Once a company has decided to purchase a suitable ERP solution, the biggest step has been taken. Or so they think. However, the market is large. This makes the selection process correspondingly difficult. Despite advice, various industry software and references from ERP providern, it can happen that a company chooses the wrong system for itself. Most people don't realise how important it is to find the right solution. It's not about finding the "best" system on the market, but the right ERP solution for the company.
Is the company ready for an ERP solution
In order to find an ERP solution that fulfils the requirements, a company must first of all be "ERP-ready". This means that it does not help to take a closer look at the process design of an ERP system if the processes in the company are not clearly defined. Due to a lack of ERP experience, an ERP system cannot be adequately assessed, which is why the ERP system with the interface that most closely resembles the familiar Office products is chosen. This is then usually only superficially the right ERP solution.
How much and what counselling
There is also often a lack of clarity about the consultancy services that the company wants to acquire. It is not a problem that the services are not sufficient. It is more common for ERP seekers to request services that neither help the selection objective nor are necessary at the time. Here, a mixture of gut feeling and professionalism is probably required to find the right Advisor not just the right ERP solution.
Haste but not delay
What's more, companies rarely make the decision to switch to an ERP system without the right circumstances. The misery with the old systems and the decision to put an end to this often triggers a false sense of time pressure. This tempts ERP seekers to make hasty decisions. They look for the other ERP solution rather than the right one.
Suppliers also like to take advantage of this time pressure. Why bait a fish that you already have on the hook? The result is that providers are poorly prepared for customer presentations. This makes it all the more important that the selection process identifies a company's requirements and criteria for the ERP system. It is the only basis on which the right ERP solution can be found that is right for the company now and in the future.
The search for the right part 3: The ERP selection
The search for the right one. Part 2: Errors in ERP selection