Today we’ll deal with two important questions to ask your ERP Vendor to help validate their short and long term viability. Don’t forget to join the ongoing discussion at #ERPONYOURTERMS
- · How many customers do you serve and how stable is your business?
- · What’s your roadmap and investment in R&D?
Customer Service and Stability
It’s important to know how deep your vendor’s install base is and how much it is growing on an annualized basis. The install base is a good indicator of viability in terms of sheer numbers but probably more importantly in terms of industry coverage. It is one thing for the ERP vendor to demo the product but how many customers similar to yours actually use the system? This applies as well to the implementation partners who support the ERP vendor in your industry. Vertical industry expertise provides significant value during your implementation and ensures you will get the best overall fit for your company. The partner who knows your business usually can help you avoid common pitfalls and ultimately save implementation dollars.
So be careful to research the stability of the providers you are evaluating. If your software publisher goes out of business or gets acquired by another company a lot can change with your service levels, product support, future upgrades, etc. It’s not as uncommon as you might think. Software consolidations and buyouts are also more prevalent than ever, so consider the software publisher’s expertise, staying power and ability to deliver ongoing innovation and value for your investment before signing on the dotted line.
Roadmap and R&D
Along with the depth of the install base, an equally important question is the roadmap and commitment to R&D of the ERP Vendor. The same pressures you face to keep your company viable apply to the ERP Vendor or even more so. What will your company look like three years from now? What about five, or ten? What geographic markets will you be serving? How will your product or service offering have evolved? How will your staff have changed? It’s difficult to be certain. But you can be sure that your future ERP requirements will differ from your current needs. So it’s vital that you choose a solution capable of growing and evolving with your business.
Microsoft invests more than $9 billion annually in research and development. For each of our four ERP solutions, Microsoft Dynamics publishes a product roadmap and a statement of direction that clearly articulate product releases over multiple years. The bottom line: Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions are backed by a robust technology vision and a commitment to continuous innovation.
Viability matters
It used to be less important, but today viability means more than ever. You have a choice today and as you consider the best solution for your company, don’t forget to include these important questions. And remember to follow the conversation at #ERPONYOURTERMS
