ERP Selection

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

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.

Selecting an ERP Implementer

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Engleman Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of our latest educational video, Selecting an ERP Implementer, now available in links below. Presented by Mark Engleman, this video draws on insights from over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996 to provide practical guidance for IT personnel and executives tasked with choosing an ERP implementer.

The video outlines critical factors for evaluating potential implementers, including:

  • Consultant team expertise, particularly the role of the big-picture analyst.
  • Billing rates for consulting and developer roles.
  • Proximity to improve timely on-site support, ideally within one flight leg to minimize delays.
  • Commercial terms that give buyers control over their project and deliverables.
  • Implementer adaptability to align with the buyer’s preparedness.

Additionally, Mark addresses common misconceptions, advising buyers to discount:

  • Statements of Work with unreliable consulting time estimates and costs.
  • Claims of superior methodology, usually just sales rhetoric.
  • General assurances from implementer leadership, which may not address underlying project risks.

Explore these video and our broader collection of ERP resources to support informed decision-making in your ERP initiatives.

ERP Implementer
ERP Implementer

Summary video
on Selecting an ERP Implementer.

Comprehensive video
on Selecting an ERP Implementer.

White paper on ERP implementation control

Why Most ERP Advice Should Be Ignored

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We are pleased to share our latest educational video, now available on our website.

"Mega Cloud ERP is a Good ERP for Your Company . . . Or Is It?"

This concise commentary addresses a critical issue in ERP decision-making: the pitfalls of accepting summary or explicit ERP recommendations without thorough context.

This concise commentary addresses a critical issue in ERP decision-making: the pitfalls of accepting summary or explicit ERP recommendations without thorough context.

Targeted at IT personnel and executives, the video outlines why no ERP should be recommended by anyone, or any entity, without a detailed understanding of key factors of the company seeking ERP, including:

  • Business process complexity
  • Existing application landscape (e.g., MES, quality systems, online ordering)
  • Strategic objectives and industry dynamics
  • Financial capacity for ERP investment
  • Implementation resources of the ERP vendor—including independents

Drawing on our experience with over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996, the video emphasizes the risks of hastily made ERP decisions, which can undermine project credibility and stability, especially when implementation challenges arise. It also explores scenarios where enhancing an existing ERP system may be a more prudent choice than replacement.

We invite you to watch this video to gain actionable insights into making informed ERP decisions. Explore our collection of ERP-focused resources for further guidance.

For additional details, check the video description for links to related content. Stay informed—watch, like, and subscribe to our channel for ongoing ERP insights.

Thanks for your interest, and certainly call us with questions you may have.

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