Engleman Associates, Inc. (EAI) has provided ERP advisory services since 1996 — now spanning more than 1,000 client projects across manufacturing, distribution, and complex enterprise environments. Our advisory services cover ERP strategy planning, ERP selection and access cost control, and pre-implementation readiness.
What distinguished EAI before 2025 was the depth and maturity of our methodology — 1,000+ projects, a culture of continuous improvement, well-documented and scalable processes, and an uncompromising commitment to buyer advocacy over vendor accommodation.
What distinguishes EAI today is something fundamentally different. In 2025 we rebuilt our entire service delivery around purpose-built AI accelerators — not AI-assisted consulting, but AI-integrated methods that enable analysis depth, client-specific customization, and commercial terms protection that are simply not achievable through conventional approaches, regardless of consultant talent or budget.
Engleman Associates & SoftSelect History
SoftSelect is Launched
Our company began in 1996. At that time it had the name SoftSelect Systems, LLC and solely focused on developing and distributing a business software selection process. The original selection tools were acquired from the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). These tools were (1) a functional requirements diagnostic tool used by software selection teams and (2) a database of functional and technical attributes of about 500 business software offerings of the day. Consultant partners would use the diagnostic tool and send the results to us for comparison against this database of business software.
Continuous Improvements to Our Tools, Methods and Support
In these early years we continually added improved methods and broader support for ERP selection projects. The original tools were substantially retired by 2004 based on changes in software markets and our evolving techniques to conduct selection work.
Company Renamed to Engleman Associates, Inc.
In 2006 the company name was changed from SoftSelect Systems LLC to Engleman Associates, Inc. One key reason for this change was to have a company name that was more in line with our expanded service offerings from the original business software selection roots.
A key service added around 2006 was helping ERP buyers prepare for implementations. This service addition was a natural as implementation difficulties were more the norm and because it built upon the ERP selection process. This service has evolved considerably over the years and today is significantly contributes to the ERP buyers control of results, calendar time, and cost in an implementation.
Reaching the 20 Year Milestone
ERP advisory services continue to mature based on lessons learned in over 900 enterprise software projects from our founding. Most EAI-SoftSelect consultant partners have worked with us for 10 years or more.
AI Reset Began
In a year of deliberate reflection, EAI undertook a holistic review of every major service — not the incremental tuning typical of most consulting firms, but a ground-up reassessment of how AI could transform what was already a mature methodology. What began as exploration quickly became a fundamental reset. Capabilities emerged that we could not have imagined at the outset. The result is an AI-integrated advisory framework that has propelled EAI's results well beyond what any traditional consulting approach can deliver.
Let us show you how our experience can achieve a better outcome on your company's ERP project.
ERP Selection – Provo Craft
EAI-SoftSelect was a great partner throughout the process of choosing an ERP solution. They helped us control the terms throughout the ERP buying process, and we achieved impressive results in reduced ERP license fees.
Having an experienced partner like EAI-SoftSelect, helped us negotiate for the products we need and set our expectations for the process of implementing these solutions.
ERP Selection – Cornell Pump
Negotiating ERP costs is complicated and the ERP software vendors take advantage of the buyer’s lack of experience. EAI-SoftSelect’s experience and influence helped us level the playing field. We clearly saved money and lowered our long term risk.
ERP Selection – Leupold & Stevens
Long term ERP license costs were initially very difficult to calculate. Working with EAI-SoftSelect we were able to insist on a predicable ERP license fee approach and achieve much lower initial and ongoing license fee costs.
