Enterprise Resource Planning Software Checklist
Table of Contents
Assemble an Enterprise Resource Planning Software Selection Team
Upper management
At least one representative from company leadership.
Business unit leaders
Front-line managers who will use the software.
Technical staff
Members of your IT department, who will assist with implementation.
Subject matter experts
Heavy ERP users from each business unit.
Third-party oversight
Someone from within the company who is not directly involved with the ERP.
Determine the Scope of Your Project
Budget
How much can you spend?
Timeline
What is your deadline for selecting and implementing an ERP?
Criticality
Does your business require a new ERP, or is it optional?
Evaluate Your Organization
Size
How many employees does your organization have?
Structure
What business units make up your business?
Revenue
How much money does your company make in a year?
Growth outlook
Do you expect revenue to increase in coming years?
Process
Are there business processes that you need to modify?
Evaluate Your Business Needs
Current software
What ERP do you currently use?
Strengths
What does your current software do well?
Deficiencies
What critical needs does your current software not meet?
Future
What special features will you need in coming years?
Decide which specific functionalities your organization requires in its ERP:
Customer Services (CRM)
Sales
Procurement (SRM)
Production (PLM)
Distribution (SCM)
Accounting
Human Resources
Governance
Business Intelligence
Asset Management
e-Commerce
Customer Services (CRM)
Sales
Procurement (SRM)
Production (PLM)
Distribution (SCM)
Accounting
Human Resources
Governance
Business Intelligence
Asset Management
e-Commerce
Evaluate Your Software Users
User base
How many people will be using the enterprise resource planning software?
Tech savvy
Will your staff require extensive training?
Transparency
Will upper management be using the software?
Reporting
What level of data access will your users need?
User base
How many people will be using the enterprise resource planning software?
Tech savvy
Will your staff require extensive training?
Transparency
Will upper management be using the software?
Reporting
What level of data access will your users need?
Evaluate Potential Enterprise Resource Planning Software Solutions
Initial cost
How much will the software and licenses cost?
Training
How much does it cost and how is it delivered?
Expandability
Can you add users without incurring additional costs?
Technology
Is the software hosted, or does your company need servers and IT staff?
Update path
Does the license include all available updates?
Reporting
Does the software provide the reporting you need?
Integration
Can the software work with other applications?
Workflow
Will you need to change the way you do business to fit the software?
Security
Does the ERP software support sound data security practices?
Demos
Invite ERP vendors on-site for product demos.
Try first
Will ERP vendors give you access to trial versions of their software?
Bargain
Is the vendor willing to customize a solution to fit your budget?
Initial cost
How much will the software and licenses cost?
Training
How much does it cost and how is it delivered?
Expandability
Can you add users without incurring additional costs?
Technology
Is the software hosted, or does your company need servers and IT staff?
Update path
Does the license include all available updates?
Reporting
Does the software provide the reporting you need?
Integration
Can the software work with other applications?
Workflow
Will you need to change the way you do business to fit the software?
Security
Does the ERP software support sound data security practices?
Demos
Invite ERP vendors on-site for product demos.
Try first
Will ERP vendors give you access to trial versions of their software?
Bargain
Is the vendor willing to customize a solution to fit your budget?
Evaluate ERP Support
Online
Does the enterprise resource planning software vendor provide a customer portal?
Can you ask for help via email?
Phone
Does the vendor maintain a live help desk?
Community
Is there an online community of users for each potential ERP?
Customers
Are there other organizations like yours who use the ERP?
Online
Does the enterprise resource planning software vendor provide a customer portal?
Can you ask for help via email?
Phone
Does the vendor maintain a live help desk?
Community
Is there an online community of users for each potential ERP?
Customers
Are there other organizations like yours who use the ERP?
Download or Print this Enterprise Resource Planning Software Checklist
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Presented by:
Adam Hughes
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Introduction
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Enterprise Resource Planning Software Evaluation Tips
- Even more so than with other types of software packages, take extra time to ensure that you are getting the right fit with a new enterprise resource planning software system. Don't spend tens of thousands of dollars on features you won't ever use, but make sure the solution is sophisticated enough to grow with your company.
- Budget plenty of time for selection and implemention. Choosing an ERP can take six months to a year, and implementation typically requires 18 months or more.
- Guard against staff paranoia by keeping everyone as informed as possible throughout the process. Some employees will resist change, and others will see new software as a threat to their jobs.
- Don't expect too much. Enterprise resource planning software is very powerful and can help businesses become more productive, but no package can fix problems on its own. Regardless of the system you choose, lots of staff time and effort will be required to make an ERP function at its best.
- Be willing to change your business processes. The selection and implementation of a new enterprise resource planning software system is a perfect opportunity to evaluate how your business might benefit from adopting industry best practices that your old system would not support.
- Talk to peers at organizations similar to yours who have recently purchased an ERP system to get their insights into which systems they considered and why they made the decision they ultimately did.
Who it's for
This Enterprise Resource Planning Software Checklist is for teams that want consistent execution, less rework, and clear ownership.
- Standardize quality - run the same Enterprise Resource Planning Software steps every time, regardless of who executes
- Save time - reuse a proven Enterprise Resource Planning Software workflow instead of rebuilding processes from scratch
- Improve accountability - assign owners and see what's done vs. what's pending
- Onboard faster - use the Enterprise Resource Planning Software checklist as the SOP and training guide
- Coordinate across roles - handoffs are clear and everyone works from the same source of truth
How to use it
How to use this Enterprise Resource Planning Software Checklist:
- Start by saving it - save as a Template if you'll reuse it, or as a Checklist if it's a one-off project.
- Customize it once for your workflow - remove what doesn't apply and add your team-specific steps.
- Assign ownership and execute - set owners/due dates where needed and track completion as work happens.
- Reuse without rebuilding - when Enterprise Resource Planning Software comes up again, start from your saved version and run it with clear ownership.