ERP Selection

Understanding Cloud ERP Application Speed Issues: Insights from Engleman Associates, Inc.

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At Engleman Associates, Inc. (EAI), we bring over 1,000 ERP projects of experience since 1996 to provide buyers with actionable insights. In our latest ERP Now video, “Cloud ERP Application Speed Issues for Users,” founder Mark Engleman addresses a critical concern: the potential for significant speed issues in Cloud ERP applications and the limited control buyers have to resolve them.

While Cloud ERP vendors often emphasize uptime guarantees (e.g., 99.9%), these metrics rarely address application speed—the responsiveness users experience when entering data, running reports, or managing workflows. EAI’s analysis highlights two key factors related to ERP speed: (1) IT infrastructure that may cause issues that are out of the firm control of the ERP sellers, and (2) the seller’s internal calculation for spending as little as they can to reasonably deliver the ERP application remotely.

Watch the full video to learn more about Cloud ERP speed issues and why sellers of ERP are ultimately not very concerned.

For additional resources, explore our ERP Now video series here.
See this post on Linked-in here.
Stay informed and contact EAI for expert guidance on your next ERP project.

cloud erp speed

New Video Release – Escaping ERP: Challenges and Smart Buying Strategies

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At Engleman Associates, Inc. (EAI), we’ve guided over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996, delivering practical, buyer-focused insights to IT professionals and executives navigating complex enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Today, we’re excited to announce the release of our latest video in the ERP Now series, titled “Escaping an ERP: Why It’s So Hard.” In this concise, under-three-minute video, EAI founder Mark Engleman addresses the challenges of switching ERP systems—often described as “escaping” when a move is forced—and shares critical strategies for selecting the right ERP from the start to minimize future risk of such an escape.

Why Watch?

Switching ERP systems is a daunting task, marked by high costs, significant risks, and operational disruptions. Many organizations feel trapped in compromised systems due to these barriers. In this video, Mark underscores why escaping an ERP is so challenging, the behavior this creates with most buyers, and how ERP sellers exploit the situation. Also covered are five essential contract terms to negotiate when purchasing an ERP. These terms—covering aspects like vendor shutdown prevention, cost stability, failover plans, controlled migrations, and data access—empower buyers to maintain control and greatly increase options for a more orderly escape – or to avoid the escape entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Understand the financial, operational, and strategic hurdles of ERP migrations.
  • Learn proactive steps to negotiate ERP contracts that protect your organization.
  • Gain insights from EAI’s decades of experience helping clients avoid common ERP pitfalls.

Watch Now

Watch the video to explore these insights and equip your team with the knowledge to make informed ERP decisions.

For additional resources, including links to related content, visit the video’s description on our YouTube channel. Explore our full ERP Now series for more expert guidance on ERP strategy, selection, and implementation.

Stay informed and protect your business—watch now and subscribe to our channel for future updates.

Engleman Associates, Inc. – Your Trusted ERP Advisory Partner

Escaping your ERP

How AI Can Help Fix One-Sided ERP Contracts: New Video from Engleman Associates

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At Engleman Associates, Inc. (EAI), we’ve guided over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996, giving us deep insight into the challenges IT professionals and executives face when navigating enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects. One critical issue is the imbalance in ERP vendor contracts, which always favor the vendor and expose buyers to significant risks. Our latest video, “How AI Can Help Fix One-Sided ERP Contracts,” presented by EAI founder Mark Engleman, addresses can significantly contribute to solving this problem.

In this concise, under-three-minute video, Mark explains how to properly prompt modern AI tools to significantly speed to process to fix unfair commercial terms. By analyzing vendor terms—often scattered across multiple documents—AI can quickly identify one-sided clauses, highlight risks, and propose balanced language. This process saves hours of manual review and equips your team to negotiate fairer terms with confidence. The video also includes a template AI prompt, available in the YouTube description, to help you get started.

While AI is a powerful tool for contract analysis, it has limitations in the broader ERP selection process—a topic we explore in another video linked in the description.

Watch the embedded video to learn how AI can transform your ERP contract negotiations. View on Linked-in.

For more expert insights on ERP strategies, visit our YouTube channel or explore our resources. Have questions? Contact us directly or leave a comment on the video—we’re here to help.

Why Free Online ERP Information Is Unreliable: Insights from Mark Engleman

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At Engleman Associates, Inc. (EAI), we are resolved to deliver reliable ERP advisory services based on over 1,000 client projects since 1996. In our latest video from the ERP Now series, founder Mark Engleman addresses a critical issue for IT professionals and executives: the unreliability of free online information regarding complex ERP business applications.

In this short video, Mark explores the pitfalls of relying on online resources such as ranking lists, functionality representations, and license cost ranges. He explains that much of this "free advice" is designed not to inform but to generate leads. Developers of these resources often compile data to identify potential ERP buyers, subsequently selling this information to ERP companies and resellers. This practice, frequently supported by sponsored listings at the top of search results, undermines the credibility of even potentially useful online ERP research.

Mark highlights specific areas of concern, including the subjective nature of cost representations and the significant inaccuracies in functionality claims made by sellers or third parties. He notes that a skilled buyer can substantially reduce lifecycle costs, given ERP’s nature as intellectual property with minimal incremental release costs. For a deeper dive into functionality inaccuracies, EAI has published a white paper, accessible via the video description.

So, how can organizations obtain reliable ERP insights? Mark recommends focusing on relevant questions and objectives, followed by direct engagement with competent representatives from the seller. For additional resources, viewers can explore links in the video description, including other videos in our ERP Now series.

Watch the full video to gain actionable insights from Mark Engleman’s extensive experience.

See on Linked-in.

For more information, visit the links provided in the video description or contact Engleman Associates, Inc. to discuss your ERP needs with our expert team.

Free Online ERP Information

Can AI Simplify Your ERP Selection? Insights from Engleman Associates, Inc.

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At Engleman Associates, Inc. (EAI), we’ve guided over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996, always prioritizing the buyer’s perspective. In our latest ERP Now video, “Can AI Help You Choose the Right ERP?”, we explore how artificial intelligence can assist in selecting or optimizing an ERP system—and where it falls short.

AI can be a useful starting point when quality data is available. For instance, it can identify ERP systems commonly used by specific industries or highlight problematic vendor contract terms when prompted correctly (see full list below of ways AI greatly helps). However, the ERP landscape is complex, with challenges like vendor misinformation, biased analyst reports, and unclear buyer requirements. These abstract variances limit AI’s ability to provide tailored, reliable recommendations.

Successful ERP selection still demands skilled buyer-seller interaction to define functional scope, rigorously test critical features, negotiate favorable terms, and choose implementers with proven expertise. At EAI, we specialize in navigating these complexities to deliver solutions that align with your business needs.

Watch the full video below to learn more about leveraging AI effectively in your ERP journey and discover practical insights from our decades of experience.

View on Linked-in

For additional resources, explore our ERP Now video series linked in the video description. Stay informed and contact EAI for expert guidance on your next ERP project.

How AI Helps

AI significantly enhances EAI ERP advisory services by providing deep insights and accelerating key activities in ERP selection and implementation control. Effective use of AI requires precise, informed queries, with results typically validated and augmented by tactical follow-up queries, and by other information sources. Below are the key areas where AI is applied in EAI ERP advisory services:

  • Generating Long List ERP Candidates: AI rapidly identifies potential ERP systems (or other business applications) based on client size, industry requirements, and system capabilities, creating an initial pool of candidate ERP. The results are cross referenced to the EAI ERP database and a final long list is generated.
  • Developing Functional Requirements for ERP Selection and Planning: AI assists in defining detailed, relevant functional requirements to screen ERP candidates and support pre-implementation planning, which can greatly improve alignment with business objectives.
  • Identifying and Screening ERP Resellers, Implementers, and Consultants: AI locates and evaluates ERP resellers, implementers, and independent consultants with specific ERP expertise, streamlining the selection of qualified partners.
  • Enhancing ERP Access Cost Control: AI helps articulate clear cost control objectives to vendors, facilitating negotiations and reducing barriers to achieving cost-effective ERP access and implementation. This again is highly dependent on proper AI inquiries.
  • Highlighting and Addressing Commercial Terms Conflicts: AI identifies default commercial terms in ERP contracts that conflict with objectives for buyer cost and commercial control, proposing precise language to address these issues. These objectives are designed by EAI, place appropriate and firm control in the hands of buyers, and this approach makes vendors directly confront various conflicts.
  • Accelerating Implementer Onboarding with Company Insights: AI leverages selected data from company discovery to quickly familiarize implementer personnel with the client’s operations, reducing the need for extensive new business process interviews.
  • Streamlining Business Process Discovery and Metrics Design: AI organizes and makes visible critical insights from the business process discovery phase, supporting effective business process and metrics design during ERP implementation.