The Challenge of ERP Software Selection
Selecting the right ERP software can be the difference between a streamlined, thriving operation and an implementation that derails business goals. With a vast array of ERP solutions available, businesses often struggle to identify the best fit for their needs. The long-term impact of ERP decisions makes it crucial to approach selection with a structured and informed strategy.
Let’s explore how ERP selection consultants can enhance their service offerings through strategic partnerships, delivering comprehensive guidance to their clients from selection to successful implementation.
Why Companies Seek ERP Software Selection Consultants
Businesses turn to ERP selection consultants because they offer a variety of perks including:
Impartial Advisory Services
Consultants evaluate business needs objectively and recommend the most suitable ERP solution, eliminating bias and focusing solely on solving challenges and achieving key goals.
Deep Expertise
Industry-specific knowledge helps align ERP features with operational requirements. It’s important that a 3rd party selection firm can offer a consulting approach that coincides with the goals and challenges organizations face in their particular industry sector. Without this, projects can easily go down the wrong path and face pitfalls with the features and functionality of their software solution.
Risk Reduction
Businesses minimize costly mistakes by leveraging consultants’ experience and structured methodologies. Selection consulting and implementation agencies need to offer more solutions than potential problems when it comes to ERP software. These platforms are already complex, so it’s important to focus on the users and overall business objectives when selecting and implementing new technologies.
Time Savings
Decision fatigue is often the culprit of siloed ERP selection and implementation projects. ERP selection firms streamline the evaluation process and offer time and cost savings for customers as a result.
The Three Pillars of ERP Software Selection Success
Successful ERP adoption requires a seamless collaboration between three key players: ERP selection consulting firms, software vendors, and implementation firms. Each plays a distinct role in guiding businesses through the complexities of choosing, acquiring, and deploying an ERP system.
1: How ERP Selection Consulting Firms Can Ensure Success
ERP selection consulting firms act as independent advisors, helping businesses assess their needs, define selection criteria, and evaluate potential solutions (and partners) – working alongside you to ensure results and value. When done well, these experts can provide an unbiased perspective to prevent organizations from making the wrong decision, avoiding things like bias, technical knowledge gaps, overcharging by vendors, and ultimately creating strong advocacy for a successful project outcome.
Key ERP Selection Services:
- Conducting business process analysis to align ERP functionality with operational goals.
- Creating vendor shortlists and conducting ROI assessments to support informed decision-making.
- Deliver structured selection roadmaps to guide businesses through the procurement process.
2: Working With the Right ERP Software Vendors
ERP vendors bring deep expertise in system capabilities, licensing structures, and ongoing support. They work closely to help businesses find the right solution that meets their goals and requirements.
Key ERP Vendor Services:
- Offering product demonstrations and technical insights to support decision-making.
- Providing clarity on licensing models, scalability, and future development roadmaps.
- Ensuring businesses choose a solution that evolves with their needs over time.
However, even with the right software in place, businesses often struggle with the transition. Without the combined expertise of both ERP selection advisors and implementation specialists, the risk of misalignment between software expectations and real-world deployment increases.
3: How a Great ERP Implementation Firm Delivers Unique Value
ERP implementation firms (like OSI’s implementation team) bridge the gap between software selection and successful deployment, boosting the success of the chosen solution and integrating it seamlessly into business operations.
Key ERP Implementation Services:
- Configuring, customizing, and optimizing ERP systems to fit specific business needs.
- Managing data migration, user training, and change management for a smooth transition.
- Partnering with ERP selection firms to support businesses from initial evaluation to full implementation.
Effective ERP implementation partners prevent misalignment between software selection and execution, reducing risks and maximizing ERP adoption success.
By fostering strong partnerships between selection consultants, software vendors, and implementation firms, businesses can achieve a well-rounded ERP strategy—one that delivers real operational improvements rather than just a software purchase.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid with ERP Software Projects
We’ve seen many organizations fall victim to ERP project failures due to a myriad of roadblocks and challenges. Here are a few of the common pitfalls you should stay proactive to avoid for your next ERP implementation.
Underestimating Change Management
Ignoring the cultural and operational shifts required for new ERP adoption can make all your implementation efforts go down the drain. A system is only as good as its users, and without sufficient training in place, the new technology can significantly hinder your operations instead of improving processes.
Choosing Based on Features Alone
With effective ERP selection strategies, this shouldn’t be a roadblock, however many organizations get caught up in all the shiny new features that technology solutions offer without considering the overall goals and strategies the business has in place.
Focusing Solely on Cost
Let’s face it–implementing a new ERP platform is a significant investment, but worth it when done correctly. These projects can seem intimidating at first when initial price tags come into play, but ERP consulting firms need to demonstrate the long-term benefits and ROI businesses can experience down the road.
By optimizing processes, centralizing data, and implementing a user-friendly platform into an organization’s operations, the long-term results far outweigh the initial costs of an ERP system.
How to Get Started: Partnering with the Right ERP Experts
At OSI, our proven methodology has helped us achieve positive business results with our customers. This isn’t accomplished without doing the following:
Defining Goals and Challenges
Establishing what an organization’s goals and challenges are sets the stage for what needs to be accomplished with a new ERP platform. Without this, project stakeholders will essentially be driving blind throughout the implementation process.
Gather Internal Feedback
It’s important to listen to your team, which are the system’s users. This will help you craft and mold the software to solve their roadblocks and fit their day-to-day requirements. Without this insight, you might prioritize the wrong features and functionality that aren’t important for the daily users of the platform.
Our team often reviews and evaluates the current system an organization uses and identifies where it’s falling flat so that our ERP iteration improves those areas instead of making it more complicated for your team.
Collaborate
At OSI, we make sure to include stakeholders from all key departments in the evaluation and implementation processes so that nothing is overlooked and the right items are prioritized. Our team takes the technological reins, however, we’ll only know how to steer the project with stakeholders who understand the intricacies of their business and operational needs.
Partner With the Right Experts
We extend our expertise by partnering with other leading ERP selection firms to help them expand their breadth of services, nurture client relationships, and reaffirm their brand reputation. Our partnerships bridge the gap between technology selection and effective business process transformation.
How to Leverage Partner Relationships During the Different Stages of an ERP Project
Navigating the deployment of an ERP is heavily consequential for the success and efficiency of a company. Understanding the many stakeholder relationships (and how they all fit together) is critical in delivering a final product that is high value, low cost, considers technical and operational risks properly, and helps employees at the organization do great work.
Throughout our hundreds of technology and software consultation projects, OSI has focused on supporting harmony between these project stakeholders at every stage, enabling customers to leverage our platform knowledge and technical skills, while also respecting their unique internal capabilities, stakeholder requirements, and vision for the project. As a global ERP consulting and services firm that partners with some of the largest software vendors, we’ve got what it takes to partner with ERP advisors and end-client project managers to achieve high velocity, low risk, ROI-focused project results together.
Contact the OSI team today to learn how we have helped deliver successful digital transformation and business software outcomes for hundreds of brands around the world.