Whether you have already implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or not, you always need to prepare big time for it. Every concern should be put up for consideration: who is the right vendor for your ERP system, what questions should be asked and how to eventually make your project successful when you start planning.

But where do you start? ERP system is not something that any organisation can deploy or replace anytime. ERP is an enterprise-wide system that supports and facilitates all information flows and resources within the business organisation. One mistake here and there can certainly cost millions of dollars of waste, not to mention squandered time and countless potential problems which can occur that can put your company into trouble for a long time. With such huge consequences, it is extremely important to be well prepared before applying any changes in your organisational system.

In order to prevent bad consequences, companies and IT leaders need to engage in detailed planning, conducting high-level research as well as critical analysis for each option, referencing from experts’ opinions to identify the right service provider for your ERP. Here are 5 must-haves that should be in your check lists.

Tracking deployment time and costs

According to Rebecca Wetterman – ERP analyst, Boston-based Nucleus Research Inc. – the most frequently asked question is how the ERP service provider helps them track budget costs and how long it takes to fully deploy, configure and go live. They want to know in order to make better decisions and keep better control on what’s going on in the organisation.

Interestingly, customers do not want just plain numbers on budget and costs; they want something more specific. ERP vendors must help them understand how they come up with those numbers, because it is critical for ERP vendors to move forward with plans, projections and expectations from customers.

Seeking new-generation planning tools

When organisations reaches a certain size, the old way of doing business is hardly applicable, especially for mid-market organisations. Unlike small organisations that can get away by running their business on simpler applications, mid-market organisations have to step onto a more competitive stage. As a result, it requires stronger applications that support the growth of the business, and of course, more complexity as well. In some cases, ERP can become a barrier to businesses because the pain from the new system implementation is too much to bear.

Therefore, almost all organisations prefer simple, easy to use ERP applications that have detailed queries to that “automate 80% to 90% of an ERP system or other configuration for a user”. Furthermore, these ERP applications require less internal resources but at the same time produce useful information. Compare all the ERP vendors you encounter, and take time to evaluate which application suits your organisation the best.

This is the first part in our blog series "5 must-haves to buy the best ERP software", stay tuned for the last 3 key points in the next post.