Selecting an ERP system is not routine. For manufacturers with complex workflows, regulatory requirements, and tightly integrated supply chains, ERP is a foundational decision that impacts every part of the business. When ERP evaluations go wrong, the consequences are devastating, long-lasting, and expensive.
Yet many companies treat the ERP selection process like any IT project. Reliance on internal teams rarely holds up under the pressure of implementation.
The right ERP expert adjusts what you decide on, and how easy you can decide.
Are Internal Teams Enough (Even Those With Experience)?
Most internal ERP teams are knowledgeable about their own systems and workflows, but that familiarity may become a liability during ERP investigations. When you only have perspective working within one system, you may not notice better alternatives or the potential implications of a new platform.
Without experience across multiple ERP platforms, how can you have a reference point for what good even looks like? You could prioritize pretty screens or trust vague vendor statements simply because you lack context.
You need someone who is views your situation with a different lens—one shaped by pattern recognition across many ERP outcomes, good and bad.
The ROI of ERP Expertise
Preventing a mismatch between ERP system and business needs often results in the worst financial implications: ERP Implementation Failure. A failed ERP implementation doesn’t just cost money, it disrupts your employee’s time, damages customer relationships, and erodes internal confidence. Avoiding ERP failure is not just risk mitigation; it protects your company’s value.
An ERP expert brings logic to evaluations. They help narrow the field, eliminating systems that do not align with your specific needs. They help you focus demos on your core workflows (job costing, traceability, scheduling) not generic sales pitches. They also help secure better implementation timelines, support terms, and cost transparency.
Experienced input often shortens the evaluation process, increases outcome confidence, and reduces missteps.
Can You Find Objective ERP Expertise?
Never prioritize software functionality over industry experience. Involve them from the beginning.
Too many wait until they’ve short-listed ERP vendors before seeking advice. However you get maximum value when an expert helps shape how you evaluate, not just who you evaluate.
Leverage their perspective to ask better questions, ones that expose fit. For example, How do operators interact with the system on the floor? What parts of the system will be still utilized five years after, and which get replaced or bypassed?
ERP Selection Success is Never About Luck (It's About Uncovering the Truth)
ERP decisions have long-term implications. They affect how you quote, plan, schedule, deliver, and report. Making a mistake is not an inconvenience, it could bankrupt you. You would never build a facility without expert engineering support, as you should never purchase ERP software without experienced guidance.
Especially complex manufacturers, expert ERP guidance will be a competitive advantage. It gives you a clearer picture of what’s possible, what’s risky, and what’s worth pursuing. It turns vague vendor claims into concrete conversations and reduces errors.
The right experts don’t just bring the answers, they teach you how to ask better questions which helps you uncover the truth before you have any long-term regrets.
Consult ESS' ERP Expertise
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"Apple to Apple comparison is never quite as easy as apple pie and definitely not as easy as apples." - Andy Pratico, ERP Veteran
