5 Tips to Choose the Best ERP Software for Your Business

Nov 14, 2017

Selecting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for your business is one of the most critical decisions you will ever make for your organization. However, choosing the correct software for your business is not a simple task. Not only is ERP software cost-intensive to deploy, but it also requires considerable time and resources on your behalf to get going.

As competition for ERP business has grown in recent years, vendors have increasingly begun to come up with dazzling promises like “use our ERP software and your business will instantly turn profits.” Often times, these promises turn out to be hollow because these vendors have neither the expertise nor the know-how to build and maintain a viable long-term roadmap.

Using our extensive expertise of successful ERP implementations around the world, we have come up with this list of tips 5 for ERP selection and implementation.

1) Evaluating ERP Options

It's important to begin with the assessment of needs that your company has. In 2017, the one thing you cannot complain about is lack of choices. There's an abundance of software options available for you to the extent where you will be spoiled for choices. Each software comes with its own set of features and specializations and each can serve a particular purpose very well for you. Creating a clear and extensive list of your requirements before you start looking for your software is a good start. You need to take the time to look at and evaluate each option and settle on one that fits your particular needs.

2) Planning for Mobile

If your organization hasn’t yet implemented BYOD at your offices, chances are you will have to soon. New age employees and Millennials are more demanding of the flexibility at their workplace than ever before. But implementing BYOD comes with its own set of challenges. You will need to select an ERP software that is not only mobile-ready, but also has robust security features to ensure all your sensitive data is encrypted and secure.

3) Local, Cloud, or Hybrid

Another important aspect to consider before choosing your software is deciding what kind of platform you want. You can choose between on-premise, cloud, or hybrid models. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, local installations usually require a high upfront investment. On the other hand, cloud systems need careful integration evaluation and compatibility testing before data migration. While hybrid systems with careful customizations can provide you with a practical solution.

4) Customization and Integration

Whatever your industry or business, chances are your needs and requirements don’t stay the same year-over-year. As such, you need a software that can adapt and adjust to your dynamic needs while still providing value. Having customization and integration capabilities in your software is pivotal for achieving that. It's also important to understand the difference between “configuration” and “customization” of your ERP software. Configuration is usually easy to do and can be done by clicking on options available within your enterprise software. Whereas, customization refers to the changing of the actual code of the software to suit your needs; which usually takes longer and is more cost intensive.

5) Choosing the Correct Implementation Partner

Sometimes, just buying the license for your software is not enough. Many companies, especially small and medium sized enterprises, often lack the requisite knowledge, resources, time, and expertise to ensure a smooth rollout. Managed service providers can step in here and lend a helping hand. They can provide you with a skilled resource set with proper expertise to smoothen your transition.

ProV is a global IT service delivery company specializing in ERP implementation. We help our clients choose the best ERP software and make sure they have the correct software fit, specific for their organization and build a technology roadmap for them. We follow up with best-in-class implementation techniques that save you money and time, and contribute to a higher ROI than you imagined. To learn more about how we use technology to simplify business processes and make organizations more agile, drop a comment below or contact us today.

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Topics: ERP