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How to Evaluate ERPs?

More than 74% (1) of ERP implementations fail to stay on time. Some of those will fail to deliver the solution. How can you safely champion a change to a new cloud ERP system? It starts with a great ERP evaluation plan.

You probably started the process of changing systems within your company. If not, you can review Outdated clunky ERP? Start an ERP Evaluation with this Simple Plan for more information.

If you completed your internal work, you’ve identified gaps between your present systems and an ideal ERP solution. Then you uncovered the hard costs associated with these solution gaps. Finally, your team received the approval to start a formal ERP evaluation.

So now what? Evaluating cloud ERP systems for possible acquisition is a significant undertaking – you and your selection committee/stakeholders have a lot of research material and operational data to consider. We have tried to alleviate some challenges by providing you with a practical list of cloud ERP evaluation procedures based on our extensive research and experience working with different customers and vendors.

Have a Vendor Selection Plan and Execute it

1. Establish Vendor Selection Criteria

The vendor-selection process can be complicated and emotional if you don’t know how to approach it from the start. Therefore, evaluating ERP vendors for their expertise in your industry is a good idea. The ideal vendor will have a successful history of prior ERP installations for companies in your industry and roughly the same company size.

Some of the questions you need to answer include:

How well does the vendor know my industry?

Does the solution offered by my vendor solve my needs?

What value does the vendor add to the solution?

Can the vendor provide customer references similar in industry or location?

2. Establish Budget and Timeline

It’s estimated that 75% of ERP planning transformations fail to stay on schedule or budget (1) , with 74% of ERP projects taking longer than expected. Therefore, it is critical to establish clear and realistic project goals.

Proper planning and documentation of detailed assessment of business processes beforehand can prevent scope creep. This will ensure that the project is completed within the budget and timeline.

Cloud ERP solutions typically cost less and take less time to set up due to zero investments in hardware and the necessity to stick to standard industry best practices for successful implementations. Therefore, cloud deployment models are popular among growing companies.

The critical takeaway is that the timeline and budget need to be realistic. Setting proper expectations allows the team to accept them, increasing the chances of meeting them.

3. Conduct a Comparison

Once you’ve taken a good hard look at all your shortlisted vendors — eliminating any that didn’t meet your requirement analysis or budget — you can compare the remaining vendors and see which best fits the bill.

The best way to do this is to create a scoring number system/comparison chart based on their strengths and weaknesses. Ensure also to include the ROI or value of each solution.

4. Verify Vendor Reliability and Expertise (For Vendor Selected)

Now that you are at the final stage of selecting your preferred ERP solution, it is time to drill down into your chosen vendor’s experience, reliability, and expertise. This would be the best time to clarify with their references on work done as you now know the right questions to ask and are close to signing the contract.

Do not dismiss crossing your Ts and dotting your Is as you do the final background checks. Remember, this relationship will sometimes last more than five years (particularly if you select a cloud ERP solution). You will work closely with your vendor and partner to ensure that the implementation is successful, and that the solution works for you.

Remember, making a significant financial investment in your business is never easy. However, spend the time doing your homework and asking the right questions. You will improve the chances of having a positive vendor experience instead of overpaying for a less than adequate product or service.

For more information about ERP vendor selection, contact the experts at Softype.

References:
(1) Agile in enterprise resource planning: A myth no more by McKinsey research, August 29, 2019.

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Mr. Shreyansh Patil (Shrey)

Group CEO

Shrey holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales, specializing in consulting.

With extensive experience in Enterprise Cloud Solutions (ERP) and Management Consulting spanning four continents, Shrey is equipped with the ability to bridge gaps between technology and business outcomes that will enhance customer experience. Having held leadership roles in consulting, advisory, and technology organizations across various geographies, Shrey brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record in general management, leadership, and business development. With excellent people management skills and a strong consulting background, Shrey is extremely passionate about adding value through technology and process re-engineering.

Shrey’s unwavering dedication to cultivate a high-performing, customer-centric culture at Softype will empower our team to reach new heights and become the best version of ourselves.

Ms. Juliana Luz

Co-Chairman and Co-Founder

Juliana (Nana) holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford University.

The first development of cloud computing found Nana working in this area with her own start-up. Understanding the benefit of consolidating data and systems into a single version of the truth, she then partnered with NetLedger (now Oracle NetSuite) to offer a fully functional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system built exclusively on the cloud.

Nana’s expertise includes envisioning change and delivering value to growth-oriented businesses. Utilizing ERP technology and her advanced skills in process optimization, she streamlines processes, eliminates redundancies and manual processes, and facilitates digital transformations for Softype clients.

A ‘hands-on expert, Nana has, since founding Softype, participated in dozens of projects across 26 countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and all over Asia. Nana serves on the board of La Proteccion de la Infancia (Gota de Leche) and United Success Global.

Mr. Terence Michael C. Rena

Group AMO/Sales Lead

Terence holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines with a major in Tourism Management.

Terence’s experience includes sales and marketing roles, particularly creating marketing strategies, promotions, and retention programs in the travel and tourism industry. Since joining Softype in 2021, Terence has been a prime driver of marketing insights and a facilitator of key marketing initiatives in the Asia Pacific region. Event management is his specialty, including both online and in-person events that attract potential Softype clients to engage with the brand. Additionally, Terence is the face of Softype to our clients in Asia and Africa, ensuring they receive optimal service.

Personally, Terence enjoys basketball, cycling, guitar playing, mecha (robot) modeling, and video games. His daily mantra is as follows: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Mr. Ebenezer (Ebe) Mutungwa

African Sales

Ebe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya.

Ebenezer (Ebe) Mutungwa earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). Ebe combines outstanding communication skills with expert knowledge of NetSuite ERP (5 years in pre-sales for NetSuite Africa). Although, as Softype’s Sales officer for the African continent, Ebe works with organizations in various industries, he has a soft spot for nonprofit organizations. A previous
NGO manager, Ebe understands their challenges and demonstrates how they can leverage the Oracle NetSuite ERP and NetSuite’s Social Impact program to support their mission.

When not working, Ebe enjoys traveling, jogging, playing the guitar, and spending time with family and friends. His words to live by are “Through it all; all is well.”

Mr. Upendra Rabde

Business Architect

Upendra holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Indus Business Academy in Bengaluru, India. His credentials include the academic specialties of Information Technology and Marketing.

Upendra’s experience includes business consulting and business process re-engineering. He brings more than 17 years of technical solution development experience to Softype. He counts experience in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Supply Chain Management (SCM) integration projects in the manufacturing, telecom, healthcare, retail, banking, and insurance industries. He is proficient in procurement solutions and complex regulatory and compliance areas. Upendra also counts additional product management experience in the health care industry.

Joining Softype in 2021, Upendra brings a capability for hyper learning and an outstanding attitude, two traits in the Softype DNA, and is always a pleasure to work with.

On a personal note, he enjoys HAM radio operations and watching cricket matches. Upendra’s philosophy of life is summarized in his daily mantra: Past is history, future is mystery but today is a gift; that’s why it’s called present.

Ms. Prachi Shende

Country Manager (India)

Prachi has a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics from the University of Mumbai and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas.

Prachi began her working career in the US (California). Over the years, she has moved from a purely technical role to a techno-functional role. As a techno-functional consultant, she can work with business, functional, and technical teams. Her specialty is implementing and customizing systems aligned with industry best practices. During her tenure of service, Softype promoted her five times in five years, culminating with her current position. Versatile and dynamic, Prachi cherishes a fast-paced work environment that allows her professional skills to grow. Her work is in the K-12 and tertiary education domains. She oversees the Softype education ERP (edERP) product development and management. The edERP product continues to evolve and expand due to new requirements in an ever-changing education sector. This gives her a chance to grow by constantly reinventing herself.

Prachi’s passion is to help educational institutions grow by migrating their enterprise-wide resources to cloud based systems. She believes that “Given new situations, the market for edERP, i.e., education on the cloud service, is here to grow. It’s about how we best serve it.”

Ms. Manisha Hule

Senior Vice President of Professional Services

Manisha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Mumbai.

Manisha is the delivery manager for Softype’s ERP services. Experienced in project planning and execution, she provides leadership for all Softype’s solution consulting and implementation activities. Manisha began her career at Softype, working in all of its various departments, culminating in her selection as a member of the Executive team. Manisha has experience in all aspects of project organization and delivery. An excellent team manager, Manisha ensures that customer projects get the optimum resources required, facilitating minimal risk implementations that meet delivery schedules. Manisha’s expertise and guidance are significant factors in ensuring, that, unlike many ERP vendors, Softype implementations are delivered successfully and on time.

Shreyansh Patil (Shrey)

Group – CEO

Shrey holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales, specializing in consulting.

With extensive experience in Enterprise Cloud Solutions (ERP) and Management Consulting spanning four continents, Shrey is equipped with the ability to bridge gaps between technology and business outcomes that will enhance customer experience.

Having held leadership roles in consulting, advisory, and technology organizations across various geographies, Shrey brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record in general management, leadership, and business development.

With excellent people management skills and a strong consulting background, Shrey is extremely passionate about adding value through technology and process re-engineering.

Shrey’s unwavering dedication to cultivate a high-performing, customer-centric culture at Softype will empower our team to reach new heights and become the best version of ourselves.

Dr. Arvind Khilnani

Chairman and Co-Founder

Dr. Arvind holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts), a Master’s degree in Management (MIT Sloan School) and a Ph.D. in Engineering Economic Systems (Stanford University).

A dedicated teacher and mentor, Arvind believes in Leadership through inspiration. Trained as a mathematical modeling and optimization analyst, Arvind focused his early career on developing tools to enable company growth. He worked with Fortune 500 companies to adapt their use of technology for growing new, evolving markets. Presently his efforts seek to expand these tools to small and medium enterprises.

Since co-founding Softype, he has channeled his energies to help international organizations grow by leveraging the benefits of technology, including process optimization and automation.