Our company spent about 5 years going back and forth on the decision to implement ERP. Similar businesses had not achieved success with ERP systems, but we were growing and reaching a point where our more traditional methods started slowing us down. We’re primarily a system integrator so we’re heavy on engineering, project management, and installation. We do some manufacturing to reduce costs, but that is not the core of our business. We are a subsidiary of an Industrial-focused parent company (Avis Industrial) who had implemented an ERP product across their other companies. That product excels at manufacturing, but we had concerns that it would not be a great fit for the rest of our business.
After exploring that product and finding out that it was not what we desired, we elected to look elsewhere. Knowing that we are not experts in everything ERP and not aware of all of the solutions that exist, we chose to seek out a consulting group to assist us. That’s when I found ERP Advisors Group through an online search. After an evaluation, we believed EAG would be more flexible and do a better job of listening to our concerns and tailoring their services to meet our needs.
EAG took the time to get to know us, to know our business, and to really understand what we were trying to accomplish. They quickly demonstrated their knowledge by telling us up front what the likely choices would be and then explained the process we would go through to confirm those selections. Because of our recent experience, we were hesitant to buy into a full package of services from the start, but EAG listened and worked with us to step through it. As we’ve made our way through this process, we have seen the benefits of their guidance and continued to value their partnership. We have confidence that the solution we’re choosing is going to be the best fit for our business, and I don’t believe we’d be at that point without the aid of the EAG Team. I would absolutely recommend ERP Advisors Group.
Selection:
ERP Advisors Group not only helped us identify a product that fits our business, but they helped us pick a consulting group to implement it. Had we approached it ourselves, we would have been shooting a shot in the dark having to choose between dozens of consulting groups. That can make or break an implementation. I didn't want that risk, and that's why we wanted somebody like ERP Advisors Group to help us figure it out.
Throughout the selection process, EAG participated in background discussions that we didn't have to be involved in. That communication helped because they have been through this process many times, and they knew what to say and how to say it. The result was better content from the vendors and more efficient use of our time.
Shawn helped us get more out of our selection than we probably would have. We reviewed the offer, and Shawn knew in which areas we could likely ask for adjustments, while others were not worth attempted negotiation. Without his guidance, we might have missed opportunities to get the most for our dollars.
It has been comforting to have somebody watch our back and make sure we're not signing up for something we shouldn't be. We're making our own decision, but just having the input and having somebody say, “Wait a minute, maybe we need to think about a little bit more,” is beneficial – and I think that's going to continue as we move on through the implementation.
