ERP consultant is a term that has been used loosely to describe anyone offering ERP support. However, when starting your own ERP journey, it is important to differentiate between the main types of ERP consultants on the market.
Independent ERP consultants provide businesses with an unbiased review of software solutions available on the market. Most offer services for Needs Analysis, Software Selection, and Client-Side Implementation. They will assist project sponsors in documenting their needs, determining the scope of the project, evaluating solutions through software demos, and client advocacy alongside the implementation partner to ensure a successful go-live.
Specialized ERP consulting firms are those that specialize in a specific solution. They may offer client advisory services like independent ERP consultants; however, they will typically offer it from the perspective of being a champion for their solution of focus. These include NetSuite Consultants, Acumatica Consultants, SAP Consultants, and more.
Implementation partners are a form of ERP consultant, but they do the work to configure the system and help the client go live. They are the technical resource who only work with the client AFTER they have been selected as the vendor of choice. They will not help clients make a decision beyond the process of selling themselves during the sales cycle and demos.
System integrators may also come up in your search for an ERP consultant. These consultants develop solutions to connect applications for great data connectivity and a more seamless user experience. Typically, systems integrators won’t play much of a role in your ERP selection. However, they may consult in final demos to confirm their ability to integrate the systems you are evaluating, and some system integrator firms may also offer implementation or consulting services.
Independent ERP Consultants are client success-driven. Their goal is to ensure their clients select the right ERP using a specialized methodology developed across thousands of hours of ERP project experience.
The answer to who is the best ERP consultant for your business isn’t always straightforward. However, the most trusted independent ERP consultants will always have the following attributes:
Remaining vendor-neutral ensures there is no hidden agenda. Clients will find the right ERP for their business by evaluating all viable solutions, not just the one being pushed by a biased consultant.
Companies can benefit from working with an advisor who will take the time to truly understand who they are and how they operate. Businesses often discover surprising things about themselves during ERP projects led by an ERP advisor because they are digging into every process, across every department, to get to the heart of their pain points. Those pain points are essential to selecting the right ERP.
Independent ERP consultants are not tethered by potential vendor compensation or contracts, so they are free to spread a wide net and identify the solutions that will best fit your needs.
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- Sandi Garcia, Financial Planning Association
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ERP Advisors Group provides independent ERP advisory services for mid-market companies across all industries. We guide clients through Needs Assessment, ERP Selection, and Client-Side Implementation.
During the needs assessment process, ERP Advisors Group helps clients identify their business requirements in order to develop strategic and executive alignment across the organization. Not only does a needs assessment pinpoint operational inefficiencies, but also opportunities for growth. This is the foundation for selecting an ERP that will support your business now and ten years from now.
We apply these discoveries to help clients conduct a cost-benefit analysis and change readiness assessment to ensure now is the right time to make an ERP change and deliver a clear business case. By outlining all potential costs, including software subscription, implementation services, and resource availability over the course of the project, and weighing them against the benefits a new ERP could provide, we can ensure the client makes the right decision.
Our proven ERP selection methodology will apply the discoveries made during the needs assessment to build a clear selection criteria outlining your functionality needs and desired system requirements. That selection criterion is the blueprint that will guide you through developing your initial vendor shortlist, navigating software demonstrations, and ultimately making a selection. With no biases for or against any vendor or product, we can guide our clients to select the best-fit vendor and ensure our clients’ best interests are kept at the forefront.
The experts at ERP Advisors Group will provide deliverables over the course of the project, including vendor recommendations, demonstration scripts, vendor scoring documentation, and more.
Another essential service offered by ERP Advisors Group is contract negotiation. Utilizing years of expertise across hundreds of ERP selections, our ERP selection consultants can help you get the best deal on your ERP contracts by negotiating discounts and renewal terms.
Our team of Data Migration Specialists takes responsibility for extracting, cleansing, loading, and validating clients’ historical data. Data has the potential to make or break your ERP implementation, so we ensure the process starts early and sets your business up for future success. They also manage all data testing and orchestration, key factors in go-live success.
ERP Advisors Group works for the client during ERP implementation to manage the most important parts of internal project management. We will shoulder the difficult aspects of Organizational Change Management. During end-user training, we create effective training documents, ensure use cases are documented, and assist in ensuring User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a success.
Major deliverables produced during the process are in line with years of successful projects. Process maps, Business Requirements Document, integration plans, and milestone tracking keep the project on time and on budget. Advisors also apply best practices to every ERP implementation to guide the client towards a happy future with their new ERP.