How do you avoid ending up with an ERP system that doesn’t fit your core processes?

An ERP project almost always starts with an inventory, followed by the package selection. Once an ERP system is chosen and implemented, it sometimes becomes clear that certain core processes are not well supported. At that point, you can’t really go back and you’re stuck with the chosen package.

Often it can still be solved with customizations, but that brings extra costs you didn’t anticipate. That’s why inventorying, mapping business processes and package requirements is the first and most important step. This prevents surprises later and helps you choose a package that truly fits your organization.

What goes wrong when you select mainly based on existing features?

Feature checklists make packages look similar. Vendors quickly answer “yes, it can” (sometimes via add-ons, sometimes via custom work, sometimes “on the roadmap”), but what if those are exactly the points that matter for your organization’s workflow? Are exceptions possible? How do return flows work? Does it support post-calculation? How does the system handle batches, series, service contracts, post-calculation etc.? That’s where you want certainty.

We often see organizations comparing all features of different packages and choosing the one that looks most complete, but be careful! The chance is high you’ll choose incorrectly.

---

 

Where is the real price tag: licenses or implementation?

Licenses are visible, but implementation, integrations, data migration, training and aftercare usually determine the largest part of the total cost. A package that “almost fits” may seem cheaper, but becomes expensive due to extra configuration and customizations. So don’t compare only the per-user rates!

How do you determine which ERP functionalities matter?

Make your need-to-have and nice-to-have concrete. A good selection does not start with an Excel sheet with 500 requirements, but with a sharp choice: what must the package minimally support to run your organization, and what is nice but should not dominate the decision?

• Need-to-have: without this you cannot go live, or you immediately face compliance, customer or cashflow risks.
• Nice-to-have: adds value, but you can temporarily work around it or add it later.

Tip: formulate requirements as questions with explanation. Not “inventory management”, but: “How does real-time inventory work with serial numbers, multiple locations and backorders?” This forces vendors to answer substantively and prevents “yes” on a vague question.

How many packages should be on your longlist?

No more than 6 to 8 packages. Comparing more becomes unmanageable (too many demos, too much variation in answers, too much choice). Start broad enough to have alternatives, but small enough to maintain speed and move from longlist to shortlist.

How do you test whether an ERP package truly fits your daily processes and workflow?

By having vendors walk through the exact same realistic scenarios. This lets you compare apples to apples and quickly see the real differences.

Some example scenarios:

• How do you process an order with partial delivery, backorder and customer-specific pricing?
• How do you work with purchasing contracts, delivery reliability and invoice deviations?
• How do you manage multiple warehouses, locations, counts and traceability (batch/series)?
• How do you handle BOMs, alternative components and post-calculation?
• How do you register hours, materials, contracts and invoicing (fixed price vs post-calculation)?
• How does the package support month-end closing, audit trail and required reporting?

Be careful not to only watch the standard demo, because then packages look very similar.

Want to move faster from longlist to shortlist with a selection that fits?

If you want, we guide you through the entire selection process: from need-to-have/nice-to-have, through longlist and shortlist, to vendor conversations and clear agreements. This ensures you choose not just a package that “can do a lot”, but a solution that fits your processes and growth. And if you want us to handle the implementation afterwards, that is of course possible.

Contact us via contact for an introductory meeting.