Posts Tagged ‘erp vendors’

While the white paper poses some basic, general questions about product functionality, the white paper is not intended to be a list of questions relating exclusively to functional features; rather, the questions are designed to give the selection team a better feel for the software vendor’s general business philosophies, organizational longevity.

Examples of questions to ask an ERP Vendor:

1. How long has the vendor been in business?

2. Was the software being proposed developed by the vendor, or was it acquired from a third-party?), approach to ERP implementation and customer support (Where is the support team located geographically? Are ERP implementation services delivered directly by the software vendor or by a third party), annual maintenance fees

3. Does the vendor guarantee that their ERP maintenance fees will never increase?), software upgrades

4. Are upgrades included in the vendor’s annual maintenance fee?)

One can think of the white paper as a “Getting to Know You” list of questions to ask ERP vendors. To download the 50 Questions for Every ERP Software Supplier white paper from the TGI Resources Library, please click here.

Google – Google is a great place to search for potential ERP software vendors. For broad searches, use keywords such as “ERP software,” “ERP system,” and “ERP systems.” These search phrases will provide you with a large number of companies to consider. For manufacturers, “process manufacturing software,” or “discrete manufacturing software” are great phrases to search on when looking for potential software suppliers. You can also search on phrases that are more specific to your industry. Companies in the food and beverage industry, for example, can search for phrases such as “food ERP software,” or “beverage ERP software.” Pharmaceutical distributors can search on phrases such as “pharmaceutical distribution software.” You get the idea. Google is an incredibly powerful tool and provides highly-relevant information in its search results.

Industry Publications and Associations – Various industry publications and trade associations are also a great place to find potential software vendors. Members of the National Association of Manufacturers, for example, can check out the software section of the online NAM Buyer’s Guide. Cheese and dairy processers can look at Dairy Foods Magazine’s supplier guide or the Dairy Foods website, while organizations who specialize in plumbing wholesale distribution can frequently find potential software suppliers in The Wholesaler or at www.thewholesaler.com. No matter what your industry may be, your industry’s leading associations and publications are a great place to start looking for potential ERP vendors.

Independent Consultants – Independent consultants are a great resource for not only developing a list of potential ERP vendors but providing assistance and guidance in other steps of the software selection process as well. If you decide to use a consultant throughout the selection process, be sure to select a consultant who truly is “independent” and does not have a partnership or financial agreement with any software provider. Selecting an independent and unbiased consultant will help you select the best ERP vendor for your business.

For more software selection resources from TGI, please see the “ERP Software Selection Process” within the “Resources” section on our website.  This area provides tools to assist in the software evaluation process, as well as an option for obtaining a list of ERP vendors based on your company’s industry, revenue, and manufacturing process where applicable.