ERP To-Do Checklist: Things to Ask Before You Write That BIG Check To A Vendor

ERP To-Do Checklist: Things to Ask Before You Write That BIG Check To A Vendor

INSIDE-ERP has produced a short checklist that is worth the five minutes it will take to read.  Experience says that no successful implementation can be completed quickly, but if the solution is the right one, the time passes quickly and you ask yourself "Why did we wait so long to make this change?". 


This article's headline would tend to make you think otherwise if you ask some simple questions.  Regardless, the article questions are worth asking.  In fact there should be a long list of questions.  That is Dolvin's purpose in working with their clients.  We act as an independent advisor.  Yes, we have a preferred vendor, but we will also never recommend a solution that does not fit.  We actively refer our clients to other solutions if we cannot help.


A mid-market ERP solution purchase can be completed rapidly and successfully if you ask yourself and vendors the right questions.  

• What ERP modules to buy first and which ones can wait.
• Validating who should be involved in the purchase and implementation decision.
• Roles different departments and project stakeholders play.
• Pre-implementation decisions that must be made that will affect the whole project.
• SOA considerations and future needs such as training and software updates.

This article is a short two page document to review.  Some highlights that bear noting are:

• The checklist items that mention calculating the Return on Investment (ROI). 
• Who will be the project manager, i.e. "responsible". 
• Very important, what problems are you trying to solve, is it reasonable that this solution will solve your challenges. 
• How will you measure the results, again ROI. 
• What is needed and what is extra, could you wait to implement the extra modules later and save some startup costs? 
• Will the software address your needs or the software vendors? 
• Is there room for growth. 
• The solution should address at least five years of use at which point you either grow with the solution or you find another one that does. 
• Probably most important.  Does the solution cover training.  Without a proper implementation that includes training and support, your organization is headed for a period of extreme frustration.

Dolvin Consulting and their buisness partners Vormittag Associates (VAI) and IBM invest the time to make sure there is a good fit between your challenges and the solutions we offer.  We welcome the opportunity to discuss your needs.

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