Every industrial firm needs a contemporary enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
However, with so many alternatives available, making the proper pick may be challenging. You're not alone if you're unsure whether a generic or industry-specific solution is ideal for your company, or how to even begin the ERP decision process.

The ERP System Selection Process

Follow these eight steps to assist simplify the ERP software selection process:
1. Evaluate
Establish an evaluation committee comprised of top management, functional specialists, and end-users from throughout your firm.
To secure enterprise-wide approval of the final ERP system, finish each phase of the selection process with a consensus of all members.

2. Assess
Examine your current business processes and the size of your organization to discover what is working effectively and where you need to improve. Identify gaps or major difficulties that may be addressed with the assistance of an ERP system.

3.Develop criteria
Create criteria for evaluating available options. Consider features, pricing, platform, simplicity of use, and other committee-relevant characteristics.
Manufacturing characteristics like traceability, integrated EDI, recipe or formulation management, bar code capabilities, integrated production scheduling, and anything else that is crucial to your manufacturing firm might be considered criteria. Then, in order of priority, list your criteria.

4. Arrange for consultations
Schedule phone appointments with as many different ERP companies' sales representatives and product specialists as feasible. These "discovery calls" will give you more information about each vendor and their solution beyond what you learned from their website or other sources. Make certain that they include both cloud and on-premises deployment alternatives.

5. Prepare a shortlist
Make a list of the ERP solutions that best fit your company's requirements. Your discovery calls should have assisted you in eliminating options that are not a good match.

6. Establish contact
Arrange for a live presentation and product demonstration from each selected vendor.

7. Plan your questions
Prepare questions to address your most pressing wants, requirements, and concerns. The way each vendor answers to your specific business difficulties will help you identify which provider is the greatest fit for your firm.

8. Verify references
Visit and meet with organizations that have adopted the ERP system to check vendor references. Inquire whether the system is performing as intended, what the firm likes or dislikes, and how much value has been realized since the solution was implemented. Investigate how the seller remedied any difficulties that arose.