A study ranked the factors that company’s prioritized when choosing an ERP solution. The first time a company bought ERP, the number one criteria was price. The second time they purchased an ERP solution, the number one criteria was the expertise and fit of the partner. Which led us to our mantra: Choose wisely: your ERP vendor is your business partner.
Obviously when facing choices in life, we want to make the choices that are most beneficial for our circumstances. If we need a doctor, we want to choose a specialist who is best in his/her field. When choosing a college, you want to pick the best you can for your field of study, and so on. You may have multiple options and none of your choices are necessarily incorrect. They lead to different, but valuable experiences. As long as one has a firm grasp on what their needs are going in, choices can be made to best fit the needs of each individual.
When choosing a vendor, for any business project, a similar approach is required. No one vendor is ideal for every company. Yes, everyone benefits if the vendor is experienced and knowledgeable. But the way in which they work, the nature of their specific expertise and their ability to meet your company’s specific needs and preferences is what really matters.
Evaluating your VAR as a Business Partner
It’s important to acknowledge your ERP vendor (VAR) and consultant is a business partner and one that will be very active in your business for at least a year and then a presence for many years to come. The chosen partner will learn in-depth details and give guidance on processes used in sales, accounting, production, inventory, HR and more. Can the chosen vendor relate to your company? Has the vendor worked with companies of your size and do they have experience with your unique business processes?
It’s also important to remember that people are paramount. ERP launch, implementation, and training is as effective as the team of people leading these efforts. When you choose a vendor, choose a group of people who have the values and level of experience you trust.
Important questions to ask your potential ERP vendor:
- How long have you been in business, and what industries do you serve?
- What other companies have you worked with that have similar business processes?
- Who will be assigned for your ERP implementation and what experience do they bring to the table?
- Who will be helping us with ERP training and what is their experience in working with organizations like our own?
- What support does your firm offer after we go live?
About Parallel Solutions
We at Parallel Solutions have been working in the ERP space since 1995. Our practice has been focused in manufacturing and distribution. This gives us a wide range of experience in these industries. We have worked closely with companies involved in repetitive and discrete manufacturing. Our experienced ERP consultants have partnered with many companies across the U.S. to configure systems that help their businesses run securely and efficiently.
Our consultants have experience with Manufacturing, Distribution, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Electronic Data Exchange (EDI), CRM, Document Management, Financials, Time & Attendance, Labor Tracking, Tax Compliance, Report Writing, CAD, and more.
We have been there and done that many times. We know what obstacles might arise and how to deal with these issues. We will be there to help you review, train, and test your system, so that when your GO LIVE date arrives, you will be prepared. Be assured our job isn’t done after your go live; we will always be there to work with your business.
If you want a ERP vendor that is your business partner, look to Parallel Solutions. If you’d like to learn more about our values, staff and industry experience give us a call at 440-498-9920, or email us at sales@parallelsolutions4u.com.
