This week’s post in the series deals more directly with the software selection rather than vendor selections. As we move toward the completion of this series, we need to consider a few more issues.
Picking the wrong ERP business software package can be one of the factors that contribute to ERP project failure.
Aside from evaluating the product fit to your business processes, you also need to carefully consider hardware, third-party software, development tools, scalability, and other factors that affect a long-term fit for your business.
ERP Software Selection Criteria
- What Hardware is Recommended?
- What Network is Recommended?
- What Systems/Network Software is Required?
- What Database is Required?
- Application Scalability
- What Additional or Add-On Hardware Is Needed/Suggested?
- What Implementation Method and Tools?
- Examples of Actual Resources and Not Just Descriptions or Assurances: Everything throughout the entire process must include a “show me” component. Otherwise, it should be scored as non-existent.
- Seriously Consider Intangibles and “Gut Feelings”
- You may be right.
- Include the Total Cost of Ownership (a few suggestions)
- Application license costs
- Additional software license costs (Server, DB, EDI, etc.)
- Third-party software needed for operations
- Fax
- E-mail integration
- Tax software
- Any need to upgrade end user hardware (like new computers, printers, etc.)
- Technical infrastructure and hardware needs for the primary application(s)
- Maintenance fees and maintenance alternatives
- Revisit Implementation Issues
- Be sure to understand the vendor’s formal implementation approach.
- Ask for early access to any tools, resources, and templates.
- Ask for the tools, templates, and resources to be demonstrated to you during the proposal.
- Be sure to understand the vendor’s formal implementation approach.
- Evaluate reporting functionality and options.
- Find out what support options and methods are available
- Cost
- Access methods (Web support, phone support, on site, other options)
- Quality and quantity of documentation
- Development and automation tools
Conclusion on Selecting Your ERP Business Software
When considering your ERP software selection process, you need to evaluate the field of vendors available to implement the solution. That is why this series, from start to finish, addresses not only the ERP business software but also the vendor selection. This post focused on just the software because much of the academic literature identifies the software selection and fit as one of the critical success factors for ERP software implementations.
Next, we will go through Software Licensing options and the various things to consider. I am sure those of you considering an ERP package purchase, whether it is SAP or some other ERP solution, will find that post interesting and informative.
