ERP is the backbone of any business, whether your business is small, medium, or large. Selecting the correct ERP system is a pivotal decision that can help in shaping business.
Landscape.

So whether you want to upgrade your ERP system or you want to install a new ERP system, it is crucial to have selection criteria that align with your business needs and objectives.

The right ERP system will help to integrate and automate various information across the department and helps the organization to take informed business decisions.

So thus, if there is a mismatch between business requirements and software functionality, there would be a mishap in business functioning.

So to avoid the above situation, always keep in mind the below selection criteria that can help your business select the right ERP.

Various ERP selection criteria 

1. Business requirements and needs 

One of the foremost steps while selecting the right ERP system is to understand business requirements. One should discuss the facilities needed in ERP with team members and various departments to get a deep and clear picture of its business needs and long-term goals.

Hence, making a comprehensive analysis of various modules required by the sales, finance, and marketing teams will help you to understand the operational landscape of your business.

This core understanding will help you to establish a strong foundation for the rest of the ERP selection process.

2. Check on the challenges. 

The second point that businesses should prioritize while selecting ERP is to shed light on challenges, inefficiency, and bottlenecks that the current ERP system is facing.

Whether it can be a lack of automation features, inefficient inventory management, or payroll integration issues. These various challenges will help you to guide the selection of ERP that will address the specific needs of your business. 

3. Prepare a checklist of functional requirements.

The next step, after having a clear update on business needs and challenges businesses face, is to prepare a comprehensive blueprint that outlines the core business
requirements.

Here is the list of top elements one should be looking at while selecting ERP. 

• Accounting and financial management 
• Inventory and supply management 
• Mobile accessibility 
• Sales and marketing modules
• Automation
• Analytics tools and data management 
• Human resource management 
• Communication tools
• Reporting dashboard.

The above features must be included in an ERP to propel your business growth and evolution over the long term.

4. Keep an eye on budget and total cost of ownership.

Another crucial step to consider while selecting the right ERP system is to have a clear understanding of total cost and its associated expenses.

ERP software cost varies from vendor to vendor; hence, one should make sure to have a clear blue print of various associated costs, like 

• Implementation cost 
• Customization cost
• Ongoing support and maintenance 
• costs
• Training cost
•  Third-party cost, if any
• Licence fees

This will help you to see the bigger picture and will help you make sustainable choices.

5. Check on training and support facilities.

Another vital step is to consider the vendor that will provide additional support and maintenance service. 

Post-implementation, it’s also very important to give training to employees to run the business smoothly without any hindrance.

Hence check on the training procedure of the ERP vendor, over and above that also check on the additional support and maintenance provided.

Also have a review of vendors track records and the quality of service provided by vendors.
Thus, having a clear confidence in the track record of vendors will help to have a successful and long-term partnership.

6. Validate platform flexibility, scalability, and
Customization.

A friendly user interface is a crucial aspect while selecting an ERP. A user-friendly design that is easy to adopt by the various departments and has flexible navigation, a smooth layout, and a clear understanding will help employees to quickly adopt the system, resulting in smooth business performance. 

At the same time, also check that technology integrated with modern aspects is installed, as we have to also keep up with the pace of future aspects.

Also, a scalable and flexible ERP system should also support customization. Vendors having the ability to tailor ERP as per your business requirements is essential for business productivity and maximizing efficiency. 

Hence, prioritizing ERP systems that offer flexibility, scalability, and customization is needed to support future business endeavors.

7. Authenticate security and compliance 

Prioritizing robust security features in an ERP is paramount in today’s market to safeguard business-sensitive information from data theft.

Various security features must be offered in ERP, like 

• Two-factor authentication 
• Encryption method
• User control access
• Data authentication 

Above are the basic requirements in ERP systems, as these features not only help in preventing cybercrime or data theft but also helps in ensuring that businesses are running in line with compliance and regulatory requirements and also ensure that businesses adhere to legal standards.

8. Confirm internal assessment and team support.

Before finalizing any ERP, have discussions with the internal team and various departments showing them the blueprint of new ERP features and addons.

This will help you to understand the changes, if any, required in the ERP system and help you to have a comprehensive idea about the business landscape.

Also, post-selection of an ERP, it is necessary that ERP implementation reaches out to every organization smoothly, so for this, you need to form a team that will check the various aspects of the installation of ERP and its smooth implementation and support and guide ERP vendors for better alignment of ERP.

Choosing the right ERP vendor, choose Silent Infotech.

Well, choosing the right ERP vendor and ERP system can be challenging, but by following the above criteria, you can embark on your journey with confidence and clarity.

So if you are looking for a comprehensive ERP solution, then maximize your efficiency with Silent Infotech.

Get in touch with our experienced team to have industry-specific ERP solutions.