In this article we'll give you some of the best ERP RFP questions to help you evaluate which ERP software is best for ...
In this article we'll give you some of the best ERP RFP questions to help you evaluate which ERP software is best for your business. This guide is built for business leaders who are in the process of building or leading an ERP request for proposal (RFP).
We'll answer questions such as:
If you're in the process of evaluating ERP software and building your ERP RFP, then make sure you check out some of our top free ERP RFP resources including;
In general, when conducting an ERP RFP process, we recommend dividing your questions into two broad categories. These categories are questions for an ERP vendor and questions for an ERP implementation provider.
This is a great first-level question that highlights how many other businesses have decided to use this particular ERP vendor. Make sure that you're specific to the particular ERP product being discussed as some vendors offer multiple products.
Once you understand how many businesses use an ERP solution, getting granular detail is important. If no other businesses in your industry use this ERP solution, it could indicate a lack of functions to support your organization, and it might be best to look at alternatives.
At ERP Research, we have catalogued the top ERP choices for various industries including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, services, medical devices, retail, distribution, construction.
A key question to ask is whether or not an ERP software provides a solution which actually meets your company needs. To do this, you will need to start by documenting your ERP requirements across all of your different departments.
Typically, a company will list their needs across:
To speed up the process, we have a prebuilt ERP requirements template, available to download for free below:
As well as industry specific functionality, you need to ensure that your ERP system can cope with your local accounting needs. This is a great ERP RFP question for your finance and controlling business users.
A key ERP RFP question is to ask about an ERP softwares roadmap. This ERP RFP question demonstrates how much investment is going into an ERP product which helps create additional business value. You're looking for ERP software that has frequent, meaningful updates. If your ERP lacks this, then it can highlight a lack of investment from your ERP vendor in that product - a very bad signal.
This is a great request for proposal question when purchasing ERP as many ERP buyers are stung with price hikes after the initial contract term expires. Make sure you ask this question to avoid being burnt and lock in as much protection as you can.
You should always try to secure a call or meeting with other customers of your chosen ERP software before signing contracts. This can help you to make the best choices, get prepared and ask the right questions before signature.
It's a simple question but effective ERP RFP question which aims to quantify the amount of experience your chosen ERP implementation company has.
You should try to understand if you are on the smaller or larger side of your ERP implementation company's customer base. Ideally, you want to sit somewhere in the middle, if not be on the larger side as it's likely this will make your business more important to your chosen ERP implementation partner.
It's a good idea to understand if your ERP implementation partner has provided services to any companies you regularly do business with or compete with. Although ERP implementation partners and companies may put their best customer references forwards, nothing beats getting a first hand review from a trusted source.
Having a reference call with at least one customer from an ERP implementation company is crucial in understanding how effective your chosen ERP partner is.
It's important to understand whether your ERP implementation partner is using an on-shore or offshore resourcing model as this can impact results, quality, cost and more. Getting this mix right can impact your chances of success - making it a great ERP RFP question.
Your ERP project can only be implemented on time if your ERP implementation company has the right resources and people available at the right time in the project. It's not uncommon for delays to happen because an ERP implementation company has overbooked their resources. On the other hand, it could be a worrying sign if your ERP partner has too much time on its hands.
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