For many companies, choosing a new ERP system is one of the most significant business decisions in their history. Yet too little is often invested in the selection phase, and this can later prove costly in the form of a wrong choice or a failed implementation.
There are many reasons for changing systems: support for the current system is ending, the company has outgrown its old solution, or the business needs functionalities the current system cannot offer. Whatever the starting point, the selection phase is critical, and the decisions made at that stage largely determine how well the implementation succeeds and how well the system serves the business.
The problem isn’t always the system itself
Sometimes problems with the current system lead to a decision to replace it. However, the causes may lie elsewhere than in the system itself: in data quality, poorly defined processes and responsibilities, or configuration errors in the current system. As part of the current state assessment, we make sure whether a system change is really needed, or whether the problems could be solved by developing processes or systems in other ways.
What does selection consulting include?
Neuvolab’s ERP selection consulting covers the entire process, from current state analysis to supplier evaluation and moving on to implementation. With accurate process descriptions and clear selection criteria, comparing system alternatives is objective and business-driven, and the right system is found without guesswork.
All documentation produced remains for the company’s use, regardless of whether Neuvolab stays involved. We work either with project management responsibility or in support of the client’s own team, depending on the situation.
Don’t forget the data
One thing comes up again and again: data is too often sidelined in ERP projects. In practice, a new system with poor-quality data means a new ERP that doesn’t work well. Planning data management already in the selection phase saves a significant amount of work later on.
Neuvolab’s ERP selection consultants have a combined total of more than 50 years of experience in system projects, in the roles of system administrator, project manager and consultant. Get in touch if your company is considering replacing its ERP system or implementing its first ERP.