video on their website, but these are vague and, obviously, general. Instead, put together a request to send to each vendor asking for a demonstration relevant to your business.
  • Ask about the included support. Finding the best fit for your company will depend on in-house technical expertise and whether you feel that you’ll need mostly upfront support or long-term help. Ask vendors for other customer names so you can contact them and ask questions about how the customer support has been both during and after implementation.
  • Pick an experienced vendor. ERP solutions are tailored to specific industries. Did you know that even specific solutions (like Acumatica, the cloud ERP) have versions that are specific to certain industries (like Acumatica Construction Edition for Residential Construction: Homebuilders). If you can work with a vendor that has experience in your specific industry, they’ll understand the tailored solutions better for you.

Questions? We’d love to hear from you, so contact us today.