An ERP selection is not easy with approximately 500 ERP systems currently available. A systematic approach helps to reduce the risks of selecting the wrong ERP system.
For this purpose, we have developed an implementation model that has been improved again and again over the years. This compilation provides you with a detailed overview of our ERP selection service.
ERP selection - our ERP selection process consists of 5 ERP consulting focus areas:
Situation analysis and definition of future and existing business processes
Definition of requirements, documented in an ERP specification sheet
Qualification of potential ERP software suppliers (ERP vendors)
ERP contract management ERP implementation and ERP acceptance
With this methodical procedure model, your team can directly and immediately use the experience of many successful ERP selection projects.
You save time, costs and reduce your risks for a wrong ERP selection.
In the meantime, there are ERP software solutions for even the most unusual requirements.
ERP software developers have done enormous development work in recent years to meet the requirements of the supply chain, logistics and the need to permanently optimise processes.
However, this does not make it any easier to decide in favour of an ERP individual software, an ERP industry package or an ERP standard software. When choosing a suitable ERP software, one must be aware that the standard does not and cannot exist. There is no definition of an ERP standard. Only the area of financial accounting is subject to greater standardisation due to legislative requirements. Therefore, the term ERP standard software always refers to the definition of the software manufacturer. This is particularly the case when special industry software has been developed on the basis of ERP systems. The ERP selection procedure presented below was developed on the basis of many ERP projects. It is constantly being refined and adapted to the requirements of digitalisation and SMEs.
Our structured, multi-stage ERP selection process significantly reduces the risks of a wrong decision. We have developed this step ladder concept for this purpose. Checklists, procedure models, instructions, questionnaires and texts await you behind each step, which you can use immediately. In this way, we ensure that you receive an ERP system that is suitable and meets your requirements through independent, neutral ERP consulting. Our project work is usually concluded with a test management. This ensures that all processes function without errors.
This ERP procedure model differs significantly from other, traditional ERP selection procedures. This selection model of risk minimisation - and this is a central point for a later successful ERP implementation and optimisation of business processes - has proven itself in practice.
Our modern, practice-oriented method fully involves the people, the employees, in all activities from the very beginning. As a result, there are hardly any or no acceptance problems in the later course of the project during ERP introduction and use.
This method of ERP selection can lead to a significantly shorter project duration, especially in the ERP introduction phase. This means that your project effort is reduced, you become more productive more quickly the ROI is achieved more quickly and you can realise your competitive advantages more quickly. These are advantages that you can use directly, as we work all this out in the specifications and the functional specification.
Including requirements that lead to an improvement in competitiveness, optimisation of the supply chain and cost reductions are essential in a situation analysis.
More and more, the requirements of digitalisation, digital transformation and occasionally also requirements for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) are being reflected in the situation analysis. Companies receive a GAP analysis of the deviations from a best practice approach from us.
The first indications and criteria for the selection process are developed in this phase.
Weaknesses are clearly addressed and solutions to reduce or avoid them are outlined. Future requirements are clearly identified.
We analyse your current initial situation (ERP software and its embedding in the company) by carrying out a situation analysis. Based on this, we work out the necessary organisational and planning tasks for you to be able to successfully realise an ERP project. This is the basis for a concept to define future business processes. In this way we want to achieve that your competitiveness increases with an ERP introduction.
The first indications and criteria for the selection process are developed in this phase.
Based on an analysis of the current situation, the requirements in your industry, your market and your IT and digital strategy, we provide you with the blueprint of a process model that is suitable for your company. This model is important in order to derive the process optimisation, its potential and its realisation. This organisation and process model contains all information, such as release processes, workflows and much more. Requirements from customer expectations that are placed on you and your company are an essential part of process documentation.
This description of requirements, which is important in the context of ERP selection, takes place in an ERP specification.
This describes the requirements for the business processes, identification and definition of process optimisations, the design of the organisational models, the customer requirements as well as the communication with existing systems (interfaces). For the first time, the necessary definitions for master data and possibly for master data management systems are also worked out for a later ERP introduction.The ERP specifications are one of the important foundations and indispensable as a document for the selection of a potential ERP system.
The necessary selection criteria, which are core processes, which are support processes and in which processes can you achieve competitive advantages with your company are also defined in this ERP selection phase.
We are able to create these ERP specifications completely or - within the framework of a division of labour - to divide these tasks between the capacities of our customers and our ERP consultants.
This flexible way of working, tailored to your requirements, allows you to save costs and use resources efficiently.
Once the processes that are to be mapped as core processes in a potential ERP system have been defined, the pre-selection of software providers can take place.
The phase of identifying potential enterprise resource solution providers begins.
With the help of our database, in which almost all ERP systems on the market have been entered over the years, we can make an initial selection. Who will make an initial selection based on the requirements in the ERP specifications?
Important, fundamental parameters are also taken into account. Which technology or which software basis can be used? Are solutions in the cloud or on premise or hybrid solutions conceivable? Here we advise our customers in detail about the advantages and disadvantages. In doing so, we can draw on practical experience as well as on evaluations from our permanent data analysis. Cost-benefit factors are also part of our ERP selection consulting at this stage.
We then define a focus criteria catalogue which is sent to potential providers. The evaluation of this focus criteria catalogue usually confirms our pre-selection from our ERP database.
The selection of a suitable ERP provider is an important preliminary stage for the qualification of a possible ERP solution. A multi-stage qualification process reduces the risk of selecting the wrong - not suitable - ERP software. We have sophisticated and proven assessment techniques, questionnaires and checklists in place. These are based on data analysis, statistics and probability calculations to reduce the risks of a wrong decision.
Parallel to and following the selections made on the basis of data analysis, presentations are started. A procedure which we call Proof of Concepts (PoC) enables individualised testing and scoring. Using your master data and process flows, we can downsize, test and evaluate the features and organisational support down to a single process. This ERP selection is traceable at any time, each decision step is documented and the selection is documented.
This means that we use a procedure in ERP selection in which the potential ERP systems have to prove their usability on the basis of your data and business models.
The contract drafting phase is an essential stage in which long-term agreements are fixed.
This includes questions that have to be answered with the licence structure, the number of licences and questions about the subsequent purchase of possible licences or licence blocks.
The costs for operating the ERP system are also determined in this phase, often referred to as maintenance fees. There are many ways to define running costs during the operation of the ERP software and thus influence the ROI of the investment in an ERP system.
Based on our ERP selection, ERP consulting and ERP project management projects, we have a huge database of information on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual ERP software houses, the pricing and quotation of ERP projects. In addition, we have expert knowledge on what you need to pay attention to in contract management in order to keep the risks manageable. We always make this experience available in our projects. As your project manager, we can provide you with comprehensive support during the introduction of the ERP software up to acceptance and test management.
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