ERP Selection

ERP Selection Process Steps to Success

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) selection is a big task and the larger the company, the bigger the task.  Understanding your current organizational processes is important to examine exactly how an ERP solution will help.  If you are considering an ERP solution, the following five steps may help you with your ERP selection process.

The first step to Enterprise Resource Planning selection success is to make sure upper management is on-board with you.  It is important to get buy-in from many members of your organization before you proceed with the ERP selection process.  Once you have buy-in, a budget must be agreed on and you must stick with it.  All too often ERP solution selection, implementation, and service tasks go over budget creating other organizational problems.  Once you’ve agreed upon a budget, you can proceed to step two.

Step two is to create an ERP selection committee.  Your Enterprise Resource Planning selection committee should consist of members from the technical and functional sides of your company.  The goal of the committee is to establish a plan to select your Enterprise Resource Planning solution, provide feedback on functionality of proposed ERP solutions, provide feedback on how the proposed Enterprise Resource Planning solution will integrate with your existing system, and the like.

Step three consists of establishing a plan to select the right Enterprise Resource Planning solution for your company.  Committee members need to identify gaps in your current solution and determine how processes offered in an ERP solution can bridge these gaps.  Determine how current inefficient processes and can become efficient processes with an ERP solution.  Committee members should also discuss how the ERP selection process will proceed; who will demo the solutions, how the information will be shared amongst committee members, and so on.

Step four consists of taking the ERP selection plan from step three and implementing it.  Tasks should be divided up amongst committee members.  Enterprise Resource Planning solution information should be shared and details, such as costs, must be discussed.  In some cases organizations may receive free trials from the Enterprise Resource Planning vendor.

Step five consists of selecting the right Enterprise Resource Planning solution based on committee member input.  Once the ERP solution is selected, it’s important to let all members of your organization know what’s to come.  Prepare them for the implementation, especially if it will affect usual day-to-day operations.

Written by :

kristine H